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Right ear has a cackling sound and sometimes the sound cuts off


  • I have a 3DIO FS XLR and I'm using brand new Hosa XLR cables with the mic. When I'm talking into the right ear, it makes an unattractive cackling sound and sometimes the audio just cuts off. This only happens when I'm using XLR cables but not when I'm using 3.5mm cables.

    https://youtu.be/kmWFDzG0eis <- I recorded a sample



  • Audio Wizard
    Staff member

    Hi @li yu,

    Thank you for reaching out to us. I'm sorry to hear you are experiencing this issue.

    Was the microphone working properly when you received it?
    Are you applying 48V phantom power to the XLR outputs?
    What equipment are you plugging the microphone into?
    What are the settings on the device you’re connecting to the 3Dio?
    Are there any adapters in use?

    Feel free to send pictures or a video of your audio setup if that’s easier.

    Also, please check out our tutorial videos on YouTube for help with different audio setups:

    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwi2r1XAsEQKimAsKaR9DVhURvRLQGkdv

    Any other information you can provide would be helpful.

    Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

    Best,
    ~Brian
    3Dio Customer Care


  • Was the microphone working properly when you received it? When I first got the mic, I always used the 3.5mm cable and I tried using XLR cables some months ago, and the right ear was cackling since then so I stopped using XLR cables.
    Are you applying 48V phantom power to the XLR outputs? I am not applying 48V phantom power, I'm only using the direct monitor double green circles.
    What equipment are you plugging the microphone into? I am using scarlett 2i2 audio interface with XLR cables
    What are the settings on the device you’re connecting to the 3Dio? I am using scarlett 2i2 audio interface with XLR cables
    Are there any adapters in use? My setup is just 3DIO fs xlr and scarlette 2i2 with XLR cables


  • Audio Wizard
    Staff member

    Hi @li yu,

    Thank you for the additional info.

    The reason why you're getting the crackling sound is because you're not applying 48V phantom power to the microphone when connecting the 3Dio to the Scarlett using XLR cables. 3Dio microphones are like most studio condenser microphones in that they require phantom power in order to properly function (when using the XLR outputs).

    The battery inside the 3Dio only applies to the 3.5mm output and does not power the capsules when using the XLR jacks. The battery allows for remote recording for outdoor use or whenever a phantom power source is unavailable.

    My guess is that you had to increase the volume/gain settings on your device in order to get any audio from the XLR outputs, correct? Once you enable the phantom power on the Scarlett, the audio output of the mic should be much louder without any crackling noises.

    Give this a try and let us know if that doesn't resolve the issue.

    Best regards,
    ~Brian
    3Dio Customer Care


  • It works with 48V. thank you.


  • Audio Wizard
    Staff member

    Hi @li yu,

    Great! Thank you for letting us know.

    Feel free to reach out again if you have any other questions.

    Best regards,
    ~Brian
    3Dio Customer Care 


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