building a Pre-amp by a beginner

["Chris" <>]

Dear All,

Help needed! I took my heath robinson affair of a recording set, to 
the local nature reserve earlier today. I enjoyed getting out and 
recording again as its been a couple of years since I did any serious 
recording. 

My microphone is a JVC highly directional mic (identical one on ebay 
recently http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?
ViewItem&category=3284&item=5765845027&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW), which 
is powered by a 1.5volt AA battery cell. This is then fed via an XLR 
cable to a PMI Audio MD Report Junior 
(http://www.minidisc.org/part_PMI_Audio_MD_Report_Junior.html) which 
then feeds the signal into a sharp portable minidisc and headphones. 

A couple of samples from this morning can be found at 
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/beth.frear/windshield/whis1.mp3 and
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/beth.frear/windshield/whis2.mp3

I tried everything to boost the level, but to no effect. When I got 
home the level was barely registering in Cool Edit. In the end the 
two samples above were boosted by 26db. Clearly in future this is 
unacceptable. Does anyone have a circuit diagram or information on 
making a cheap and very simple pre-amp I could build myself? 

Regards,

Chris






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