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Issue with Stereo/Mono Recording (1 Viewer)

GDK

Well-known member
Im having a problem replacing an XLR to 3.5mm jack cable. The one Ive been using for the past few years has provided stereo output from the microphone to the recorder (at least I can hear in both headphones and it records both). It is connected to a Sennheiser ME66/K6 at one end and a Sony PCM-M10 at the other.

However this finally died on my last birding trip. Ive attempted to replace this cable with something similar, but on the ones I have purchased, they only provide a mono output to the recorder.

Anyone know what is going on here because Im currently lost for a solution??? Id be grateful for any assistance.

Here are a couple of examples of the replacements tried -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LyxPro-XLR-Female-3-5mm-Stereo-TRS-Professional/dp/B00WZQZLWE

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003X8W6X0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cheers,
 
Hey, hang on a minute. The ME66 is a mono microphone, the recording will have to be mono. You must mean the signal is only going to one channel? My cable goes to both channels.
 
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Hey, hang on a minute. The ME66 is a mono microphone, the recording will have to be mono. You must mean the signal is only going to one channel? My cable goes to both channels.

Hi,
Yes - my poor choice of words; the problem was having the signal only go to one channel, not both. I know it can also be remedied in processing of the sound recording, but it's still annoying when you're in the field.

Thanks for the alternative, I may try one of those Hosatech cables.

Cheers
 
I cannot really solder, but I managed to make the connecting cable myself with some bad soldering. My setup gives sound to both channels in my LS-11 (or whatever 3.5 mic input) from a sennheiser mic. You need a female XLR connector (that you can open) and a 3.5 male stereo connector that you can open plus a two wire cable say 0.5 upwards in length. I will put instructions and a photo here this coming weekend.

Harry J
 
I cannot really solder, but I managed to make the connecting cable myself with some bad soldering. My setup gives sound to both channels in my LS-11 (or whatever 3.5 mic input) from a sennheiser mic. You need a female XLR connector (that you can open) and a 3.5 male stereo connector that you can open plus a two wire cable say 0.5 upwards in length. I will put instructions and a photo here this coming weekend.

Harry J

Thanks Harry.

Ive been looking at sourcing a cable with the correct wiring. However I still have two cables that I may have a go at soldering, so your additional info. would be of use.

Cheers,
 
Hi,
Yes - my poor choice of words; the problem was having the signal only go to one channel, not both. I know it can also be remedied in processing of the sound recording, but it's still annoying when you're in the field.

Thanks for the alternative, I may try one of those Hosatech cables.

Cheers
Yes - my poor choice of words; the problem was having the signal only go to one channel, not both. I know it can also be remedied in processing of the sound recording, but it's still annoying when you're in the field.

I have an intermittent problem with the signal only going to one channel, how do you fix this when processing? I use Audacity software and would appreciate it if someone can help me here
 
I have an intermittent problem with the signal only going to one channel, how do you fix this when processing? I use Audacity software and would appreciate it if someone can help me here

Is this for a mono recording or a stereo recording, Sicklebill?

I assume if it's intermittent then there's some kind of cable problem. If it's a mono recording (L and R channels identical) then you could just delete the damaged channel. From memory there's an option in the track dropdown thing to let you do that, but I'd have to check. Then it should play back through both channels on most devices.

If it's stereo then you can't really fix it properly. If you copy the relevant section from the good channel to the bad channel, it should sound similar to how it shiuld, except that if you're listening carefully, the stereo image will jump to the centre for an instant.

I assume you've tried a different cable to try to fix it? I was plagued by this problem with my Sony M10 for a while. I think I got dirt or something on the plug, and it got onto the contacts in the recorder. Fixed it by spraying the plug with Deoxit Gold before inserting it for a while.
 
Thanks very much Peter, I did try another cable previously and it did not seem to help, but I will do it again just in case. I am using a Sennheiser ME66, it is when I playback using Audacity that sometimes just one channel appears. I find by giving the connection a hard shove it often but not always records properly, which makes me thing it is in the machine maybe? Servicing here in Australia seems impossible, any ideas where I could send a Marantz PMD661 for service?
 
Thanks very much Peter, I did try another cable previously and it did not seem to help, but I will do it again just in case. I am using a Sennheiser ME66, it is when I playback using Audacity that sometimes just one channel appears. I find by giving the connection a hard shove it often but not always records properly, which makes me thing it is in the machine maybe? Servicing here in Australia seems impossible, any ideas where I could send a Marantz PMD661 for service?

It sounds similar to my problem, but my recorder uses a much more vulnerable 3.5mm jack, and I think you're using an XLR input? It might still be worth trying deoxit on it.

No idea about repairers, sorry.
 
Re Sicklebill's problem
The XLR cable is purely mono, to record it as stereo on your Marantz is a menu option is it not. The recorder has a wonderful array of mono to stereo settings of which many seem to give a 20db cut to the rh channel.

Technically cleaning the mic socket shiuldn't have any effect.

You may be running into trouble if you use an XLR to mini stereo jack conversion and try using the Line 2 input for a mic input since my copy of the Marantz instructions has it ;labelled as illegal.

Assuming you are connecting an XLR to XLR cable into the LH mic input on your recorder and you have set up the menu settings appropriately it does sound very much that you need to contact the Asia office -web site at the end of your instruction booklet and see if they respond I am afraid.
 
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I have an intermittent problem with the signal only going to one channel, how do you fix this when processing? I use Audacity software and would appreciate it if someone can help me here

Hi,

This is what i do in Audacity, only by trial and error use, im no expert!

On opening a track that has gone through just the one channel I get the first image attached below.

I split the tracks by clicking on the little triangle by the name of the track (161123_01 in this case). This brings the dropdown menu in image 2 attached below - click on split stereo track.

Next I delete the track with no recording (little x on top left corner of track)

Then go into the Edit menu. Click on the duplicate option - see image 3 attached below.

Final step is to go back to the little triangle drop down menu and choose 'make stereo track' (image 4).

Hope that helps. Having a set up that avoids the need to do this is preferable tho, hence my original query.
 

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One further suggestion for all potential cable problems, buy a cheap multimeter and check the cable for continuity and correct connectivity.

There is usually a continuity setting which buzzes in the resitance measuring settings on the meter or simply use the minimum resitance measuring setting.

I have found numerous commercial cables wrongly or badly assembled and this approach eliminates one major cause of problems. Earlier posters have given connectivity diagrams to assist you.

One further check of course is to waggle the cable when testing if you think that you have an intermittent problem.

This way you can eliminate some possible causes for your problem.

Poorly soldered connections, ineffective strain relief allowing a soldered joint to fracture and cables wrongly wired up cover an awful lot of bits in my scrap box.
 
Thank you everyone for the various helpful suggestions, I will experiment over the next few days and see what happens
 
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