Mono a Mono
 

Search did not answer my question so here goes. I have just run across comments in an article indicating problems using mono mike jacks plugged in to VX2000. I recently bought a cheap wired lavalier mike (Radio Shack) just to try out for hobbyist use. It has a mono1/8 jack. Plugged in to VX2000 jack on mic setting it seems to be working fine recording and playing back from tape (one channel of course). Are there problems I will encounter later in post (editing on Premiere 6.0) or something?? BTW, I did take note of other posts and bought a stereo/stereo right angle adapter from Radio Shack to avoid plug sticking straight out from camera and it works fine also as far as I can tell with the mono jack on lavalier mike cord.

In my experience, a mono plug in a stereo socket is a problem just waiting to happen. Sony and others have attempted to make a stereo socket work well with mono plugs. Sometimes they do and sometimes they just won't. What's bad about the situation is it can be random. The combo will work for a while and then stop working.

Furthermore, you may not be able to tell, even with headphones, that the contact is intermittent. You won't know until you start editing. As you know, that's too late.

I always cut off the mono plug and solder a stereo plug onto the cable. One can then solder the signal wire to both channels. For all practical purposes, the signal is not degraded in any noticable manner.

Mono a' Stereo
 

Got it and thanks Mike. Now if I can just find that old soldering gun..