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Re: Sharp minidisc MD DR7

Subject: Re: Sharp minidisc MD DR7
From: Vicki Powys <>
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 14:35:14 +1100
Dan Dugan wrote:

> If it's a 3-conductor cable wired tip, ring, and shield at the
> mini-plug end, connect the shield to XLR pins 1 and 3 together, and
> both inner conductors (tip and ring) to pin 2.
>

This is what I have now done, and it works just fine!  The mini-plug was a
pre-wired right-angled job so I can't get at it.  However I've now re-wired
the XLR end, as you've suggested above.  The signal is no stronger than it
was with my first lot of (wrong) wiring, but at least I know I now have a
"standard" adapting lead if I ever used a less forgiving mic than the ME67.

> With more
> sensitive mikes, however, you may not need the extra gain, and the
> transformer may limit the frequency response at both the low and high
> ends.

Ah!  Well I won't use the Tandy transformer then, as the ME67 is certainly =
a
sensitive mic.  The less interference with frequency response, the better.

Thanks for the very clear instructions Dan.

:-)

Now, next question guys!!

If I am connecting a pro STEREO mic (such as a Sony ECM MS5), to a consumer
minidisc or a Sony WMD6C cassette recorder, how do I make up the adapting
lead?  I have another pre-wired right-angled mini-plug right here, and a
5-pin XLR socket which is currently wired as follows: tip to pin 3, ring to
pin 5, sleeve to pin 1 and earth.  It does work but the signal is extremely
weak.  (Doubtless another Down Under special and all back to front!)

With the Sony mic I get a decent signal using two Tandy transformers in
another configuration, which gives much more than 10 db gain compared to th=
e
Down Under special.

Any help with a stereo adapting lead would be much appreciated.  (The
soldering iron's still hot, ready to go!)


Vicki Powys
Australia







on 24/11/03 4:33 PM, Dan Dugan at  wrote:

> Vicki Powys, you wrote:
>
>> I've just made a test using two types of adapting leads, to take a 3-pin
>> professional mic to a 3.5 mm stereo socket.  For the test I'm using a So=
ny
>> Walkman WMD6C cassette recorder and a Sennheiser ME67 mic.  The first le=
ad
>> has a mini-plug one end and a 3-pin socket at the other.  It is not wire=
d
>> exactly as described by Rich and Dan, but it does work satisfactorily.
>>
>> The second lead uses a Tandy adapter/transformer, part no. 274-0016, cos=
t
>> around $25 in Australia.  On the adapter is written: Lo-Z Balanced to H-=
Z
>> Unbalanced.  It isn't a pre-amp, just a transformer.  Using this set-up,=
 I
>> get 5-10 dB more gain, i.e. a stronger signal, than I do with lead 1.
>>
>> A few years I borrowed a FEL pre-amp (made in UK) which gave 20 dB bette=
r
>> gain (using lead 1 set-up) but at much greater expense.  I reckoned that=
 the
>> Tandy adapter was quite good enough to be used for a back-up system, and=
 was
>> certainly worth the $25 for the boost in signal.
>>
>> From my test with the WMD6C, I concluded that it is better to use a
>> transformer of some sort, to connect to the pro mic.  But maybe the
>> situation is different for a consumer minidisk such as MD DR7?  Would th=
e
>> minidisk have better input capacity than the WMD6C?  Making an
>> adapter/transformer redundant?
>
> I think the WM-D6C's preamp is quite similar to an MD's. The "free
> gain" from a transformer is often useful; it would be especially
> valuable if you were using a low-sensitivity mike. With more
> sensitive mikes, however, you may not need the extra gain, and the
> transformer may limit the frequency response at both the low and high
> ends.
>
>> For the record, on my lead no. 1, I had shorted pins 2 & 3 which run to =
the
>> tip and the ring of the miniplug, while pin 1 runs to the sleeve.  It se=
ems
>> to work fine, but this isn't the same as Rich and Dan suggested, so mayb=
e
>> I've done the wiring wrong?  Would that affect the strength of signal, o=
r
>> just be potentially more noisy?
>
> I would connect the tip and ring together at the mini-plug end, so
> the mike will feed both channels, but if you connect XLR pins 2 and 3
> at the mike end together, your signal will be very low or missing
> altogether. In a balanced circuit, the signal is the difference
> between pins 2 and 3!
>
> At the mike end connect 1 and 3 together to the cable shield, and the
> inner conductor, which feeds both tip and ring, should feed from pin
> 2.
>
> If it's a 3-conductor cable wired tip, ring, and shield at the
> mini-plug end, connect the shield to XLR pins 1 and 3 together, and
> both inner conductors (tip and ring) to pin 2.
>
> -Dan
>



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