# Professional Audio question (Shotgun microphone) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-audio-question-shotgun-microphone/536428 "2010-04-17T04:12:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TNWPsycho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@TNWPsycho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TNWPsycho)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-audio-question-shotgun-microphone/536428/1 "2010-04-17T04:12:35Z")
So i recently purchased this (cheaper) microphone from a store on Ebay. I didnt read close enough, turns out that instead of XLR it uses a 1/8" into 2 1/4" jacks, a left and right. My camera that i will be attaching to only has XLR input. Is there any adapter that is 1/4" to XLR (through my searches i can only find XLR to 1/4") And even if there is, will i still have stereo audio? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-audio-question-shotgun-microphone/536428/2 "2010-04-17T04:31:43Z")
> [@TNWPsycho](#): > > So i recently purchased this (cheaper) microphone from a store on Ebay. > > I didnt read close enough, turns out that instead of XLR it uses a 1/8" into 2 1/4" jacks, a left and right. > > My camera that i will be attaching to only has XLR input. Is there any adapter that is 1/4" to XLR (through my searches i can only find XLR to 1/4") > > And even if there is, will i still have stereo audio? Just lop off the end and solder on an XLR. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-audio-question-shotgun-microphone/536428/3 "2010-04-17T04:45:49Z")
Is the connector on the mic a female 1/8" stereo jack, with the cable having an 1/8" plug that can be removed from the mic? Is the camera connector a male 5-pin mini XLR? ---
**Author:** ![TNWPsycho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@TNWPsycho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TNWPsycho)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-audio-question-shotgun-microphone/536428/4 "2010-04-17T14:36:47Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > Is the connector on the mic a female 1/8" stereo jack, with the cable having an 1/8" plug that can be removed from the mic? Is the camera connector a male 5-pin mini XLR? Female 1/8 on the microphone, female XLR on the connector. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-audio-question-shotgun-microphone/536428/5 "2010-04-17T15:08:11Z")
I’m confused. Is it a stereo mic? Is the output balanced or unbalanced? You can adapt anything to anything, pretty much, with a soldering iron and a line on Neutrik connectors, but what’s best to do depends on what you’re starting with and where you’re going with it. ---
**Author:** ![TNWPsycho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@TNWPsycho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TNWPsycho)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-audio-question-shotgun-microphone/536428/6 "2010-04-17T15:39:07Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > I’m confused. Is it a stereo mic? Is the output balanced or unbalanced? You can adapt anything to anything, pretty much, with a soldering iron and a line on Neutrik connectors, but what’s best to do depends on what you’re starting with and where you’re going with it. Stereo and balanced. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-audio-question-shotgun-microphone/536428/7 "2010-04-17T15:50:45Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > I’m confused. Is it a stereo mic? Is the output balanced or unbalanced? You can adapt anything to anything, pretty much, with a soldering iron and a line on Neutrik connectors, but what’s best to do depends on what you’re starting with and where you’re going with it. > [@TNWPsycho](#): > > Stereo and balanced. > [@TNWPsycho](#): > > I didnt read close enough, turns out that instead of XLR it uses a 1/8" into 2 1/4" jacks, a left and right. that sounds unbalanced ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-audio-question-shotgun-microphone/536428/8 "2010-04-17T15:51:19Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > that sounds unbalanced Hence my confusion. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-audio-question-shotgun-microphone/536428/9 "2010-04-19T03:16:55Z")
> [@TNWPsycho](#): > > Female 1/8 on the microphone, female XLR on the connector. 5-pin XLR? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professional-audio-question-shotgun-microphone/536428/10 "2010-04-19T13:08:27Z")
If I’m reading all this right - the mic has two plugs - left and right, and the plugs are 1/4" phone. The camera has a pair of standard 3-pin XLR jacks. Right? The quickest way to go may be to buy a pair of [these](http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103835) and either get a pair of 1/4" to 1/4" connectors or change the phone plug to a phone jack. There are also [transformers](http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062444&clickid=prod_cs)to let you go unbalanced to balanced. About 99% of the time, a non-transformer connection like the cable linked above will work fine - IIRC, they run the “hot” tip of the phone plug to pin 2 of the XLR connector, and the phone plug’s shield is tied to pin 1. Every so often, you may find a mic or mixer that doesn’t like this and rewards you with really low levels or hum. Or both.