TOPIC Can I plug in a standard line level 3.5 mm connector microphone into my Macintosh AV or Power Macintosh? I noticed that the PlainTalk microphone connector is slightly longer and have not been able to find a comparable third-party microphone. DISCUSSION Standard 3.5 mm connector microphones which have a line level output will work on any Macintosh computer which utilizes the PlainTalk type microphone. The PlainTalk microphone requires +5 V DC power to function, thus the extra length on the connector. The original round Omni-Directional Apple Microphone will not work with PlainTalk equipped computers, however. The microphone port on all Macintosh computers that use the PlainTalk microphone (such as the Macintosh AV computers, Power Macintosh computers, Macintosh Quadra 605, Macintosh 630 family, and Macintosh LC 575) is a standard stereo 3.5 mm stereo plug. The Plaintalk microphone has an extra 6.5 mm on the tip to get +5 V power from the logic board. It is also a mono plug, so the rubber rings on it do not match a stereo plug. The microphone plug has 2 separators. The one near the end is used to isolate the power at the tip. This can be confusing to those who think that our port is longer and has non-standard spacing for the left and right channels. To connect an RCA equipped line level device such as a VCR or home audio equipment to your Macintosh, a standard RCA to 3.5 mm stereo adapter cable can be used. An example of this is a 3 meter stereo mini to RCA cable available from most electronic suppliers. The PlainTalk sound input mini-jack is a standard 3.5 mm in diameter. Using microphones (that supply a line level signal) or adapters with 3.2 mm plugs may work, but they are not recommended. The 3.2 mm plugs have a diameter 0.35 mm smaller than the 3.5 mm plugs. When a 3.2 plug is used, it is prone to cutting out and having excessive noise on the audio line. Be aware that non-Apple microphones must supply the line level signal in order to work properly when connected to the PlainTalk audio port. |
| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | Apple Software |
| Category: | PlainTalk |
| Sub Category: | General Topics |
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