Help me get this mic working with my XR-18 mixer?

[iaresee]

I'm stumped.

I've got a headset mic. TRS connection. I've got a TRS cable. And I've got this TRS -> XLR adaptor that claims to let me adapt mics for use on XLR inputs with the primary case being digital cameras.



I plug them together and into a channel on my XR-18 mixer and...nothing. Phantom power doesn't help. Input gain doesn't help.

The mic works. If I run it into my computer like so I, it functions as I expect:


Who's got suggestion on how I can make this work with my XR-18 on an XLR input? I've tried using the 1/4" input and no dice there -- still no signal from the mic.

Paging @chris -- any thoughts on how I'm being dumb here?

I want to try out this streaming thing with the Axe-Fx/FM3 so I'm working on the setup.

 

[Sleestak]

I'm not at in the studio with my XR18 right now, but as I recall, when I power it up and connect the GUI to manage it, the XR18 always defaults to a muted state. I always need to explicitly unmute the channels and main outputs.

 

[iaresee]

I'm not at in the studio with my XR18 right now, but as I recall, when I power it up and connect the GUI to manage it, the XR18 always defaults to a muted state. I always need to explicitly unmute the channels and main outputs.

All other connections are working. I've tried multiple inputs as well. So it's not a problem with the channel on the XR18 or with the unit being muted. I'm 99% certain it's a problem with how i'm connecting the mic to the XR18. I'm missing something obvious here...

 

[chris]

I'm not at in the studio with my XR18 right now, but as I recall, when I power it up and connect the GUI to manage it, the XR18 always defaults to a muted state. I always need to explicitly unmute the channels and main outputs.

There’s an option to mute Mains on power up. That’s independent of the editor. You can turn that off. I don’t think it mutes channels, only mains.

@iaresee lemme think about the setup. I’m pretty sure it’s specifically the mic, not the mixer.

 

[Admin M@]

Bad adapter? Try alligator clips?

 

[iaresee]

Bad adapter? Try alligator clips?

I've got connectivity between the pins and the male end of the cable when I plug it in. One sec...I'll do a pin <> plug mapping and post it.

Edit: pin <> plug mapping when I plug that male-male cable into the adapter is:



Tip and ring are tied to both the middle and the left pin. Maybe that's the problem? Seems like I'd want one of those to maybe float? Or do I have to setup the channel on the XR18 to not do differential signaling somehow?

 

[chris]

I've got connectivity between the pins and the male end of the cable when I plug it in. One sec...I'll do a pin <> plug mapping and post it.

Edit: pin <> plug mapping when I plug that male-male cable into the adapter is:

View attachment 71385

Tip and ring are tied to both the middle and the left pin. Maybe that's the problem? Seems like I'd want one of those to maybe float? Or do I have to setup the channel on the XR18 to not do differential signaling somehow?

Not sure the xair can do that.

Camera inputs can be weird. It’s probably the adaptor putting signal in the wrong places.

 

[iaresee]

Not sure the xair can do that.

Camera inputs can be weird. It’s probably the adaptor putting signal in the wrong places.

Yea, maybe. I can crack it open and float an pin, possibly. Seems weird a camera XLR input would do something odd though...you figure they'd be running any old XLR-based microphone into that input, so anything non-XLR would have to conform to a regular XLR-type differential signaling input.

Edit: it's totally the adapter. I should have read the comments on the Amazon page with a little more care and attention. Ordering one that keeps TRS on separate pins.