Wiring a Microphone to use in an Oscilloscope ... #2

Thread Starter

vandy12

Joined Apr 8, 2021
5
Hi,
Could someone please offer some guidance on how to wire a microphone so that I can plug it into an oscilloscope. I know it can be done because I have seen it being used with an oscilloscope. So the input into the oscilloscope requires two banana plugs. Currently the microphone has a jack on the end. On the other end of the microphone lead is a 3 way female adaptor which the microphone plugs in to. I have seen people re-wire a stero jack to two banana plugs but can this be done for a microphone?

Thanks for any help offered.
This is a pretty good answer to the question:

The microphone is likely just mono with a plug. (Tip-sleeve or TS, the black ring is just a plastic insulator). Connect the ground clip of the probe to the sleeve, the back end of the plug and touch the tip with the tip of the probe.

The same goes for the music, except music comes out of a TRS plug from a stereo cable, there are 2 channels namely for current, the tip and the piece in between the rings. Left and right audio. One probe should touch the tip, the other probe should touch the piece in between, and ground is just together on the sleeve. It should be set to XY mode, where 1 probe is responsible for the X-movement, and the second for the Y-movement to get the patterns going.

You can make life a whole lot easier to just get converters and not use the probes at all. Oscilloscopes often have a BNC connector. Get 2 BNC to RCA connectors first, and then an audio splitter that splits out the channels to seperate plugs. If these are RCA plugs, you're already settled, if you can't happen to find those and only ending in two mono TRS jacks, you need another converter to go from 3.5mm jack to RCA.
 
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Thread Starter

vandy12

Joined Apr 8, 2021
5
It doesn't matter how old it is it is a good question a lot of musicians would like an answer with a simple explanation on how to connect...not the detailed workings of a microphone. Pick a microphone than many musicians use with either a an TRS 1/4 connection or XLR, explain how to connect it to the oscilloscope, and while you are at it talk about all the things you can do with the oscilloscope to find any problems with the microphone. You need a specific kind of microphone? OK...go with this one. Shure SM48 Cardioid Dynamic Handheld Vocal Microphone | Sweetwater. I'll re-post the question and then it will be one minute old.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
Then the simple answer is yes. You can connect a microphone out to a scope in assuming it's the right type microphone. Some microphones require a bias and some don't. With a dynamic microphone yes, with a condenser microphone again yes but there is a little more involved.

I see this got split off the original thread.

Ron
 

Thread Starter

vandy12

Joined Apr 8, 2021
5
Is there any electrical diagnostic reason why you would need to hook a microphone,
guitar harness or the completed guitar itself up to an oscilloscope? Would a signal from a
signal generator be of any use running it thru a microphone or a guitar into an
oscilloscope for any diagnostic reason?
Here is an example of a standard mic for connection.
Shure SM48 Cardioid Dynamic Handheld Vocal Microphone | Sweetwater

What is the simplest way to connect both an TRS 1/4 inch jack and
an XLR jack into an oscilloscope or make a train with a signal generator
going thru guitar harness into oscilloscope. Is this as simple as a
TRS 1/4 jack on one side and BNC on the other? Would rather not
use gator clips. Want a good, solid connection.

WHAT IS THE EASIEST AND BEST WAY TO CONNECT THESE DEVICES


I'm trying to find something FUN musically to do with my oscilloscope
and signal generator diagnostic wise. It pains me to say this because I really like
electronics, but if it not musically related it is kind of boring. Dry math and
schematics and stuff. I know some people love the math and schematics, but there
there is another group who "Just wants the facts ma'am" and really don't care about
the nitty gritty details too much. Crazy people like me who know just enough
about the basics of electronics to get in trouble. HA!! I tinker mostly with low voltages
to prevent that after my first capacitor blow out. They would like to know the
basics of of electricity and want to tinker with and more practically actually fix their
toy. Thanks.
 

Audioguru again

Joined Oct 21, 2019
6,673
A signal generator is dead quiet but a microphone picks up sounds then never connect them together.
A guitar and a microphone are completely different products so never connect them together.

Some people connect one channel of stereo music to the vertical input of an oscilloscope and connect the other stereo channel to the horizontal input to see the moving tangled image that increases its size with higher volume.
 

jlm1948

Joined May 19, 2014
18
Is there any electrical diagnostic reason why you would need to hook a microphone,
guitar harness or the completed guitar itself up to an oscilloscope? Would a signal from a
signal generator be of any use running it thru a microphone or a guitar into an
oscilloscope for any diagnostic reason?
the main (only?) reason to do so is to investigate how the impedane of teh circuiit affects the response of the circuit. It is used to characterize how a mic preamp circuitry affects the microphone's response, or how a guitar's wiring harness interacts with a pedal's input circuit.
To me it's a good enough reason.
 
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