Camera mic question external mic only records one channel

[Tony]

I have a Sony TRV-900 3 chip camcorder. I do semi pro stuff. Nothing on real tv or anything. It has
a stereo mic mini plug jack. I use a condensor mic that has a 1/4" phone plug on the end of it and
then use a female mono 1/4" phone plug to stereo 1/8" mini plug. For some reason, it is only
recording to the left channel. Any ideas why?

Tony

[Richard Crowley]

"Tony" wrote ...
>I made a mistake in my original post. I meant to write that I was
> using a 1/4" female mono to 1/8" stereo adapter that plugs into
> the camera. So, since I believe I am doing this correctly, is it the
> TRV900 that has the problem? What I have been doing is bringing
> all my footage into Soundforge, copying one channel and pasting it
> to the other so that I have two channels of the same audio in
> left and right speakers.
>

It is working exactly as intended. Since you are using only one
microphone, and since you are using an adapter wired for mono
it is recording only one track. There is nothing wrong with just
copying the sound from one channel into the other channel if
you want.

It doesn't sound like anything is wrong here. If you want to
record to both channels, then you need to use an adapter wired
properly. Or use a stereo mic.

[Richard Crowley]

"Jacques E. Bouchard" wrote ...
> "Richard Crowley" wrote :
>> Tony's original post says nothing about a stereo to mono
>> adapter. Suggest reviewing the messages to refresh your
>> memory.
>
> I just did. He said he "...use a female mono 1/4" phone plug to stereo
> 1/8" mini plug". I certainly took that to mean a mono to stereo adapter.

"phone PLUG" refers to the connector on the end of the mic
cable which plugs INTO the stereo adapter. Perhaps a review
of the meaning of "plug" and "jack" would be in order, also.

>> And his second post clearly says that he is using
>> a 1/4-inch stereo to 1/8-inch *stereo* adapter.
>
> Actually his exact words were "...a 1/4" female mono to 1/8" stereo
> adapter", confirming my first impression.
>
> I thought his question was perfectly valid.

Yes, his question is perfectly valid, and his descrption of his
symptoms are entirely consistent with use of a stereo adapter
for a mono signal source.

I was doing audio for a decade even before video (i.e.
~45 years). I've seen exactly this situation happen
dozens of times. This isn't some new phenomenon.

[Tony]

>"Jacques E. Bouchard" wrote ...
>> "Richard Crowley" wrote :
>>> Tony's original post says nothing about a stereo to mono
>>> adapter. Suggest reviewing the messages to refresh your
>>> memory.
>>
>> I just did. He said he "...use a female mono 1/4" phone plug to stereo
>> 1/8" mini plug". I certainly took that to mean a mono to stereo adapter.
>
>"phone PLUG" refers to the connector on the end of the mic
>cable which plugs INTO the stereo adapter. Perhaps a review
>of the meaning of "plug" and "jack" would be in order, also.
>
>>> And his second post clearly says that he is using
>>> a 1/4-inch stereo to 1/8-inch *stereo* adapter.
>>
>> Actually his exact words were "...a 1/4" female mono to 1/8" stereo
>> adapter", confirming my first impression.
>>
>> I thought his question was perfectly valid.
>
>Yes, his question is perfectly valid, and his descrption of his
>symptoms are entirely consistent with use of a stereo adapter
>for a mono signal source.
>
>I was doing audio for a decade even before video (i.e.
>~45 years). I've seen exactly this situation happen
>dozens of times. This isn't some new phenomenon.
>

I started this post. I said I have a 1/4" mono female phone plug connector on one end and a 1/8"
steero mini plug on the other side. I have had a recording studio for 15 years and a phone plug is
1/4". It got the name phone plug because telephone operators used them when they had to patch phone
lines at the switchboard. The question I wrote is valid and what I have should do what I want it to
do, unless the adapter I bought is defective or is not what it says it is. I will simply buy another
adapter and see if it solves the problem.

Tony

[Richard Crowley]

"Jacques E. Bouchard" wrote ...
> "Richard Crowley" wrote in :
>> "phone PLUG" refers to the connector on the end of the mic
>> cable which plugs INTO the stereo adapter. Perhaps a review
>> of the meaning of "plug" and "jack" would be in order, also.
>
> Rope in that sneer, I know perfectly well the difference between "jack"
> and
> "plug". I also knew what the poster meant, and he very clearly clarified
> that in his second post.
>
>> Yes, his question is perfectly valid, and his descrption of his
>> symptoms are entirely consistent with use of a stereo adapter
>> for a mono signal source.
>
> Is it consistent with using a MONO to STEREO adapter?
> Because he made it clear that is what he is using.

Yes and I believe that I made it clear that I don't believe that
Tony really has a "mono to stereo adapter". Case closed,
this is getting ridiculous.