Microphone Question

captainfearless · 29 May 2014

Hi all, recently upgraded my home karaoke system and have only one problem, I can hear the mike through the left speaker only (I have google this to death btw). My set up is as follows, mic to pc front pink socket (windows 7), green audio out to red and white phono in amp, amp to stero speakers. Now b4 I had Logitech pc speakers and the mic sound came through both speakers, however these came with a dual signal 3.5 cable that occupied 2 sound card sockets.

So do I need to get a dual 3.5 jack to phono cable, if they exist!

Is there a way of mixing/panning the mic signal through both speakers via settings or software?

Can you please point me in the right direction?

fireberd · 29 May 2014

I have a recording studio and deal with audio cables.

It sounds like you only have a mono (one channel) cable from the speaker out to the phone in on your amp.

First, the phone in is not really the ideal input. The phono input is a low level input with RIAA compensation. The RIAA compensation is not needed and can actually sound distortion problems. The RIAA compensation is designed to recover fidelity from phono records which have had the sound compressed. The signal from the PC is not compressed.

Second, the output from the PC is not a low level signal, like from a phono or the "instrument level" from a guitar. It is more a "line level".

Now, to the cable problem, the output from the PC is a stereo signal. You need a cable that splits the two channels from the PC to separate connectors for whatever device you are plugging into. If its RCA type plugs that are needed that is what you need. Thus you need a shielded stereo audio cable - NOT a stereo speaker cable as its unshielded - with a 3.5MM (1/8") plug for the PC end and whatever for the other end. Or a shielded audio cable with 3.5mm plugs on both ends and then a "Y" cable that connects to the 3.5mm plug and provides what connectors you want.

Here is one site that has a cable. MyCableMart.com

captainfearless · 29 May 2014

Thanks for the prompt and expert reply.

The amp I am using is this..it has only 1 input but sounds great!

LP-2020A + Lepai Tripath Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Mini Amplifier with Power Supply By Koolertron (Black) by Koolertron http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009G0SV4..._cL4Htb0FV5ST0

The cable is this, is this not the same as you describe?

3M 3.5MM STEREO JACK PLUG TO 2 PHONO LEAD PC AMP CABLE | eBay

captainfearless · 29 May 2014

Incidentally , all music played on the pc with this connection comes through BOTH speakers, it's solely the mic that does not.

fireberd · 29 May 2014

That amp is not a "phono" amp. It will work well. The cable does not state it is a shielded cable but if its working for you, OK. It has "RCA Plugs" on the amp end, it is not called "phono" in the US. If it develops hum, I would replace it with one that specifically states shielded audio cable.

Now back to the mic problem, that wasn't clear in your initial post. Exactly how is the Sony TV connected? VIA HDMI? Normally, when you connect an HDMI cable to the PC it automatically switches the default audio playback device from the "Speakers" (PC sound card) to the HDMI. If HDMI is set as the default audio Playback device, there should not be any audio at all out of the GREEN speaker jack on the PC. On some, the headset jack will still work. More info on exactly what your setup is, including what sound you have in the PC (e.g. RealTek, Conexant, etc).

captainfearless · 30 May 2014

Great so cable and amp are fine.

Yes tv is connected hdmi on the pc to dvi on the tv. This is purely for video though , the tv is not connected to the amp/speakers.

Realtek is the onboard audio set up.

Don't get how the previous pc speakers gave default mic sound from both, ie this should therefore be a settings tweak. I've seen that in windows sound section, some people have a mic balance adjuster under speakers/playback/levels, whereas mine does not appear, should it?

Seems like it's a mono signal that needs panning across the 2 speakers. My mic btw is a Shure c606 which i presume is mono.

captainfearless · 30 May 2014

Is this the answer?

Changing Mono Mics into Stereo with RCA cables by Chung Dha - YouTube

fireberd · 30 May 2014

Where are you connecting the Shure mic? Standard PA type mics are very low level and the PC inputs, either the Mic input or Line In is expecting a relatively high signal level (near line level) and usually do not work or work well.

If you are connecting the mic to the "mic" input, it is a mono input but should be heard in both sides. If you are connecting to the Line In then that is mono and would only be heard on one side, but again unless you are amplifying the mic signal its going to be a very low level.

Finally, how are you getting the PC "Speakers" (PC Sound card) to work without manually resetting the Default Audio Playback device, if you are using HDMI?

Many questios

captainfearless · 30 May 2014

Mic is connected to the pink front mic in socket. Volume /quality is perfect.

The HDMI connection goes straight to the tv, it is not an audio connection, video only, doesn't touch the amp.

So therefore the soundcard is using it's default speakers setting, as it's audio out connection to the amp, is the one and only audio connection.

If the audio was set to hdmi, then i would only be getting sound through the tv and not the speakers via the amp.

So as per the youtube video above, do you think i need to make the mono mic stereo to hear through both speakers, i'm getting more confused!

Questions lead to answers so no problem. Still the same issue then , why does my mono mic connected to mic in , only come through on the left side?

fireberd · 30 May 2014

The volume level is surprising and you are the ONLY one that is getting proper volume level. No one else, that I know of, can use a standard PA type microphone, which the Shure is, and get good mic volume level.

There has to be some other issue with the setup as no one else, has posted a problem with getting the voice in only one channel. The Youtube is only for that persons setup. It may not apply to all.

When you connect an HDMI cable, Windows, in every case I've seen or reported on this forum, will automatically set the HDMI as the Default Audio Playback device. You must manually change it back to Speakers, every time you boot the PC.

If you connect a headphone to the PC's headphone jack, do you get the mic in both channels?

I'm off to a music playing job so I won't respond until tomorrow.