Skip to main content

Hi, I'm trying to use this microphone Sennheiser E865-S with the Handy recorder Zoom H4n which is supposed to give phantom power 24 or 48v.

The microphone doesn't work. I'm using a cable with XLR on one side (that plugs into the microphone) and a 6.3mm (1/4inch) audio out on the other side (that plugs into the Handy recorder). Whatever I do, I can't get any sound out of the microphone. I siwtched phantom power on in the handy recorder. What am I doing wrong? is the connector on the handy recorder compatible with the 6.3mm cable? (see images)
also, in some youtubes I see that the H4n is supposed to have a "mode" setting in its menu, just under "USB". But my H4n Is missing this setting- and the "USB" one, too- its last menu setting is "SD Card". There is nowthing under that option. I checked and the software version is the latest - 1.72.
many thanks for any help...

http://imgur.com/07ujCXW
http://imgur.com/mg2V0Ax
http://imgur.com/qu9daha

Comments

Audiopanix Mon, 09/29/2014 - 11:55

Much obliged, I suspected this might be an issue. I'm going to try that next. Is a 1/4 inch plug supposed to deliver phantom power at all?
yes, I am using the scroll wheel correctly... the entries just don't appear. I'm going to use the manual (a rather unsual move for me) to see, perhaps those extra menu entries show only when its connected to a PC or something like that.

pcrecord Mon, 09/29/2014 - 13:31

No 1/4 unbalanced connector can't send 48v to a mic. You should understand that the voltage and the audio are 2 different signals and can't coexist in the same wires. Having 3 wires in a cable work because the ground is shared by both but each signal travels on there own positive wire. Mostly like an headphone cable has 3 wires inside (common ground + Left + Right)

Boswell Mon, 09/29/2014 - 15:11

The combo jacks that are used in products such as the H4N are TRS type, and these have two conductors plus a screen, as does an XLR type of connector. This means that there is no reason why a mated TRS jack cannot carry a balanced audio signal plus phantom power in the same way that an XLR connector does.

However, the reason that the jack connector system is not used for phantom power in this way is that jacks can short-circuit conductors during the mating and un-mating process, and it is rightly regarded as unacceptable for this to happen in a 48V circuit that is usually carrying a few tens of millivolts.