Digital voice recorder onto my PC?

Microphone volume issues on desktop PC, Wondering if they will also occur with a digital voice recorder.?

• Quick summery of below: I've used a 6.5mm to 3.5mm converter and plugged a SM58 Microphone into my PC's microphone jack but the input volume is quite low and the playback is only through the left of my headphones, My concern is that i will have the same issues when i use a digital voice recorder as i hope to record interviews on the go but without any audio issues. More detailed story: I'm using my PC to test out the SM58 mic, but the input is fairly quiet though i understand that's common due to the SM58 having a very low output level apparently, But If i playback through my headphones or record it the audio is only coming out the left channel. I understand i can use software like SonyVegas to just record the left channel thus defeating the main problem though for interviews on the go having the microphone plugged into a laptop to record would be time consuming and awkward, But my main concern is: I asked a store clerk about using the microphone to record interviews, He recommend i get a 6.5mm to 3.5mm converter then plug it into a digital voice recorder. But i fear that the audio might be really quiet or would only come through one speaker, I can fairly easily fix my problem on my desktop PC though i assume when i record to a digital voice recorder i may encounter the same problems i have with plugging it into my PC and that i may not be able to fix the audio when i transfer it to my PC.

• Answer:

  Your best bet, use balanced cables, stereo plugs. Do not go cheap here. I take my SM 58 microphone, plug it into a Alto L6 mixer, then run a output from that to the mic port on my computer from the Phones port on the mixer. I run the main mix out to my camcorder, by going through a smaller mixer to one stereo wire to my camcorder. My system is portable and works well this is what i use to capture audio - http://asimplelife.ca/boss.html When I get left or right side only audio, I can take it into audacity, a free down-loadable program. I import my audio and it has an effect where it can duplicate tracks, so make it the same left and right, done, stereo (LOL) track available for use.