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I have this old Philips mic, it doesn't have a regular XLR connector but rather two strange smaller connectors, a three-pin and a five-pin.

Is it possible to connect this mic to a modern recorder, via an adapter or something?

Thanks in advance!

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  • Is there any identifying info on the microphone (type number etc.) beyond the brand name?
    – Hobbes
    Aug 2, 2019 at 11:11
  • Yeah, I should have added, it's a Philips N8210 omnidirectional microphone.
    – kurajber
    Aug 2, 2019 at 11:26

1 Answer 1

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Those are DIN connectors. DIN line-level signals expect a different impedance than is usual for RCA or XLR connections. IIRC you can put a resistor in series to convert to RCA.

I'm not sure what signal level and impedance DIN microphones use. I'll see what I can dig up.

It looks like this is a dictation microphone. One of the connectors allows you to start/stop the tape recorder.

Philips N8210 info

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  • Ooh, that makes sense. So I guess the three-pin one is for that, and the five-pin one is for audio input?
    – kurajber
    Aug 2, 2019 at 11:33
  • I think so, but I've seen 3-pin DIN used for audio too. 5-pin carries 2x stereo, so you could use one cable to connect a tape recorder to an amplifier.
    – Hobbes
    Aug 2, 2019 at 11:38
  • Cool. So, if I need an amplifier, an adapter like this wouldn't be enough?
    – kurajber
    Aug 2, 2019 at 11:49
  • You can try that adapter first. It really depends on the design of the recorder input, some are more flexible than others. If the signal level is too low, you need an amplifier. If the signal is really loud and distorted, a resistor in series is enough (I've got a DIN-RCA cable lying around somewhere with a 100kOhm potmeter in series).
    – Hobbes
    Aug 2, 2019 at 11:54
  • Yeah, I'll test that. Awesome, thanks!
    – kurajber
    Aug 2, 2019 at 12:08

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