Topic: Help! Sony PCM-M10 only getting left channel levels.

[woodstock64]

First post. I've been lurking around the site for some time trying to get up to date on taping. I'm an old-time taper (Grateful Dead mid-80's-early-90's). At the time I was using the trusty TCD-5M and Nak300's. After many years without a deck I finally bought a Sony PCM-M10. I guess I'm partial to Sony. Now here's my problem. I've had the deck several months and finally found replacement batteries for my Nak300s (two A544s taped together for those looking). I'm planning on doing a test run at my son's jazz band concert on Wednesday (4/29/14) so I set everything up tonight to make certain all was working well. IT'S NOT! I plugged both Nak300s into a splitter (2-1/4in females to 1/8in male). When I push the splitter all the way into the "mic in"  jack I only get a level on the left channel. I know it's not the mics because I plugged both mics in seperately and each in both the right and left 1/4" jack. Both mics work independently but when both are plugged in, I'm only getting the one left channel. Now if I dont push the spitter in all the way I appear to be getting both a left and right channel signal, though I'm not certain that at the point before the 1/8" male "clicks" all the way into the mic in jack, I am not actually getting the signal from the internal mics. Any help in addressing this issue would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. It feels great to be back in the game. All these years without taping, I have felt like a fish out of water at shows.

[vanark]

Are you sure the splitter takes two mono signals and makes a stereo signal?

[woodstock64]

Vanark, thanks you. After reading your reply and discussing it further with a friend we both came to the conclusion it may be the adapter. The adapter is old and it may be to 1/4" stereos to a 1/8" stereo. I honestly no longer know. The 1/8" may even be a mono but until I get home from work I won't know for sure. Either way I just picked up a new adapter: two 1/4" monos to 1/8" stereo. My fingers are crossed all works fine.

[woodstock64]

Vanark, thank you. Problem solved. It was in fact the Y-adapter. After purchasing the correct adaptor today, I set everything up when I got home from work and we have lift-off. Everything is working fine. So relieved. The thought of having to send the M10 back to Sony was not something I was looking forward to. I already had to resort to using the internal mics once and while the results were significantly better than I ever expected, I don't intend on using them again, except in an absolute pinch. Plus i really want tomorrow's test run to be with the Nak 300s as for the forseeable future this will be my rig and I'd like to work all the kinks out before I run it at the Bob Weir show in Asbury Park, NJ on June 8.

[ScoobieKW]

I ran Nak-300 > M10 at Furthur at Marymoor, Redmond WA last year. You'll be happy with the rig.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

What style of adapter are you using?

Some two into one adapters can put a lot of strain on the input jack of the recorder, due to their overall bulk. The input jack is often the weakest part of these recorders. It is very easy to transmit a lot of force to the jack and circuit board. A very light and flexible cable also helps avoid that.

[woodstock64]

I'm using the flexible adapter (the 1/4" jacks attached to the 1/8" via cable) not the rigid adapter. While a right angle 1/8" would be ideal I anticipate this will reduce the stress on the input jack. Having spent years taping with a D-5 I'm not used to having to concern myself with stressing the deck components. Those old D-5s were constructed like tanks.

[obaaron]

Gonna grab some of those batteries for my naks...thanks for the info!

[tim in jersey]

Hey woodstock- I might make it to that Bob Weir show in AP as well. If so, I'll try and track you down and say hello.

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