XLR adapters and mini-connector mics

[Shayne Weyker]

I have a rode video mic and a couple sennheiser ek100 wireless receivers I'd like to hook to a GL2 (two out of the three at a time).

I got a sign video xlr pro adapter for this purpose and found that neither the rode videomic nor the sennheiser ek100 will give the camera any detectable signal through the converter's mini inputs. Box is set to mic on both channels and was tried both mono and stereo and grounding option 1 and 2.

B&H told me a while back that a beachtek converter box wouldn't take the rode video mic on its mini input due to impedance mismatch but a wireless receiver should work there.

Now I have a wireless mic and receiver it doesn't pass signal through on the sign video converter's mini input either, but the converter's XLR input passes the receiver signal through just fine.

I called the makers of the box and they said they suspect it has to do with how sennheiser wires the ek100's mini-out cable but they don't really know.

So I have two sennheiser receivers and a rode video mic. And right now the box is only usable with my one receiver that has an XLR cable for it. So I can't use the adapter box for much of anything now exceot to control the level from one wireless receiver.

The simple solution seems to be to spend about $60 for the rode mini to xlr cable adpter and an extra sennheiser threaded mini to XLR cable. And just hope that the rode XLR adapter will actually get signal through the box's XLR input.

But I'm sort of peeved that I have to spend the extra money and am wondering what mics actually work with the mini-inputs on those XLR-to-mini adapter boxes?

Any ideas?

--Shayne Weyker

[Steve House]

I suspect it may have to do with the converter's 1/8 inch inputs being mono jacks while the Rode sends a mono signal through a STEREO plug with both left and right channels being connected together by having the tip and ring shorted inside the plug. A mono plug or jack is two connectors - tip and sleeve, TS. A stereo plug or jack is three - tip, ring, and sleeve, TRS. What might happen when you plug a stereo plug into a mono jack all depends on just exactly where the sleeve connector happens to be located in the jack. If it's where it should be, close to the collar, it's well clear of the ring and there's no problem. But if the sleeve connector in the converter's jack is a little closer than 'spec' to the tip connector, it might be making contact with the plug's ring instead of the shaft as it should. If it does, the signal on the tip is also connected to the ring and now to ground as well and everything is shorted out. Even worse, they could be using stereo jacks but wiring them mono by connecting the jack's ring to it's sleeve (as would be the correct way to wire a balanced mono TRS to unbalanced mono TS connection). Now the plug connects the tip to the ring and the jack connects the ring to the sleeve and once again, everything is shorted out. I don't know how the Senn cable is wired but I betcha something similar might be going on. Going into the XLR connectors with the appropriate adapters seems the best solution from what you say.

[Shayne Weyker]

If that's the answer, then would a stereo mini to mono mini adapter fix the problem at least for the ek100 receiver with the mini-out cable?

[edit] a search of radio shack and B&H seems to suggest there is no such thing.[/edit]

Shayne Weyker
http://weykervideo.com

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Shayne Weyker

If that's the answer, then would a stereo mini to mono mini adapter fix the problem at least for the ek100 receiver with the mini-out cable?

[edit] a search of radio shack and B&H seems to suggest there is no such thing.[/edit]

Shayne Weyker
http://weykervideo.com

Why don't you just use the CL100 1/8 mini to XLR cable that came with the receiver? If you've misplaced it, the Senn web site lists it as an accessory for $47. I'm just guessing as to the cause of the problem in my previous message - I have no idea what's in the box in the Sign Video adapter, just suggesting the first couple of things I'd look at in trying to pin down the cause. But I'm not a big fan of 1/8 connectors anyway - they're weak and tend to get noisy from wear very quickly If I were in your place I'd just spend the $60 bucks for another Sennheiser XLR cable plus the Rode XLR adapter and be done with it. Heck, 60 bucks barely buys you admission to a movie for you and a date these days, especially if you include parking and a couple of burgers <grin>.