mic, line, and instrument level?

[televator]

i'll be honest, i don't really understand the difference between mic and line level, but i know what produces what... except, is there also instrument level that is the same? for example, if i were to take my bass and plug directly into the line level input on my mixer (not that i want to, just what if), would it be ok? or would i be mixing improper levels? this is all weird to me.

if there is a difference, i'll do some research to figure this out. but so far i have not found any explanations that i understand.

[jamoo]

You'll want a direct box & to go into a mic input for the bass. They're cheap, generally.

..

i'll be honest, i don't really understand the difference between mic and line level, but i know what produces what... except, is there also instrument level that is the same? for example, if i were to take my bass and plug directly into the line level input on my mixer (not that i want to, just what if), would it be ok? or would i be mixing improper levels? this is all weird to me.

if there is a difference, i'll do some research to figure this out. but so far i have not found any explanations that i understand.

[jajjguy]

mic level is the weakest, and therefore needs the most gain, which is why it gets its own preamplifier before it gets plugged into a line level input.

line level is the strongest and can go right to tape/disc or to the power amp.

instrument level is in between, and varies a lot depending on the instrument. sometimes a bass will sound ok in a line input, other times not. you won't damage anything.

the other big difference between these is impedance, and that's the big reason instruments usually get plugged into a special "DI" input, rather than a mic preamp or a line input with a little gain.

[provide86]

with that said, can someone explain impedance in the same quick fashion? i hate to be a hijacker, but i mention impedance ignorance in my thread, too (the one about 57s that overly references The Darkness).

[Electricide]

impedance is a combination of resistance and capacitance, which are both two characteristics that restric current flow to a certain degree, but through different means. electrical devices, as a generic term, push back against the free flow of electrons. An input impedance is the amount of resistance (or, resistance and capacitance) that the device will present to the incoming flow. Output impedance is the resistance that the device would most like to see presented to its output, or what "load" will make it operate most efficiently. So, if you present an impedance on the output that is too low, the the signal will be too strong on the way out, and distort. A load that's too high will resist the signal too much.

I'll stop there before NewYorkDave pines about all the misinformation. I think this description is accurate in a macro sense.

[NewYorkDave]

I'm not even touching this. It seems people really can't be bothered to do a Google search before posting a question and I'm not gonna repeat myself over and over...

(I'm feeling a bit grouchy today. Can you tell?).

[jajjguy]

Sort of what cman said, but sort of the opposite. If you present impedance that is too low (like plugging an amp into a speaker that has 4ohms instead of 16, say), you make the amplifier work really hard and can possibly damage it. If a mic preamp has too low resistance for the mic you plug in, you are "loading" the mic, and you'll get some change in the sound, usually (but not always) for the worse.

There was another thread here pretty recently about impedance.

[soundguy]

whats the best way to type something into google?

I have a search to do today and was wondering if anyone had any tips or ideas.

I prefer a tablespoon to a teaspoon for feeding.

dave

[Electricide]

www.google.com, then type in some keywords.

Jesus Dave, you could've just done a search for "how to do a search on google" and saved me some time.

[trashy]

whats the best way to type something into google?

Let's see, dave...

First, go to the website: www.google.com

Next, type in the word "smartass" - does your website come up? Good! you've done it right!
(Done correctly, a google image search of "wiseacre" should should also bring up a picture of your face.)

[matttherat]

(I'm feeling a bit grouchy today. Can you tell?).

yeah, you sound like a real asshole.

[NewYorkDave]

Fuck off.

Goodbye, tapeop board.

[Electricide]

aww Dave, he had a smiley after he said it!

I'm thinking about this now, and why are you soo pissed at people who ask questions they could easily find answers to with some research. Is it because it's indicative of spoiled new american laziness, or is it because you wasted 9 seconds clicking on the thread and scrolling to the bottom just to find said question, and felt disappointed at the promise of a new enlightening post.

I'm really NOT being sarcastic. It seems that the people with the greatest wealth of knowledge (yes, that's you) get pissed at the board more frequently. Just wondering what you're expecting, and why it's so disappointing, so we can avoid the whole thing next time.

[trashy]

Fuck off.

Goodbye, tapeop board.

ah, dave, c'mon man! I think he was being sarcastic. And plus the little smiley. Smiley, dave, smiley

[matttherat]

C'mon, sweetie. i was just teasin. don't take yourself so seriously. I mean no one else takes you that seriously.

it's a messageboard. that's all.

Fuck off.

Goodbye, tapeop board.