What kind of adapter do I need for a 1/4" cable going into a 1/8" jack?

Question

I recently bought a 1/4" to 1/8" stereo adapter but it did not work with my shotgun microphone. I was told by the seller that I would need a mono adapter (since microphones are mono, not stereo). Now I am looking for a correct adapter. Just to make sure you know what jacks I'm talking about, the 1/4" is like a guitar cable and the 1/8" jack is like one you would find on an ipod or mp3 player. The cable from my mic is the 1/4" like a guitar cable and it must go into a 1/8" jack on my video camera. Like I said, the seller of my previous adapter said I needed mono. Does this mean I need mono to mono, stereo to mono, or what....? I found this one but it is not gold-plated so I don;t know if the audio quality is very good for semi-professional film: http://www.topmicrousa.com/sdmt-fr1333.html

What kind of adapter do I need? I need to get this by Saturday so a place to get it would also be appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

It depends on if your video camera has stereo sound or not. If not, the mono to mono adapter will do the trick. Gold plating isn't that important. Just keep it clean. http://www.allspectrum.com/store/product...

If it's a stereo video camera with one jack, it's likely a stereo jack. A stereo to mono adapter would work in this case. Sound quality might not be the best when bridging the two channels together. A stereo mic would be better.  http://www.electronicsnmore.com/product_...

Not too many stores left that sell the little bits and pieces... You could try Radio Shack... maybe a music store... Guitar Center might have what you need...  or maybe pay for overnight shipping from a web site.