How can I connect 4 microphones to one recorder?

[MM]

Here's a picture of what I want to do:
http://home.freeuk.com/visual.basic/4_microphones_into_one_recorder.jpg

The tape/cassette recorder (or PC with sound card) would be in one
room. Its recording connector would be split (somehow) into four, so
that a microphone could be connected to any of them. Each of, say,
four rooms would have a flylead connector as shown. I can do soldering
and use sidecutters.

MM

 

[Tom Biasi]

"MM" <kylix_is@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:u56oj31d62dsqgr5r1rllr9festucblrbn@4ax.com...

Here's a picture of what I want to do:
http://home.freeuk.com/visual.basic/4_microphones_into_one_recorder.jpg

The tape/cassette recorder (or PC with sound card) would be in one
room. Its recording connector would be split (somehow) into four, so
that a microphone could be connected to any of them. Each of, say,
four rooms would have a flylead connector as shown. I can do soldering
and use sidecutters.

MM

If you are only going to use one at a time you can just parallel them.
If you will use more than one mic you would need a mixer.

Tom

 

[MM]

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:26:13 -0500, "Tom Biasi"
<tombiasi@********optonline.net> wrote:

"MM" <kylix_is@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:u56oj31d62dsqgr5r1rllr9festucblrbn@4ax.com...
Here's a picture of what I want to do:
http://home.freeuk.com/visual.basic/4_microphones_into_one_recorder.jpg

The tape/cassette recorder (or PC with sound card) would be in one
room. Its recording connector would be split (somehow) into four, so
that a microphone could be connected to any of them. Each of, say,
four rooms would have a flylead connector as shown. I can do soldering
and use sidecutters.

MM

If you are only going to use one at a time you can just parallel them.
If you will use more than one mic you would need a mixer.

When you say, parallel them, what does that entail? Could I just
solder the relevant flyleads (inner cores) to, say, a bit of
Veroboard, then connect that to the recorder?

Alternatively, the mixer: What would I be looking for? (e.g. Google)

Thanks!

MM

 

[JeffM]

MM <kylix_is@ yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

Here's a picture of what I want to do:
http://home.freeuk.com/visual.basic/4_microphones_into_one_recorder.jpg

Tom Biasi wrote:
If you are only going to use one at a time you can just parallel them.

The switch on many microphones shorts out the mic element

to terminate the line for no added noise pickup.
This kills *all* the mics if they are paralleled.

If you will use more than one mic you would need a mixer.

Yup. Will work universally.

 

[Tom Biasi]

"JeffM" <jeffm_@email.com> wrote in message
news:f5b8ed83-d01c-4e47-bc7e-d3caf1e4da70@d50g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

MM <kylix_is@ yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Here's a picture of what I want to do:
http://home.freeuk.com/visual.basic/4_microphones_into_one_recorder.jpg

Tom Biasi wrote:
If you are only going to use one at a time you can just parallel them.

The switch on many microphones shorts out the mic element
to terminate the line for no added noise pickup.
This kills *all* the mics if they are paralleled.

He didn't say he wanted to parallel four mics just four connectors.

 

[Tom Biasi]

"MM" <kylix_is@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:g0eoj3927cnoggbtb03vq0ksd4ha08d22h@4ax.com...

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:26:13 -0500, "Tom Biasi"
tombiasi@********optonline.net> wrote:


"MM" <kylix_is@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:u56oj31d62dsqgr5r1rllr9festucblrbn@4ax.com...
Here's a picture of what I want to do:
http://home.freeuk.com/visual.basic/4_microphones_into_one_recorder.jpg

The tape/cassette recorder (or PC with sound card) would be in one
room. Its recording connector would be split (somehow) into four, so
that a microphone could be connected to any of them. Each of, say,
four rooms would have a flylead connector as shown. I can do soldering
and use sidecutters.

MM

If you are only going to use one at a time you can just parallel them.
If you will use more than one mic you would need a mixer.

When you say, parallel them, what does that entail? Could I just
solder the relevant flyleads (inner cores) to, say, a bit of
Veroboard, then connect that to the recorder?

Alternatively, the mixer: What would I be looking for? (e.g. Google)

Thanks!

MM

Parallel means like wires to like wires.
center to center, shield to shield.

Google "microphone mixer"

 

[MM]

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:49:30 -0500, "Tom Biasi"
<tombiasi@********optonline.net> wrote:

"JeffM" <jeffm_@email.com> wrote in message
news:f5b8ed83-d01c-4e47-bc7e-d3caf1e4da70@d50g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
MM <kylix_is@ yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Here's a picture of what I want to do:
http://home.freeuk.com/visual.basic/4_microphones_into_one_recorder.jpg

Tom Biasi wrote:
If you are only going to use one at a time you can just parallel them.

The switch on many microphones shorts out the mic element
to terminate the line for no added noise pickup.
This kills *all* the mics if they are paralleled.


He didn't say he wanted to parallel four mics just four connectors.

That's true. However, now I know about mixers it may be more efficient
to buy four cheap Maplin microphones and leave them connected. The
idea is that I speak anywhere (main rooms) in the house and have my
words recorded. Like Beethoven's notebooks, but a vocal version! An
alternative might be to have a wearable, *discrete* wireless mic of
some kind, but whether this would always connect to the recorder
elsewhere in the house is debatable. Having cables instead of wireless
would obviate any problem on that score. I tried several years ago
with one of the first Sony voice-operated digital recorders, but it
lasted about five minutes beyond the guarantee period. Ruddy thing
cost me around Ł130!

MM

 

[Bob Masta]

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:48:25 +0000, MM <kylix_is@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

That's true. However, now I know about mixers it may be more efficient
to buy four cheap Maplin microphones and leave them connected. The
idea is that I speak anywhere (main rooms) in the house and have my
words recorded. Like Beethoven's notebooks, but a vocal version! An
alternative might be to have a wearable, *discrete* wireless mic of
some kind, but whether this would always connect to the recorder
elsewhere in the house is debatable. Having cables instead of wireless
would obviate any problem on that score. I tried several years ago
with one of the first Sony voice-operated digital recorders, but it
lasted about five minutes beyond the guarantee period. Ruddy thing
cost me around Ł130!

I suspect that you will be unhappy with the results of having all the
mics paralleled and always active. Since they will be distant from
your mouth you will have to crank the gain up high to get a reasonable
response. But that will make them very susceptible to noise pickup,
so you will be triggering your sound-activated recording on all kinds
of incidental sounds like the fridge and furnace. The wearable
wireless mic sound like a much better idea in this regard, but much
depends on how "discrete" it needs to be. A boom mic right in front
of your lips would be ideal; a mic clipped to your shirt may
false-trigger from picking up too much body motion noise.

I'd recommend that before you proceed, you use a single mic and
run some tests in a single room. See if you can find a happy
compromise between gain and noise pickup, then go from there.

Best regards,


Bob Masta

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