Hey all,

I am very, very confused about something and hoping someone here can help. I am looking for an inexpensive wired lavalier mic to use with a Sony MiniDisc recorder. The minidisc recorder says it supplies "plug-in power". One of the mics I was thinking of getting was an Azden EX-503, which Azden's website says requires a bias voltage of 5 - 9 VDC. I know pretty much nothing about plug-in power and microphone voltage requirements, so I don't know if the MiniDisc recorder can supply this bias voltage to the Azden mic or not. So if anyone can explain any of this bias voltage, plug-in power stuff, please do. I need to know whether I can get the Azden mic or if I should go with a lav mic that has its own power supply.

I have been using a Sony ECM-CS10 mic with the recorder and it does not have its own battery, but I still don't know whether the plug-in power supplied by the minidisc is the right voltage to power something like the Azden mic. Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Doug Chambers

"Plug-in power" is basically a dumbed-down-for-consumers name for low-power DC bias voltage. 5-9v DC pretty much falls within the range of what the jack on a minidisc recorder is likely to supply. So yes, this mic will work just fine.

However, I'd personally recommend that you stay away from anything that says Azden on it if at all possible. I'd recommend a Giant Squid instead. It'll cost about the same and it'll probably sound better. I've never heard the Azden, so that might be unfair, but I have had some less-than-impressive experiences with Azden stuff in the past, and pretty much everyone around here seems to agree that Azden's stuff is no good.