How can I connect 4 microphones to one recorder?

Here's a picture of what I want to do:

formatting link

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

Reply to
MM
Loading thread data ...

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

Reply to
Tom Biasi

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

Reply to
MM

Tom Biasi wrote:

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.

Yup. Will work universally.

Reply to
JeffM

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

Reply to
Tom Biasi

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

Google "microphone mixer"

Reply to
Tom Biasi

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 £130!

MM

Reply to
MM

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 DAQARTA v3.50 Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis

formatting link
Scope, Spectrum, Spectrogram, FREE Signal Generator Science with your sound card!

Reply to
Bob Masta

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.