Do i need a blue icicle to connect to my mac?

T

Turfware

New member
Hello, first post on the forums, because I am new to audio and would like to get the cheapest option to connect my two AT2020 XLR mics to my Mac laptop. I would like to preface I was handed down a big mixer when my friend passed away and would like to put it to some good use...Now I have read online that the mics need phantom power and that the mixer could supply that. So if that is the case, could i just plug an XLR to usb cable in the output and plug that into my mac, or would i need to purchase a blue icicle (has phantom power) between an XLR cable and a mini usb to usb cable...for the mac to recognize the mics...

P.S. I found there is a button kinda by itself on the mixer titled (+48v) not sure if that has something to do with it...and if it should be pressed or not.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I thought this would be the right place to ask this question. :)
 
You don't need the icicle, pretty sure that wouldn't work anyway. For a few dollars more you can get into a decent audio interface, like this one here for example, that would allow you to either plug your 2020s directly into the interface (which also supplies phantom power) or you could route the output of your mixer into the interface if you just had to use the mixer.

That +48 button is what turns phantom power on and off on the mic pres.
 
If you go the XLR to USB option you will only realistically be able to use one mic (USB device) at a time within your recording software. If you are trying to use both mics at the same time it won't work.

The interface in the link in my first post gives you two options; it has 2 microphone preamps built into it that can provide phantom power but those inputs also give you the option of using balanced line outs from your mixer and plugging them into the interface. Something like this:

Option 1, 2i2 interface by itself (or any other USB audio interface with 2 preamps):
Mic (x2)-->XLR cable (x2)-->interface-->usb from interface to laptop.

Option 2, mixer to interface:
Mix (x2)--> XLR cable (x2)-->mixer-->balanced TRS cable (x2)-->interface-->usb from interface to laptop.

Either way, you've got the preamps built into the mixer. The interface will have combo jacks that will accept XLR or 1/4" (balanced or unbalanced) connectors - these jacks are also preamps which would give you the option to bypass using the mixer if you find that it introduces noise or any unwanted artifacts into your recorded tracks.
 
oh i see, so if my mixer has 10 channels could that work the same way?....Thank you for helping me, i was getting overwhelmed by all of the info for getting the precise cables.
 
Yes, you could utilize all 10 channels of your mixer. The only caveat here is that if you have a 2 channel interface then all you would be able to do is record 2 tracks that would be a stereo mix of all of the channels that you have running into the mixer. So all 10 tracks from the mixer would be consolidated to a single stereo track or two mono L/R tracks. It would reduce your control over each individual source if there were more than 2.
 
If your mixer has very good preamps, then a stereo D/A would handle the stereo output of the mixer happily. You would have all the advantages of the mixer, including it's phantom power for the mics, plus you can blend many sources, generate aux outputs and the usual mixer facilities - you would record the output - in either stereo, or two channels - how ever you fancy. If the mixer is average quality and you don't need the mixer facilities, then a modest DA with XLR in and phantom would give you two channels in. If the mixer is a multitrack routing mixer, then a multi-channel DA would be even more useful. The decision depends on money and facilities you need. I use a big mixer into a multi channel DA, but frequently use just one source at a time - the mixer just provides a monitoring function - with loads of devices plugged into it, and all levels and eq are done in the computer, not the mixer.
 
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