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Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Difference between microphone and line in inputs? Ask Question. Asked 10 years, 11 months ago. Active 1 year, 6 months ago. Viewed k times. Improve this question. Michael Hansen Buur 3, 12 12 silver badges 30 30 bronze badges. Andrew Arnold Andrew Arnold. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. Line in will usually be stereo and about 10Kohm impedance. Improve this answer. The line-level signal is about one volt, or about 1, times as strong as a mic-level signal.
The two signal types do not ordinarily use the same input. This signal travels from your pre-amp to the amplifier. You have an RCA, quarter-inch jack, or 3. You typically use a female XLR connector for the mic-level input.
Line-in is the highest pre-amplification level in both consumer and professional audio products. It runs at 10kohm as opposed to a mic-ins paltry Kohm. A mic-in is the input designed to handle the mic-level signal intensity from a microphone and line-in is designed to handle line level intensity. This is for directly plugging in microphones without preamps. This will almost always be via an XLR cable. Mic-level is the weakest audio signal of all the types.
You have to bring up mic level signals to line level somehow , most commonly by using a preamp or a mixer. Most audio interfaces have a pre-amp to bring the mic level of a microphone up to line level.
You can also buy standalone preamps that are better than the built-in preamps of your audio interface. That is why the line level input and mic input cannot be used interchangeably. A line-in signal carries the signal from the pre-amp to the speaker amp.
Typically, mixing desks and mic-pres work with line level operators. Mixers, preamplifiers, standalone preamps, and inline mic preamps are the most commonly used devices to boost microphone levels to line-level signals.
This boost ranges from 45 to 70db based on the quality of the preamp. Standalone preamps can be single or multi-channel and mixers allow you to combine multiple signals to a single output. They are popular with ribbon and dynamic microphone users, especially in the broadcasting and podcasting realm. Place the Cloudlifter in your signal chain, hit it with phantom power and your dynamic mics will shine like never before!
In a recording scenario, you will connect a mic into a mixing console or audio interface to record vocals or an instrument. Things like mixing decks and signal processing gear use this standard of line levels. There are other types of audio signals too. Instrument levels are like microphone level signals. They need preamps to get them to the line level. Speaker levels are post-amp signals. They require even higher levels of voltage plus speaker cables for proper transfer of signal. This signal speaks of the voltage that a microphone creates once it picks up sound.
This is usually only a few thousandths of a single volt. So the voltage varies when the sound level and distance change. With the different types of audio signals, this level is the weakest one. If you want to get it to line level, you need a preamp. Generally, microphone levels are between and dBu. Mic-level inputs are usually female XLR connectors while a line level input is usually in the form of an RCA jack, a phone jack one quarter inch , or even a 3.
Fortunately, in the case of audio interfaces, these things are usually clearly labeled to make it a breeze. Among the most popular are mixers like the karaoke mixers you see on parties. These bad boys combine several signals together to join them as a singular output.
Preamps and mic-to-line amplifiers also do this though. You will see them as single-channel or multi-channel. If you find mic level inputs on there, they will be joined by a preamp to boost the signal.
Try plugging a mic into that mic input on your mixing deck. Your device will be anticipating a mic level signal. What about your guitar? Mixers are probably the most popular piece of equipment, since they can also combine multiple signals together into a single output.
But preamplifiers and mic-to-line amplifiers do the job just as well and are available as single-channel or multi-channel devices. A line-level signal is approximately one volt, or about 1, times as strong as a mic-level signal, so the two do not ordinarily use the same input.
This signal travels from your pre-amp to the amplifier that powers your speakers. There are two standard line levels:. The other two types of audio signals you'll run into are instrument and speaker levels. Like mic-level signals, instrument-level signals such as an electric guitar or bass require preamplification to bring them up to line level.
Post-amplification speaker-level signals are even higher in voltage than line level and require speaker cables for safe signal transfer. It's crucial to match a device to the correct input, since there's no real technical tolerance for mistakes. For example:.
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