On my mixer, I plugged in a microphone to a line in and it didn’t work.

[omrfishy]

The mixer has 8 channels. Each channel has a line in and a mic in. The cable that came with the mic was a female XLR to male 1/4. I put the 1/4 in the mixer, and the XLR to the mic, and it didn’t work even though everything was hooked up. What was weird though caught my attention. When I kept the 1/4 in the mixer, but unplugged the mic, it made noises when I banged it on my hand. Also when I put my index and thumb around (not touching) the 1/4 end, it made static-like noises. Can someone explain this to me?

 

[Ralston18]

Defective cable perhaps?

First the cable:

https/www.wikiaudio.org/xlr-connector/

Does the link match/describe your cable?

Some internal connection is not as it should be. Not connected but a vibration may result in some touching and thus the noise.

And when you place your index finger and thumb around 1/4 end you are simply influencing some existing electrical field. Which maybe should not exist...?

Consider that the other hand actually holding the 1/4 end may be involved.

The other part: " it made noises when I banged it on my hand". The "it" being the mic?

What kind of noise? Something loose inside the mic perhaps?