[4sound]

Greetings!
 
I have a gaming headset I like with 2x 3.5mm TRS connectors (one for the headphones, one for the mic).  I want to use it with my iPhone for long calls I've found the Headset Buddy connector but want an angled 4 pole connector.  I've build a bunch of my own 3.5 cables and headphone re-calbes before so I figure it shouldn't be too hard.
 
I found a nice Calrad angled 3.5mm 4 pole on Markertek.  
4 pole wiring
Tip = left signal
Ring = right signal
Ring = ground
Sleeve = mic
 
Headphone Female 3.5 TRS is wiring
Tip = left
Ring = right signal
Sleeve = ground
 
Mic Female 3.5 TRS wiring?
I assume the mic is mono but the connector from the headset is TRS (3 pole).
I assume 1 signal and one is ground.  Looking at other mono connectors, Tip is signal and the bottom (sleeve) is ground?  What is the center ring?
 
Thanks

 

[4sound]

Did some more searching and didn't get a definitive answer but I think i figured out the mic is mono, mic signal is tip, ring isn't connected, sleeve is ground on the 3.5 TRS female and shares the ground ring on the 4 pole TRRS male side.
 
Male 4-pole connector wiring
Tip = left signal
Ring = right signal
Ring = ground (shared from both Headphone and Mic ground)
Sleeve = mic signal
 
Female Headphone 3.5 TRS wiring
Tip = left signal
Ring = right signal
Sleeve = ground
 
Female Mic (mono) 3.5 TRS wiring
Tip = mic signal
Ring = not connected
Sleeve = ground
 
If anyone can confirm this is correct, that would be great.
 
Also, found this nice one online for $23.
http://touchmic.com/products-page/ipad-ipod-touch--iphone-microphone-adapters--extension-cables/headphone--mic-y-adapter-in-one-cable/
 

 

[FootSpaz]

I have been doing some research on this myself for an upcoming mod I have been planning. Your guess is correct. The tip is the mic, the ring is not connected (unless the mic needs the +5V bias), and the sleeve is ground. Here's the few good sources I found on it:
 
 
 
Quote:

The 3.5 mm mic input is usually a "TRS" (Tip, Ring and Sleeve) sometimes called a stereo connector, although sometimes this may be a "mono" connector that has only the "Tip and "Sleeve". In both configurations the "Tip" will carry the audio signal and the "Sleeve" is the ground connection. On the "TRS" connection the "Ring" portion is often used to carry a low DC voltage (bias voltage) for powering a computer microphone.
 
Source: http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/site/4ffc7039c199613a/index.html/index.html#computer (It's under the "How do I connect a microphone to my computer?" link)

 
 
Quote:

1. Signal input (tip)
2. +5V bias (ring)
3. Ground (sleeve)

 
Source: http://www.hobby-hour.com/electronics/computer_microphone.php

 
 
 
And now the important source, the PC99 specification written in 1999 by Microsoft for building PC components:
 
Quote:

 
Three-conductor 1/8-inch (3.5mm) tip/ring.sleeve microphone jack with bias on the ring to support both three-conductor electret microphones or tip and ring shorted together for two-conductor dynamic microphones. In either case, the sleeve connects to ground.
 
Source: http://www-pc.uni-r.de/hardware/TECHDOK/PC_99_1.pdf

 

 

[4sound]

Thanks. This is exactly the info i needed.
 
The question I have now is if the mic (depending on the type) needs the 5v or not for connectivity to the iPhone.
 

 

[FootSpaz]

Well, I don't actually have a source for this, but I'm going to say that it doesn't need the +5V bias. Two reasons for this conclusion:
 
1) That 5V bias is almost never used. Only a few computer mics back in the earlier years of the last decade actually took advantage of that. I don't think anything recent has used it.
2) There aren't any connections left from the 4-pole iPhone jack to use for it. The tip and both rings are already taken and the sleeve is used for the mic signal, so they would need a third ring if they wanted to supply the 5V bias.