How to boost low level mic signal

[Wheels8]

I have a Sony ECM-AW4 Bluetooth microphone and receiver set I use on my video camera to record lecturers voices. I would like to bring the receiver signal into a mixer so I can mix in a couple of other stationary microphones used for readers for the lecturer and then send the mix back to the camera for recording. The receiver output is an 1/8 inch mini-jack low level signal. Does anyone know of a device i can use to boost the signal to a line level compatible with a mixer? or any other way to do this?

[JVRaines]

Can't you just plug it into a microphone preamp in your mixer?

[Wheels8]

That doesn't work. I used an 1/8 in to XLR converter to go into balanced input and turned the gain all the way up, and it barely detects the signal.

[pippas]

You're probably trying to connect TRS 1/8" jack , wired with both tip and ring connected to the receiver +signal, and the sleeve connected to ground. Connecting that to balanced XLR input won't work.... feeding the same signal to both XLR + and - input pins will result in no signal -- as you have aleady discovered.

You need to use an adaptor like this: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/387850-REG/Rode_VXLR_VXLR_Mono_Mini_Jack.html

That is wired like this which should do what you need

Don't forget to make sure that any phantom power on the XLR input is turned off. It probably wouldn't damage the receiver output anyway, but best to not chance it....

[Wheels8]

That is the exact adapter I am using, and it is not working. I believe the Mic Receiver puts out a very low signal similar to that of a cheap computer microphone that you would plug into the microphone input of a computer, or in this case the Sony video camera microphone input. I know the microphone/receiver is working because the voice records fine direct into the Video camera.

[pippas]

Very odd?..... most mixers with a balanced XLR mic input will have he same sort of sensitivity as your video camera mic in - in fact probably better, to allow the use of dynamic mics.
Using it unbalanced will reduce the sensitivity by some 6dB, but that should be easy to allow for. Something else going on here.

You do have the mixer XLR input set for 'mic in' and not 'line in'?....just a thought.

[JVRaines]

Right. A microphone input is required, not line. If there is no available mic input, then an outboard preamplifier is required.

[Wheels8]

There are 4 mic inputs on the mixer, each input has both a balanced XLR connector and an unbalanced 1/4 inch connector. There is no switch for line or mic level input.

[JVRaines]

The manual says "When connecting the receiver to the recording device, be sure to use the supplied recording cable. The supplied recording cable has an internal resistor for adjusting the sound level between the earphone jack and microphone input jack." Try using a plain cable instead.