Tech Forum

I have a meetinghouse that has the usual "record out" jack in the back of the chapel, but it is labeled "mic level" rather than the usual line level.

I want to patch this into a mixer to mix with a pair of condenser mics for an upcoming broadcast. The mixer we have does not have per-channel phantom power control, it's all -or-nothing.

Patching that 3.5mm to XLR is easy enough, but is the presence of phantom power on the XLR jack going to cause problems, either with the audio in the conversion from TS -> TRS -> XLR, or worse, damaging the meetinghouse audio?

JacobThurman wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 6:23 am Patching that 3.5mm to XLR is easy enough, but is the presence of phantom power on the XLR jack going to cause problems, either with the audio in the conversion from TS -> TRS -> XLR, or worse, damaging the meetinghouse audio?

It depends on how you do it. If you're using a transformer-based conversion from unbalanced to balanced, no problem.

If it's just wire, I'd be concerned. The question is if pin 1 on the XLR connects to ground on the 3.5mm when there's no transformer.

If you're using a transformer-based conversion from unbalanced to balanced, no problem.

I was thinking direct wire, didn't even think of using a DI. I'll run it through a passive DI and that should eliminate any risk. Good call!

I'd start by verifying the output from the chapel by itself.
Maybe mislabeled?

Once you are sure of that output by itself then go to the next steps. If it's in fact a line level rather than mic level, your mixer may have other options available to you.