What went wrong?
 

I attempted to split an audio signal using a cord that features a stereo female miniplug that splits into two stereo male miniplugs. Specifically, I'm trying to go from the 3/8" male miniplug leaving an XLRpro adapter, and take one signal into a minidisc recorder and the other into the camera. I didn't think this would be complicated, but when I tried it, all I got was static in one ear and no sound at all in the other. What am I doing wrong?

I'd say you used the wrong wires or something. Perhaps you
need to better explain what you did "exactly"?

All right, basically I attached the female end of this --

http://www.a2zcables.com/a2zcables.s...View/VC175&2D1

-- to the stereo 3/8” male mini-plug that comes out of an XLRpro adapter. I then stuck one of the male plugs from the A2Z cable into a minidisc, and plugged the other one into a camcorder. The idea is to record to minidisc, and still have a signal going to the camera as a backup.

Seems like it should work. The cable doesn't appear to be faulty.

What model of camera and what model of minidisc are you using? That can have an important effect on how a split signal behaves.

I think hooking the XLR box straight to the MD then run from the MD's line out into camera line in would yield better results.

I wonder if the mic input on the camera also supplies volts for a condenser microphone(The minidisc might also do the same)? This might be upsetting things and will need a capacitor in series with the L and R wires to block it.

Try unplugging the camera but leave the minidisc connected and see if you get clean audio out to the minidisc by itself. Then try the same with the camera(i.e. minidisc left unplugged).

If one or the other works, swap the male cable ends to prove its not a cable issue. If both cable ends work we are back to a problem between the camera-minidisc-XLR Box and not the cable......

The camcorder is a GL1 and the minidisc is an MZN10. I believe both of them do supply volts for a condenser microphone. I was under the impression that the XLR adapter had a capaciter or something that blocked it, but maybe the Y splitter is screwing all that up? Running the line out from the minidisc to the camera is an interesting idea, but then I wouldn't be able to monitor the sound on the minidisc. Since the audio on the GL1 isn't the greatest, getting good audio on the minidisc is the priority here.

Tried unplugging at the camcorder, and then the minidisc, and the result is the same -- intereference in one ear, silence in the other.

"...will need a capacitor in series with the L and R wires to block it."

If that ends up being the problem, does anyone know where I can get a splitter like that? I wouldn't have the faintest idea how to make one.

If one end of the 'Y' cable was unplugged from the cam or minidisc and left floating it should have then worked as a simple extension cable between the XLR box and cam/minidisc. I presume the XLR box works fine (good audio on one or both channels) when you plug its 3/8" male plug straight into the camera or the minidisc without the 'Y' splitter cable?

Re the capacitors, that is an option but a bit messy as you will need to solder them in series on the L and R channel wires. Matts option might be easier(If the GL1 can take line level)!

Yeah, sound is fine when plugging the XLR adapter into the minidisc. I've been doing it this way for some time. Incidentally, I tried plugging a pair of headphones into the female end of the splitter, and then plugging each of the male ends alternately into the headphone jack of the minidisc to test the cable. I could only get sound in both ears by jiggling the connection on the minidisc. Maybe it's just a bad connection? This would seem surprising for a cable that's supposed to be pretty good quality. It also seems strange that both male plugs would have this problem.