Topic: Electronics Geeks Please Help (Battery Box + MT Dongle)

[insanescott]

I am currently trying to build a 2 wire battery box to a Dongle for my Microtrack.  I built a 2 wire battery box several months ago and recently I got some information on how to build a MT Dongle.  I spliced the output wires of the battery box into left, right and ground.  I connected the ground to each 1/4in plug on the Dongle end of the box.  Also, I connected the left from the battery box to the left 1/4in plug and the right to the right 1/4in plug.  For some reason my left and right tracks are linked and are just producing a mono signal from both mics.  Both mics are coming in both ears.  I have included a really simple diagram of what I have done below.  If anyone can help I would really appreciate it, because I have been pulling my hair out for days and don't know where to go with here.  I believe that I am hooking my grounds incorrectly.  Thanks in advance for any help.

[firmdragon]

doube check to see if you've shorted something.  too much solder in one area maybe?

[poorlyconditioned]

The "-" wire should go to the "sleeve" of the 1/4" connnector.

The "+" wire should go to *both* the "ring" and the "tip" (ie., they are shorted together) for unbalanced input.

  Richard

[Church-Audio]

I am currently trying to build a 2 wire battery box to a Dongle for my Microtrack.  I built a 2 wire battery box several months ago and recently I got some information on how to build a MT Dongle.  I spliced the output wires of the battery box into left, right and ground.  I connected the ground to each 1/4in plug on the Dongle end of the box.  Also, I connected the left from the battery box to the left 1/4in plug and the right to the right 1/4in plug.  For some reason my left and right tracks are linked and are just producing a mono signal from both mics.  Both mics are coming in both ears.  I have included a really simple diagram of what I have done below.  If anyone can help I would really appreciate it, because I have been pulling my hair out for days and don't know where to go with here.  I believe that I am hooking my grounds incorrectly.  Thanks in advance for any help.

I am sure you already know this but I just want to make sure. What ever you do if you run your microtrack with the 1/4 inch inputs "unbalanced" as Richard sugested make sure you never turn the phantom power on!

[poorlyconditioned]

I am currently trying to build a 2 wire battery box to a Dongle for my Microtrack.  I built a 2 wire battery box several months ago and recently I got some information on how to build a MT Dongle.  I spliced the output wires of the battery box into left, right and ground.  I connected the ground to each 1/4in plug on the Dongle end of the box.  Also, I connected the left from the battery box to the left 1/4in plug and the right to the right 1/4in plug.  For some reason my left and right tracks are linked and are just producing a mono signal from both mics.  Both mics are coming in both ears.  I have included a really simple diagram of what I have done below.  If anyone can help I would really appreciate it, because I have been pulling my hair out for days and don't know where to go with here.  I believe that I am hooking my grounds incorrectly.  Thanks in advance for any help.

I am sure you already know this but I just want to make sure. What ever you do if you run your microtrack with the 1/4 inch inputs "unbalanced" as Richard sugested make sure you never turn the phantom power on!

Oops!  I got it wrong.

It should be:
   gnd(-) goes to: sleeve and ring (shorted), and (+) goes to *tip*.

Yes, I'm not sure what phantom power will do, but many "mono" 1/4" plugs, like guitar cables, etc, have sleeve and ring as a single metal piece, ie., shorted.

You could also just use mono plugs for this mic input too.

Good luck with your project.

  Richard

[guysonic]

I am currently trying to build a 2 wire battery box to a Dongle for my Microtrack.  I built a 2 wire battery box several months ago and recently I got some information on how to build a MT Dongle.  I spliced the output wires of the battery box into left, right and ground.  I connected the ground to each 1/4in plug on the Dongle end of the box.  Also, I connected the left from the battery box to the left 1/4in plug and the right to the right 1/4in plug.  For some reason my left and right tracks are linked and are just producing a mono signal from both mics.  Both mics are coming in both ears.  I have included a really simple diagram of what I have done below.  If anyone can help I would really appreciate it, because I have been pulling my hair out for days and don't know where to go with here.  I believe that I am hooking my grounds incorrectly.  Thanks in advance for any help.

Can't tell for sure from your wiring, but make sure the audio common for both left/right channel pickups are also connected to common ground as with the minus (-) terminal of the battery with all grounded commons going to the 'sleeve + ring' of the TRS plug input.  Looks like you used unbalanced TS plugs (without the 'ring') so this takes care of grounding the (-) ring connections

Suggest taping over the phantom power slide switch in OFF position so impossible to fry your mics by accidental high voltage.

[insanescott]

Hey guys.  Thanks for all the help.  I tried virtually every combination of possibilities.  Here is what finally worked.  I didn't connect the ground to the right channel.  I only grounded the left 1/4 plug, and everything seemed to work correctly.  Thanks for the info on the phantom power.  I will be taping over the phantom power switch asap.  I am glad this finally worked.  Thanks for the suggestions again.

Scott