Which Mic input to use (6600M)?

Bill Garfield W1BG

In reading through the recently released User Guide I notice the 6600M supports two different Mic inputs and in further reading there appears to be some obscure differences in them. Can someone guide me in which one I should use for a conventional desk mic versus say a rack system or some W2IHY equipment?  Thanks in advance.
Bill

David Decoons, wo2x

I am going to use the 1/8” balanced TRS with my W2IHY equipment. I have already purchased a new cable from Julius. If you are using the hand mic then use the unbalanced moc connector and RCA jack for PTT. Dave wo2x

Neil D Friedman N3DF

I thought the 1/4" connector was balanced and the 1/8" connector was "pseudo balanced."

David Decoons, wo2x

There is no 1/4” connector on the 6600. Dave

Bill Garfield W1BG

You better look again There in fact is a 1/4” AND a 1/8” connector. Which are described differently in the user guide. That’s why I asked.

KC2QMA_John

I believe that only the 6600 & 6600M have the additional TRS 1/4" balanced connector.

Bill Garfield W1BG

That is correct, at least that's what the User Guide states. 

David Decoons, wo2x

I stand corrected. The 6600 & 6600m have a 1/4” balanced in addition to the 1/8” pseudo-balanced. I need to contact W2IHY and swap the cable. Dave wo2x

Clay N9IO

I plan to use the 1/8"puesdo on the 6600 with my old Heil HC4 cartridge. Have always had great audio reports with it. No point in changing now. Maybe one day I'll venture into balanced mics.

Clay N9IO

I plan to use the 1/8"puesdo on the 6600 with my old Heil HC4 cartridge. Have always had great audio reports with it. No point in changing now. Maybe one day I'll venture into balanced mics.

Bill Garfield W1BG

I think I found the answer to my question here, at least insofar as an explanation between balanced and pseudo-balanced.

http://www.aviom.com/blog/balanced-vs-unbalanced/

Bill Garfield W1BG

Here's another:

 

http://www.rane.com/note110.html

Mike VE3CKO

This has been discussed a few times here, searching the community you'll find some good discussions on this topic. A desk mic forces you to operate with your chair right up to the desk and leaning over to the mic. This was just too much for me with lower back issues so a boom solved both the desk clutter and comfort factors. Been there with cheap booms, don't bother. Spend a little extra and buy once, such as the Heil PL2T, has a variety of mounting options too and you should use a shock mount. The combo boom/shock mount eliminates various kinds of vibration that a desk mic does pickup. 
As per microphone there are so many choices and the depends on your budget, you are going to get some good suggestions here but what I preferred is the Heil PR-40, if that's too much there is the PR-30 or PR-781. The newer gold look on the PR-781 is pretty cool and yes, you have to like how your microphone looks. Sure it's only ham radio but your going with one of the best radios on the market so you already have made that decision to go with the best and have a good sounding station. Don't try to skimp out to save a few bucks on a microphone now. Saying that any decent mic will sound good properly setup with a Flex. Some day I hope Flex will add parametric EQing (anyone listening). 
As per external processing you run the risk of introducing RF and/or hum into your audio so don't be surprised if you'll have to mitigate those issues with ferrite and ground loop isolators. I do have a 31-band EQ that I took out of my audio chain because I found the EQ in the Flex was sufficient with the PR-40.

PR 781



PR 30 B



PR 40

Duane_AC5AA

Like Mike, I plan to continue using the balanced input on the 6600 whenever mine arrives because I have had outstanding results with the PR-781 (yes, gold!) and the Flex EQ on my 6500.  

Bill Garfield W1BG

After reading the explanations from both RANE and AVIOM it would seem senseless to use any input which did not match the wiring of your microphone. If your mic audio (starting from the mic element) is carried over a 2-conductor cable, i.e., center conductor and shield, then that by definition is unbalanced and so should therefore be connected to the unbalanced input. You of course can use the balanced input but in this situation there is nothing to be gained by doing so. I also think we're apt to discover that most of our consumer grade ham rig type microphones are wired in this manner (unbalanced).

Tim - W4TME

One of the things we try to do as part of our software design philosophy in SmartSDR is to make the radio easy to use and not easy to mess it up so it sounds terrible over the air.  A graphical EQ is easy to mess up.  A parametric EQ is orders of magnitude easier to **** up.

Tim - W4TME

Bill's advice about matching the input source with the audio input is dead on.

If you are using a balanced mic or outboard audio processing gear, then use the 1/4" TRS balanced audio input.  If you are using an unbalanced mic (dynamic or condenser) use the pseudo balanced 1/8" audio input.

Mike VE3CKO

Very true Tim. Hence like in PowerSDR "Expert" mode. For those of us who know what their doing. I know expert mode maybe a throwback but by dumbing things too much I think is going in the wrong direction.

G4NRT

I am sorry to drag this up yet again but I am about to purchase a 6600M. This will be supplement my 6700/Maestro B and my 6300/Maestro A (which is currently in Africa and used when I am there as Z21NRT).

I have a Heil PR-781 and I am very happy with it. I bought an XLR - XLR cable from Heil for it and it plugs directly into the balanced input on the back of my 6700 and works well with the PR-781 mic profile.

I want to use it on the 6600M and am trying to find out what the best pathway is in regards to cabling. I will need to buy the Heil CC-1-XLR-YB mic cable but should I then buy the Flex Yaesu Modular to ⅛" TRS plus RCA cable or should I buy a suitable adapter to use the ¼" pseudo-balanced mic input with the RCA for PTT?

If the latter, can someone point me towards where I can buy one? Is there a better overall solution?

Thanks and 73,

David G4NRT/Z21NRT

Neil D Friedman N3DF

For my Heil 781, I use Flex Radio’s 3-pin XLR to balanced line 1/4 inch cable. Cost $23.95.

G4NRT

Thanks Neil. I decided to stick with my Heil XLR to XLR and to buy an XLR to 6.3mm jack cable and also a phono plug to 6.3mm socket cable (both from Amazon) to handle my Heil foot switch. Seemed an easier way to do things ... incidentally, the Flex cables are unavailable from the UK reseller apart from the Yaesu to 3.5mm and phono cable which is GBP40 ...

dingo17

Can the Universal Radio HCLP classic mic or the HCL4 Classic mic be used with the balanced input on the Flex 6600M?

KD0RC

According to the Universal Radio website regarding the HCLP:

"NOTE:

This mic is not designed for traditional ham radio use, and will not work in a conventional manner with most amateur transceivers."

The same website makes it sound like the HCL4 would work for most ham applications (I don't have one so I can't say how well it works).

It looks like both of these mics are now out of production.