PC Mic to Pro-Audio Mixer Adapter

  • Below you will see a picture of the finished product, but before that, let me break this down:

    • Issue: A standard PC Microphone (Like that on my Roccat Kulo headset, or my modified Sennheiser HD25-1 ii's w/ AntLion ModMic 4.0 Muted) uses an Electret Microphone. These mics require power much like a condenser microphone does, but only at 1-10V (the specs for the AntLion ModMic 4.0, I'll put links later for all the stuff that you can order). Phantom Power is typically 24 or 48 Volts in mixers, which... would... FRY the mic capsule in my lovely headset(s). Therefore if you plug in a regular PC headset into a pro-audio mixer and crank the phantom power, USUALLY (I take no responsibility for idiocy, I've tried this so you don't really have to) it does nothing. Turn off the phantom power and... there's no power. Normally a PC soundcard provides approx. 5V DC current to the mic port to power such a electret mic capsule, a mixer doesn't because dynamic mic's don't need it. Thus we have an issue of no power. That stack of adapters you just nicely put together? A waste of time.
    • Solution: Great, just plug'er in and go eh? Not quite... First off, a 5V current into the mixer would pop the speakers back and hold them there, if not fry your board. Thus someone came up with this cool solution! (If this is your picture i'd love to give you credit, just lemme know!)
    • The final product: Instead of a 9V battery, I had a friend give me a busted keyboard which he cut the cable off for me. USB by standard is 5V (usually closer to 4.2V, but still enough for the mic I'm using), therefore I chose this over putting a 9V battery into the case to save weight (and one less thing for the crap inside to short out on). I can still power it off, say a battery bank, but now, I can also power it off a wall-plug, laptop, desktop, Lighting Console, or even a mixer with a 5V USB light port.

    • How to use it: Simple, plug in headset mic (3.5mm) to the left side, and a 3.5mm to whatever you need on the right out to your mixer/line-in/interface.
    • What I'd change: Use audio grade capacitors, better wire, and find a way to strain relief the USB cable (Right now it's being pinned down by Shurtape PC600 Gaff Tape). Perhaps add a switch to turn it on and off. Use shrink tube instead of Gaff tape to insulate the connections.
  • Where to order:




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