Big problem...need help!

[Hook]

So ive recorded a couple of ukulele tracks onto the br80 using the internal mics. Now its time to do vocals and I plug in my sure beta58 with the same cord I always use and it won't switch to external mic. The internal mics just stay on. Ive tried the only 2-1/4 inch Mic cords I have and neither will switch the input on. I plug in my guitar lead and  it switches fine.
WTF!!!! This is the same mic lead I always use...im completely at a loss. This project is for fun but next week I need to record for work and the internal mics just dont cut it for vocals. Any Ideas, im really frustrated.

[64Guitars]

Page 40 of the BR-80 manual says:



Since you said that your guitar cable switches the internal mics off but your 2 mic cables won't, I suspect that the difference is in the phone plug. A standard guitar cable has a mono Tip & Sleeve type phone plug like the one in the left picture, while a microphone like the Shure Beta 58 has a balanced XLR connector and you must be using an adapter to go from XLR to ¼" phone plug. Since the XLR is balanced (3 pins) it's likely that the ¼" phone plug on the adapter would also be balanced, which would be the Tip-Ring-Sleeve type shown in the right picture that Boss says cannot be used. If so, then you should try to get an adapter with an unbalanced Tip & Sleeve phone plug (like the left picture).

You can tell a tip-sleeve phone plug from a tip-ring-sleeve phone plug by counting the insulator rings (the narrow, usually black lines on the plug barrel). A tip-sleeve phone plug like you'd find on a standard guitar cable has just one insulator ring, while a TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) phone plug has two insulator rings.

[Hook]

I wondered if that might have something to do with it. I have a short specialty mic cord that has xlr to connect to the mix and 1/4 inch to connect into the br80 ( no adapter). And yes it does indeed have 2 rings on it but why has it always worked? For years now until last night??
Thanks for the info 64, I hadnt gone digging for the manual yet. I guess I'm gonna go cord shopping!
Rock on!

[64Guitars]

I wondered if that might have something to do with it. I have a short specialty mic cord that has xlr to connect to the mix and 1/4 inch to connect into the br80 ( no adapter). And yes it does indeed have 2 rings on it but why has it always worked? For years now until last night??

Good question. I can only guess that it has something to do with the alignment between the contacts of the BR-80's Guitar/Mic jack and the tip. ring and sleeve of the mic cable. If you happen to insert it in such a way that the ring of the mic cable's plug doesn't touch any of the contacts in the BR-80's Guitar/Mic jack, then it could work. Try moving the plug slightly in the jack to see if you can find a spot where it will work. If you can, then that might explain why it's worked up till now. For instance, maybe without realizing it, you haven't been inserting the plug all the way into the jack up till now and it happened to work. But you might have pushed it all the way in last night and it won't work in that position because the ring of the mic cable plug is touching something it shouldn't. Still, that doesn't really explain why the internal mics won't disconnect. That should be a purely mechanical thing and I don't see why it should matter if the plug is balanced or unbalanced. I suppose it's possible that the switch part of the Guitar/Mic jack is damaged. But then why do the internal mics switch off when you insert your guitar cable? Weird!

Thanks for the info 64, I hadnt gone digging for the manual yet. I guess I'm gonna go cord shopping!

Another option is to use a mic preamp or mixer between the mic and the BR-80's stereo Line In jack. Presumably, the mic came with a standard balanced XLR cable (XLR connectors on both ends). You could plug that directly into the XLR input of your mic preamp or mixer, then connect the stereo output of the mic preamp or mixer to the BR-80's stereo Line In jack using a suitable cable. And you could insert a guitar cable or any ¼" unbalanced plug into the Guitar/Mic jack to disable the internal mics. Unfortunately, you can't use the BR-80's effects when recording from the Line In jack but maybe you don't need any effects for vocals? Also, if you're using a mixer, it might have its own effects.

Even if this isn't a practical permanent solution for you, it might be a useful temporary solution so you can record your vocals. And, if you already have a suitable mic preamp or mixer and a suitable cable to connect it to the BR's Line In, you won't need to buy anything to give this a try. If you don't have a mic preamp or mixer (hard to believe in your case ), then you could use your TASCAM DP-008, for example, instead. I believe it has XLR mic inputs and stereo Line Out jacks that could be connected to the BR-80's Line In. So you'd still be recording your vocals on the BR-80, but you'd be using the DP-008 as an interface between the mic and the BR-80's Line In.

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Without a doubt the strangest thing I've ever had happen recording. Ive had thhis cord, double ring balanced. 2 foot xlr to 1/4 inch for years. I bought it when I got my 1st br80 and have used it with my current br80 for almost 2 years now. Ive never had nor bought another one. Its as if my Br80 read the owners manual yesterday and decided to follow the rules.
Stopped by Sam Ash on the way to work today and got a single ring version for $20. I plugged it in at the store and it registered it as an external.mic but I havent actually tried it out yet. Seems ok though.
If I have to I just go straight back to the 008 which I really love but it also comes with the need for some effects unit...got my eye on a really cheep Moon pocket processor I saw on YouTube. I really like the br80/ all in one aspect so hopefully cord solves issue. Crazy shit!!!!
Thanks again,
Rock on!