[Macpartners] headset use on a G4 powerbook

[Kerem B Limon]

Quoting Douglas Alan <nessus at MIT.EDU>:

> Kerem B Limon <k_limon at MIT.EDU> wrote:
> 
> > But, then just before sending this, I Google'd for "Apple microphone",
> > yielding this informative Shure page:
> 
> > http://www.shure.com/support/technotes/app-soundcard.html#Macintosh
> 
> > which confirms my recent suspicion about the "seemingly-unpowered" and
> > "hidden power feed" parts. Apparently, there is a built-in preamp in
> > these beige PlainTalk style Apple microphones, via power supplied
> > through the custom connector (even though the ports will accept
> > regular mono/stereo plugs, too).
> 
> Yes, it is not terribly uncommon for powered microphones to be powered
> via the input jack using a technique that is called "microphone phantom
> powering":
> 
>    http://www.sounddevices.com/tech/phantom.htm
> 
> But it's not typically done this way, at least with consumer gear.  And
> of course, the input jack has to support this, which most don't.  From
> the website that you refer to, it appears that *some* models of
> Macintosh support phantom powering, but only with special Apple-made
> microphones (the voltage level provided on the jack is lower than what
> is typically used for phantom powering).  The manual for my G4, though,
> mentions nothing about phantom powering, specifically states that the
> computer requires a self-powered microphone, and it didn't come with a
> special Apple microphone, so I suspect that my G4 works well only with
> self-powered line-level microphones.
> 
> > <rant>There's another reason I'll stick with my PC, then, thanks very
> > much. ;)</rant>
> 
> Well, that's kind of silly since a five-input mixer with microphone
> preamp costs $35:
> 
>    http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHUB502
> 
> A logitech USB headset costs $35:
> 
>    http://www.macconnection.com/ProductDetail?Sku=468941
> 
> And a logitech USB microphone costs $20:
> 
>    http://www.macconnection.com/ProductDetail?Sku=463688
> 
> |>oug
> 

Yeah, I was trolling (hence <rant> tags), but honestly, as you've demonstrated,
how many of us really know exactly what a line-level mike is or what to expect
to plug in to a "normal" looking mike jack on a Mac? How many know to look for
a "five-input mixer with microphone preamp" or even what it is? How many Mac
users will know? Do we all have to go to the Apple store to just get a
Mac-compatible mike when I can walk into MicroCenter and choose from oodles of
headsets for my PC for $10 or so? Rachel's question itself demonstrates that
need well...

Anyway, hey, thanks for the detailed info--you learn something new every day.

Cheers,
-Kerem

Kerem B. Limon
kerem.limon at mit.edu /e-mail