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USB vs. 3.5mm

B

boonerstreet

Nov 19, 2005
213
0
Ann Arbor, Michigan
#1
Hey guys I'm very new to recording and I need a little help. My friend gave me a program for recording where you wire up a mic directly to the computer via the 3.5mm (at least I think that's what it is) jack to the computer. This is the mic input right next to the headphone input on a computer. The cable is an XLR to 3.5mm. Well I'm planning on buying my own cable to hook the mic directly to the computer but the guy at my local store said he is getting some XLR usb cables. My friend said I might have to install something in able to use the XLR usb cable.

Well I'm wondering if I can use the XLR usb cable without actually having to install anything else on the laptop I'm using for recording. Any help is appreciated. Sorry this post is kind of hurried, I'm a little frantic to find out. I also realize there are much better ways to record but I'm just starting out and I'm on sort of a budget. I plan to stick to recording this way for a while and I could really use some help. Thanks again.

*Edit* I'm sorry if 3.5mm is the incorrect size, if you don't know what I'm talking about it's the same size as a headphone jack, not the size of a guitar cable jack. Sorry if this doesn't make sense.
 
#2
I havent seen an XLR to USB cable. I don't think that there is such a thing, or it must be something that converts it from audio to digital first right?

I think that the 3.5mm would be the best bet. for you now. The Sony microphones for minidisc recorders are that size and you won't even need a converter.
 
#3
I've found that XP works with many USB audio devices without installing software. The generic USB Audio Codec driver seems to work just fine for everything I've ever plugged in - however it does have it's limitations.

There's a few things to watch out for with XLR->3.5mm. First of all, a 'normal' microphone is balanced, and for optimum performance, needs a balanced input. I'm not so sure a generic sound card on a PC would have a balanced input.

Some mics, such as the compact Sonys are not balanced, but they are often stereo. Such a mic needs special attention paid to the cable to ensure it is wired correctly for the result you want.

Yet other mics require some power to be supplied, such as some of the Sony stereo mics. Again, I doubt a generic PC sound card would have this functionality.

So, given all of that, if the guy in the shop is gonna sell you a mic and a XLR->USB cable to suit, that's a sure fire way of getting it working first time without having to do too much investigation of cables and mic types.
 
#5
Well now I have another question for you. My friend was telling me the differences between mono 3.5mm cables and stereo, and how one will have better quality at certain times depending on what you're recording. Does anyone know if a usb cable would have less quality than a stereo or mono 3.5mm cable? Thanks for any help.
 
#6
My friend was telling me the differences between mono 3.5mm cables and stereo, and how one will have better quality at certain times depending on what you're recording.
Click to expand...

This is bunk. The ONLY difference is that one is mono and one is stereo. Quality doesn't even come into it.

Depending on the quality of the ADC within the USB cable, it may or may not perform better than an analogue cable. However, I would say this, a USB cable with a good ADC will perform better and more consistently than an analogue cable going into a generic PC sound card. It will also be more resistant to noise and interference.
 
#7
niftydog said:
This is bunk. The ONLY difference is that one is mono and one is stereo. Quality doesn't even come into it.
Click to expand...

Maybe he's thinking of balanced vs.unbalanced cables, in which case there could be sound quality issues depending on what you plug into. Typically balanced cables are 1/4" or XLR though, not the 1/8" (3.5). Balancec cables are TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve), as are stereo cables.

I've seen a few USB mics out lately, but haven't seen USB-->XLR cable yet... interesting.
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c
 
#8
Maybe he's thinking of balanced vs.unbalanced cables
Click to expand...
True... and yet another reason to research for yourself rather than take someones opinion at face value.

Though technically, it won't be a quality issue, it'll be a level issue. Plugging a balanced source into an unbalanced input results in a loss of 6dB.

Again, I don't think I've ever seen or heard of a balanced signal on a 3.5mm connector, and I've certainly never heard of a balanced input on a generic PC sound card... but it is possible I suppose!
 

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