Microphones are a great way to connect with your audience and make them feel like they’re part of the show. But it’s not always easy to connect a microphone to your laptop or desktop computer, especially if you’re new at this.
1.What kind of mics work with a computer?
There are a few different types of microphones you can use with your computer. The first type of mic that will work is a USB mic. This type of microphone plugs directly into the USB port on your computer and doesn’t require any special drivers or software to be installed. If you have a desktop, USB is usually the easiest way to go because usb ports are usually located near your tower and they’re more accessible than audio inputs on your laptop’s side.
The second type of mic that will work is called an external mic. These microphones plug into the audio input jack associated with your audio interface on your laptop or desktop computer, which means you’ll need some sort of interface for it.
The third and final type of microphone that will work is an XLR mic. This type of microphone plugs into the audio input jack associated with your audio interface on your laptop or desktop computer, which means you’ll need some sort of interface for it. Audio interfaces come with XLR connections to plug in your microphone, or they come with a bunch of different audio inputs for you to plug in an external mic. These types are the best mics for vocals or podcasting.
2. What is a USB microphone?
A usb microphone is a microphone that plugs into your USB port on your laptop or desktop computer. The mic itself has the usb cord coming from it, and this output then goes to the usb port on your computer. USB microphones generally don’t require any special drivers or software to be installed on a Windows computer or Apple Mac computer. – just plug it in and you’re ready to go.
USB microphones are the easiest solution if you’re looking to connect a microphone to your computer, and it takes no time at all!
3.What kind of USB port will I need?
USB microphones work with USB ports. A USB port is the connection point on your computer for you to plug in a usb device like flash drives, external hard drives, etc… The usb port will say “USB” or “usb 2.0” somewhere on it. USB microphones are typically usb 2.0 ports and will be located near the audio inputs on your computer. Laptop usb ports are located on the side of the laptop, and usb ports on desktops can be found anywhere really. The port you’ll be using will probably fit in a usb drive or will look like a rectangle with little holes around it (for air). If you’re not sure if what you have is usb or usb 2.0, plug your usb microphone into the port and see if it works. If not, try a different one!
Some audio interfaces use USB 3.0 instead of usb 2.0, which won’t work with usb mics. If you’re using usb 3.0 on your audio interface and still not getting any sound, try a usb 2.0 usb mic instead! USB 3.0 is backwards compatible so it will also work as usb 2.0. You can usually tell the difference because USB input ports are colored blue, while USB 2.0 ports are colored black.
4. Why would I need an external microphone?
You might be asking yourself “why would I ever need an external microphone when usb works perfectly fine?” Well, usb mics do work for a lot of people and they’re great to use. But if you want the best sound quality possible, you’ll want to have an external mic. These microphones are better at picking up your voice and they will provide a higher quality recording than usb mics.
You can get external mics that will plug into the 3.5mm jack microphone input on your pc sound card, but these are generally not great quality. Most high quality external microphones, sometimes called XLR microphones use XLR connections, which will require you to use an external audio interface.
5.How do I connect a condenser microphone?
If you are connecting an external condenser mic to your USB audio interface, the steps will be similar to those outlined above.
A condenser microphone will usually require a phantom power source, which the USB audio interface provides. This should be enough to power most external condenser microphones. If it’s not, a usb power supply can provide an additional source of power and will make your condenser mics work perfectly. You can plug a usb power supply into either the usb or usb/power ports on your interface, depending on what type you have. Read about whether a condenser mic needs phantom power.
6.How do I connect a dynamic microphone?
If you are connecting an external dynamic microphone to your usb audio interface, the steps will be similar to those outlined above. Dynamic microphones do not require any usb power. The USB is used solely for the connection of the mic itself to your computer, and it’s sufficient in doing that. You might also be interested in my post baout connecting a mic to a speak – read more here.
7. What are audio interfaces and how do they work with microphones?
Audio interfaces are an external audio device that allows you to plug in microphones and instruments, which means this will be the perfect solution if you’re looking for the best sound quality possible! This is probably the best way to connect a microphone to a computer. They’re perfect for singers and performers who want to record their music, podcasters who don’t have a usb mic they can plug in, or just people looking to use their usb microphone with a good quality audio interface that will provide the best sound.
Audio interfaces convert the analog signal from a microphone or instrument into a digital signal. They come in different sizes (RTAI – rackmount, portable) and capabilities. They have several audio inputs on the fornt for you to plug in an XLR microphone or musical instruments like a guitar. An audio interface will have a gain control on each channel and will typically have 2 input channels up to 8. Most usb interfaces also come with an aux input or headphone output jack so you can listen to your recordings right away!
8. What kind of cables should I use for my usb mic or external mic?
The usb cable that comes with most usb mics will be a usb A to usb B cable. If you purchase an external mic, it may come with a usb A to usb C cable or audio cables for connecting the XLR output to your interface. Make sure you check before purchasing!
If you’re using an external microphone and need new cables, usb mic cables are available in pretty much any length, and you can find XLR audio cables in pretty much any length as well. An XLR cable is a 3 pronged cable that plugs into your mic input, usb audio interface or soundcard. There are some audio interfaces that will come with XLR cables included, but if yours didn’t, you can purchase them separately.
9. What software do I need to use with my microphone?
You will probably need some kind of recording or editing software if you want to record yourself singing or performing. If you’re just using your usb mic to record yourself talking, then your computer’s default audio recorder will work just fine. Audacity is open-source software(DAW – digital audio workstation) that is ideal for recording audio on your computer.
