Loud Static with External Microphone

[Retconaddict]

Hi, I bought a Rode NTG-2 microphone the other day. It has an XLR connection, so I have had to use an XLR to mini jack (3.5mm) to make it fit into my laptops external mic port.

My trouble is that whenever I try recording something there is a very loud hissing sound, almost like static. This is on the beta 1.3 version. On the stable audacity (1.2.6) the static is at a lower level, but it still drowns out whatever I'm trying to record. Using a noise removal is not helping, as it removed the hiss but makes the sound very muddy and distorted (this is on both versions).

I'm wondering - is this a problem with my microphone, my cable, or a setting in Audacity?

Thank you,

Rian

[steve]

is this a problem with my microphone, my cable, or a setting in Audacity?

Probably none of those. The hiss is probably from the sound card. If you are using the microphone input on a laptop PC they are notorious for really bad sound.

[kozikowski]

Does the adapter look like this...?

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/UnbalBalAdapter.jpg

If the 3.5mm plug has one more tiny metal ring than that, then it's not a proper adapter. Neither of these would work...

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audioconnecto ... ctors.html

Koz

[Retconaddict]

Ah, my "adaptor" has two rings.

Any idea where I could find that sort of adaptor, with only one ring? I checked on Amazon and all of the pictures of the items had two rings.

[steve]

http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=XLR% ... ini%20jack
http://www.google.com/products?q=XLR%20to%20mini%20jack

[Retconaddict]

Ah. Turns out it was indeed the cable - it was broken. Bought a new one off of Amazon, works fine.


Thanks for your help.