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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: in2blues on October 10, 2009, 06:46:55 PM

Title: Mic or line in
Post by: in2blues on October 10, 2009, 06:46:55 PM

I have Church CA -11 Mic's  into church battery box into Sony D-50. Which input should I be using "Line In" or "Mic."  I have always used Mic for input. Someone told me that when using battery box use Line in for input (even when recording with mic.)
Thanks for any help

Title: Re: Mic or line in
Post by: rhinowing on October 10, 2009, 06:47:46 PM

line-in, because you already have power going to the mics from the box...if you needed to power the mics from the recorder you'd go mic in

Title: Re: Mic or line in
Post by: su6oxone on October 10, 2009, 06:52:03 PM

Also, line-in is a less noisy input that mic-in, and enables you to handle louder sources than mic-in.  For the average loud rock type show, line-in is the way to go if you're using mics with a battery box.  For quieter shows, you might need mic-in if you can't get the gain you need when going line-in.  Getting a preamp (like the Church 9100) will enable you to get clean gain so that you can use line-in even for quieter shows.

Title: Re: Mic or line in
Post by: Big Perm on October 10, 2009, 11:40:38 PM

what about on the MK-II? would you use the 1/8th inch input selected in the menu function or the L R 1/4 inch inputs...coming from CA-UBB. I would think 1/8th inch, but how do you use this as line input not mic input...I dont want the gain provided by the machine

Title: Re: Mic or line in
Post by: fmaderjr on October 12, 2009, 05:29:15 PM

You can't use the 1/8 as line in.

Get this cable from Sound Pro's:
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-MICROTRACK-MINI-TRS-1
Be sure to select "wired for MT II" in the middle drop down box.

This cable will allow you to use the gain from the MT II without adding the dreaded "sprinkler noise".

To reduce or eliminate the gain required from the MT II, get a preamp such as the ST-9100 and get as much gain as possible from that instead of using a battery box.

Title: Re: Mic or line in
Post by: marsev on October 12, 2009, 06:44:37 PM

i'm an amateur:

i tried "mic plug-in power" with CA-11's+battery box for my 1st recording.

i got a ruined, horrible distorted mess.

the line-in gives a very low signal on tests, but it works out in the end.

Title: Re: Mic or line in
Post by: fmaderjr on October 12, 2009, 07:29:12 PM

Quote from: marsev on October 12, 2009, 06:44:37 PM

the line-in gives a very low signal on tests, but it works out in the end.

For a stronger signal level, replace the battery box with the ST-9100 preamp. Then you can leave the MT II's gain at the minimum (avoiding the sprinkler noise if you don't have the special Sound Pro's cable) and get up to 20 dB gain from the pre.