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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: gunk on January 22, 2018, 05:27:38 PM

Title: How to measure mic voltage from Plug-In Power recorder?
Post by: gunk on January 22, 2018, 05:27:38 PM
I want to check how much voltage is being supplied to the mic via Plug-In Power from my recorder. 

I put a mono jack plug with an attached lead in the mic socket.  When I put a meter across the leads I get no voltage at all. 

Does the mic need to be present and drawing current for a voltage to appear?

I tried a few recorders including an Olympus LS-P1 and got no reading on any.

Title: Re: How to measure mic voltage from Plug-In Power recorder?
Post by: rigpimp on January 22, 2018, 05:46:52 PM
I've never used PIP on a recorder before but you may need to use a stereo 1/8" as opposed to a mono.  The mono has one ring and the stereo has two.  The mono may not be passing a voltage because of this.  ?? :shrug:
Title: Re: How to measure mic voltage from Plug-In Power recorder?
Post by: Gutbucket on January 23, 2018, 09:30:18 AM
Assuming plug-in-power is turned on, you should be able to measure a voltage of around 1.5V to 5V (typically around 3V) between the sleeve (ground) and tip or ring connections of the TRS mic input jack.

It shouldn't matter if the tip and ring connections are shorted, which is what a mono TS mini-jack plug will do when inserted in a stereo input jack.  You should see the same voltage.
Title: Re: How to measure mic voltage from Plug-In Power recorder?
Post by: gunk on January 24, 2018, 05:56:54 PM
I wonder if the voltmeter's very high resistance doesn't allow enough current to be drawn for the PIP circuitry to offer its working voltage?
Title: Re: How to measure mic voltage from Plug-In Power recorder?
Post by: Gutbucket on January 25, 2018, 08:51:59 AM
PIP microphones don't typically draw very much current.  Which is why a 9V battery in an external battery box lasts so long.

The issue is usually that the PIP Voltage produced by the recorder may only be 1.2-3V or so, whereas PIP microphones usually perform optimally with 5-10V.