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I don’t know if it’s because I plugged my mic directly into my keyboard but i wanted to ask...

I bought a yamaha dgx 660 keyboard Yamaha DGX-660 Digital Piano -... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DCA1CJM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share to learn to play the piano. I liked it and noticed it had an input for a mic and that got me thinking about singing. So i bought a shure sm58 lc mic Shure SM58-LC Cardioid Dynamic... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CZ0R42?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share and needed an xlr3f to 1/4” converter to convert the cable so that I could plug it into my keyboard: Hosa PXF-110 XLR3F to 1/4" TS... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000068NYN?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share.

This setup allowed me to attach my mic to my keyboard and have the sound come out of the keyboard speakers. Cool it works, however my experience is I can barely hear my voice. Its only until my mouth is very very close to the mic that the sound gets better. I have checked settings and volume control and all are fine. So my question.

On a typical setup where do people plug mics into. Is there some interface or simply an app that would get my voice louder rather than putting my mouth so close to the mic. I spent a lot of money on the mic it was around a hundred bucks and the keyboard is real nice too. What is the typical setup for plugging a mic for singing? Can someone please explain a better setup that is not too expensive that would get my voice to sound better in terms of not having to be directly in front of mic?

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    That's the nature of a dynamic vocal mic; you hold it close to your mouth, and it captures your singing but not any other sounds. If you used a condenser mic like in recording studios, you could have it further away from you, but it would also pick up the sound from the speakers, and you'd get audio feedback (unless you used headphones instead of the speakers).
    – Your Uncle Bob
    Jun 26, 2019 at 0:13
  • @YourUncleBob so this is quite normal setup?
    – JonH
    Jun 26, 2019 at 1:14
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    Yes. It's the right microphone for the job, but it needs to be pointed straight at you, and quite close (depending on how loudly you sing).
    – Your Uncle Bob
    Jun 26, 2019 at 1:33
  • @JonH- I had to delete my answer when I found out the Audio Master I described had been modified to accomplish the desired results. My sincere apologies.
    – skinny peacock
    Jun 26, 2019 at 17:19

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I haven't read the manual for the Yamaha, but since the mic input is 1/4" it is most likely that you have an impedance mismatch that is lowering the signal from your microphone.

Microphones that use the three pin XLR connector are often built differently than microphones that go directly to 1/4". Using an adapter or XLR - 1/4" cable on a microphone designed to go XLR to XLR will result in a lower level.

To get a better sound and to be able to move the microphone away from your mouth and still get good signal will require you to pre-amp the microphone. There are many solutions for pre-amping a microphone and an internet search will give you a number of options in different prices. A small mini-mixer or dedicated microphone preamp is probably your best solution.

You can also find a microphone transformer, which will match your XLR mic to the 1/4" input. In my experience just using the transformer to match the impedance does not give you good control of the mic sound quality and level, but it is usually the cheaper option.

I can't give you any specific product recommendations, but here are some examples of the product types that I am referencing:

Microphone preamp

Matching Transformer

Mini Mixer

Here is some more information on the transformer:

https://www.shure.com/en-US/support/find-an-answer/transformers-when-to-use-and-how-does-it-work

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  • So the cable I bought, would I be replacing that with a "Matching Transformer" from what you linked above ? That means I'd go from the mic end that has the 3 plugs into this new transformer and then into my keyboard and this would get me better sound ?
    – JonH
    Jun 27, 2019 at 16:31
  • Looks like the cable I bought was wrong, looks like based on your info I need two new things, one is the shure A85F transformer found here: amazon.com/Shure-A85F-Transformer-Female-4-Inch/dp/B0006NMUHW/… and another now is to replace my cable with male female as shown here: amazon.com/dp/B01JNLUA5G/ref=psdc_11973421_t1_B000VJJQUU This new cable will plug into my mic directly and then the transformer needs to plug into this cable and then the transformer to my keyboard, correct?
    – JonH
    Jun 27, 2019 at 16:46
  • yes, the XLR to XLR cable is the correct one for that type of mic and will let you use it in other situations. The matching transformer will help with the sound quality going into the keyboard, but for best sound and control you should look into getting a preamp for the mic, either stand alone or in a mixer. Some preamps and mixers are available in the $40.00 range, putting them close to the cost of the transformer.
    – Alphonso Balvenie
    Jun 27, 2019 at 17:35
  • Can you help me understand that some more and show me a decent one on say amazon or on shures site?
    – JonH
    Jun 27, 2019 at 21:48
  • music.stackexchange.com/questions/81502/…
    – Alphonso Balvenie
    Jun 28, 2019 at 17:49

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