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Microphone question

Lango-DjangoLango-Django Niagara-On-The-Lake, ONModerator
edited November 2011 in Recording Posts: 1,875
A simple question which will probably provoke gales of laughter from the geek gods among us... but here goes anyway...

I'd like to record by plugging my good old reliable Shure 57 microphone into my laptop, SO...

... could I just buy one of those Radio Shack type adapters that convert my mike's 3-pin XLR output plug to a mini-plug which I could plug into my computer's microphone input?

Or would impedance mismatch guarantee that this idea would totally not work?

Thanks,

Will
Paul Cezanne: "I could paint for a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing."

Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."

Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."

Comments

  • jscook777jscook777 ✭✭✭✭
    Posts: 106
    I have that transformer and mic at home so I just gave it a spin.... no go over here. With the volume on my input (macbook pro) cranked all the way up I get a very very low input signal from the mic, nowhere near usable in my opinion.

    For about the same price I think these would work:
    http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=4252024
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/computer ... face-cable
  • MichaelHorowitzMichaelHorowitz SeattleAdministrator
    Posts: 6,179
    You'd need a mic pre of some sort...this one gets good reviews and is cheap:

    http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp ... =13&id=132

    Good luck!

    :D
  • Lango-DjangoLango-Django Niagara-On-The-Lake, ONModerator
    Posts: 1,875
    Thanks, Michael, very helpful as usual.

    I just found one of these gadgets on-line and ordered it for $69, which included shipping.

    Life is good!
    Paul Cezanne: "I could paint for a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing."

    Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."

    Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
  • JazzaferriJazzaferri Victoria B.C.Moderator Dunn Ultrafox, DuPont MDC20 Gretsch Chet Atkins CG
    Posts: 3,707
    Hey Amigo If you want to substantially change the sound quality get yourself a Marshall MXL 603 Absolutely stunning mic considering they sell between $60 and $70 ....... dont seem to work well for much else than guitar or similar pitched string instruments but..... :shock: :shock: :shock:

    Texas recording engineer Harvey Gerst (he goes back as far as I do :lol: ) turned me on to them. Small cap pencil condensor so you would have to run phantom power on the pre MW suggested A true bottom feeder's delight.
    The Magic really starts to happen when you can play it with your eyes closed
  • Lango-DjangoLango-Django Niagara-On-The-Lake, ONModerator
    Posts: 1,875
    Thanks, buddy, I'm going to trust you on that mike and go ahead and order it...

    Hey, how's the weather out in Victoria?

    Will

    PS ... and have you ever met my Vancouver buddy Don Ogilvie?

    Don's a wonderful player who plays a lot with Michael Dunn, the guy who made my guitar for me, but whom I've unfortunately never met.
    Paul Cezanne: "I could paint for a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing."

    Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."

    Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
  • Lango-DjangoLango-Django Niagara-On-The-Lake, ONModerator
    Posts: 1,875
    Ok, Jazzaferri, I'm just back from doing some looking around on-line... there are several microphones with similar numbers, so I'm going to ask for a bit more help with this... is this the one you recommend?

    http://www.findthebestdeals.com/xvk4xd2 ... Microphone

    Thanks,

    Will
    Paul Cezanne: "I could paint for a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing."

    Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."

    Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
  • JazzaferriJazzaferri Victoria B.C.Moderator Dunn Ultrafox, DuPont MDC20 Gretsch Chet Atkins CG
    Posts: 3,707
    Hey Amigo the weather here is cool grey and damp as per ususal this time of year :(

    I have met Don once very briefly. I know Michael well .... saw him two weeks ago. He showed me and I got to play his Juan Gris inspired cubist guitar. If I only had a a spare 10 grand. It is truly a work of art and while it plays really well I would hang it on the wall. If I were less computer illi :D terate I would post a pic here but it should be on his site by now.

    The original 603 will blow your sox off. I got two of them on sale at Long and McQuade for $99.00 for the pair several years ago. 8) The MXL 603 you show and that Musicians Friend has appears to have an s after the 603. Tom Lee's have pairs of 603's only listed and a single mic that looks the same but the model is a MXL 604.

    Having heard the difference between an Aussie made Rode NT1 and the later foreign made ones and considering I got mine 5 years ago and things may change I would suggest asking the supplier if the mics are made in the same factory to the same spec as they were. If they are unsure make sure that you get a no hassle full money back guarantee deal if you dont like it. If it is still the same I am absolutely certain you will love it. You might check homerecording.com and pm Harvey Gerst if he is still posting there. Anything Harvey tells me I take as Gospel
    The Magic really starts to happen when you can play it with your eyes closed
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