XLR to Mini Cable « Videomaker Community Forums

chpohlman333
Member

I am looking for an XLR to mini adapter so that I can connect a microphone straight into a mini dv camcorder. I was told that I need a cable with a transformer to do this correctly, but I see people selling these cables all over with out transformers that they say will do the trick. Any help???

Posted 6 years ago #
SDF
Member

Post the make/model of the the mic & camera.

Posted 6 years ago #
chpohlman333
Member

I am using a Panasonic PV-GS400 camera with a mini imput and have a couple different microphones

1) SHURE VP64 Low Impedance
2) SHURE VP64AL Dynamic Low Z

Posted 6 years ago #
chpohlman333
Member

I am using a Panasonic PV-GS400 camera with a mini imput and have a couple different microphones

1) SHURE VP64 Low Impedance
2) SHURE VP64AL Dynamic Low Z

Posted 6 years ago #
Nikki
Member

I did this the other day. I used an XLR to 1/4 inch cable, and then plugged that into my camera through a 1/4-1/8 inch adaptor.

It's a little messy, but it works. I'm about to capture the footage, so we'll see how it sounds.

Posted 6 years ago #
Tom Scratch
Member

Hi,
I have looked at this aspect a bit lately. In the background is a low impedence to high impedence issue when you go from XLR/balanced to pin/unbalanced.

Some time back, I purchased a cable that went from XLR to pin. It was a skinny cable of about 10 feet (bought from Markertek, a supplier I generally respect) and it appeared to have been manufactured cheaply, like made in a neighbor's shop. The setup had permanent continuous built-in static in all environments and if you breathed on the cable, it produced unwanted audio noise. The audio from this setup was terrible and unusable. (BTW, headphone monitoring is the optimum way to check out the quality of these setups.)

Recently, I connected a Shure tranformer cable (B&H, $36) to the pin input on my Sony VX-2100 and the improvement is remarkable; I can now hear and record perfectly clean broadcast-quality/cineplex-ready audio with this cam. The cable is XLR female to 1/8" miniplug. Have used in combination with 10 and 20 foot XLR to XLR cables over to my lav.
Link for this item at B&H is: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=154878&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Don't know if the cable in my original setup was defective, but it couldn't do the job. The new setup is Fantastic.

REGARDS ... TOM 8)

Posted 6 years ago #
Tom Scratch
Member

Update on my last reply.

The bottom line here is that an XLR to mini plug cable connected to your cam at one end and a mike at the other, without a built-in transformer, can produce really good audio. (Hey now, so you knew that already...)

In my previous reply I mentioned a bad experience with an XLR to mini setup without a transformer. I think this may have been due to a defect somewhere in the setup, before it reached the cam.

Today I got a new XLR to mini in the mail and it works fine, connected directly to the lav or connected with an extra XLR to XLR cable in between. The cable, mini to XLR, is the Comprehensive brand at $9; the lav is an Audio Technica. I did an A/B comparison with the Shure mini/XLR transformer cable mentioned in the earlier reply. My conclusion is that the character of the sound with the transformer cable is fuller/richer/thicker to an extent that can be heard; but that the simpler cable also produces clean acceptable sound. Don't know the electronics, but there may be some amplification going on with the transformer cable. Subjectively, with the transformer cable, I'd give the audio recorded by the cam an A; with the simple mini to XLR cable, a grade of A minus.

REGARDS ... TOM 8)

...don't try to catch up; I'll be right back!!!

Posted 6 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Wow! - This is just the kind of info I was looking for, as I'm thinking of upgrading my wireless system from the cheapo Azden model to perhaps a Sennheiser.

A big thanks to Tom Scratch and Steve Mann for all the experience they bring to these forums!

Posted 6 years ago #
SteveMann
Member

Tom Scratch Wrote:
My conclusion is that the character of the sound with the transformer cable is fuller/richer/thicker to an extent that can be heard; but that the simpler cable also produces clean acceptable sound.

The transformer is for impedance matching. When the impedance is wrong, your response curve goes wacky. The lows are lost when you plug a low impedance mike into a high impedance input. If you're dealing with high audio evels, you will also get distortion.

You can buy an XLR to phone adapter at radio shack for about $12 that is electrically identical to the Shure product. (I wouldn't be surprised to find that RS buys them from Shure). Then all you need is a 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch adapter.

Posted 6 years ago #
Endeavor
Member

compusolver Wrote:
Wow! - This is just the kind of info I was looking for, as I'm thinking of upgrading my wireless system from the cheapo Azden model to perhaps a Sennheiser.

A big thanks to Tom Scratch and Steve Mann for all the experience they bring to these forums!

I have a sennheiser me/66 setup with the Shure transformer. Of course you have to use battery power with the Sennheiser (it uses either phantom or battery power) but the overall quality is still outstanding.

You can buy an XLR to phone adapter at radio shack for about $12 that is electrically identical to the Shure product. (I wouldn't be surprised to find that RS buys them from Shure). Then all you need is a 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch adapter.

What Radio Shack are you shopping at? I never found anything even close at Radio Shack (not to mention, everything they DO have is way overpriced).

Posted 6 years ago #
SteveMann
Member

Endeavor Wrote:
What Radio Shack are you shopping at? I never found anything even close at Radio Shack (not to mention, everything they DO have is way overpriced).

It's been a while since I bought any, but the dozen or so that I bought five years ago still do the job. The price is now around $15. (Part# 274-016)

It's hard to imagine how that is "overpriced".

Steve

Posted 6 years ago #
Endeavor
Member

It's not. They just didn't have those at my local store.

Posted 6 years ago #
SteveMann
Member

Endeavor Wrote:
It's not. They just didn't have those at my local store.

In one respect, RS is light years ahead of other retailers. You can check store stock online.

Steve Mann

Posted 6 years ago #
Endeavor
Member

I'll do that next time!

Posted 6 years ago #