How do i get a microphone to plug into my laptop ?

J

JamesD

New member
How do i get a microphone to plug into my laptop ?

do i need some box to change it so it fits into the mac or do i just need to change the wire so that it fits in ??
 
"Professional type" microphones need a preamp and some need phantom power.

Do you already own the mic you want to connect? Or have a mic in mind?
Tell us what you have, and what you want to accomplish, and we can help. :)
 
Yes, what do you have for a mic?
A condensor mix will need phantom power and a pre-amp.
A dynamic mic can plug into the 1/8" input jack on your laptop with adapters.
A USB mic would plug into your laptop's USB jack.

We won't get into the fact that the soundcard in your laptop may be unsuitable for quality sound .
 
Laptops do not have mic preamps suitable for anything but the most lightweight recording. Way, way too noisy. You can't just adapt the cable and expect to get quality you'll be willing to live with unless you're just trying to record a scratch track, in which case you might as well just use the built-in mic.
 
Buy a BIGGER computer! Really, you can use an adaptor from 1/4 to the 1/8 (or sometimes referred to as 3.5mm) Just make sure it's a mic that does not need phantom power. Good luck.
 
Basically, in order to use a laptop (or a desktop) for audio recording of even mediocre quality, you have to either bypass the soundcard or replace it. It is almost always simpler to bypass it, and the standard way is USB or firewire. Usually on a laptop, you use USB. While there is such a thing as a USB mic, it is way more versatile to use a converter to change the mic signal to digital, which means it needs to have a mic preamp and an A-D convertor. A USB mic has these built in, usually wicked cheap ones. There are some expensive exceptions. A separate interface is more useful, because you can plug any mic (s)you want into it. There are simple (and very portable) ways to do this, such as:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=42882&Category=Audio_Interfaces

However, it's handy to have a headphone jack, 2 or more channels, and better preamps, so for anything more than a simple podcast, I would recommend a USB based interface, such as:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=40819&Category=Audio_Interfaces

or

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=60669&Category=Audio_Interfaces

You'll need some software for audio processing. Audacity is free, and lots of people like Reaper, which is about $50. A good set of headphones will be very useful. Good Luck-Richie
 
Richard Monroe said:
Basically, in order to use a laptop (or a desktop) for audio recording of even mediocre quality, you have to either bypass the soundcard or replace it. It is almost always simpler to bypass it, and the standard way is USB or firewire. Usually on a laptop, you use USB. While there is such a thing as a USB mic, it is way more versatile to use a converter to change the mic signal to digital, which means it needs to have a mic preamp and an A-D convertor. A USB mic has these built in, usually wicked cheap ones. There are some expensive exceptions. A separate interface is more useful, because you can plug any mic (s)you want into it. There are simple (and very portable) ways to do this, such as:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=42882&Category=Audio_Interfaces

However, it's handy to have a headphone jack, 2 or more channels, and better preamps, so for anything more than a simple podcast, I would recommend a USB based interface, such as:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=40819&Category=Audio_Interfaces

or

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=60669&Category=Audio_Interfaces

You'll need some software for audio processing. Audacity is free, and lots of people like Reaper, which is about $50. A good set of headphones will be very useful. Good Luck-Richie
Click to expand...


Hi guys, apologies if this is really obvious noob question but can I run a cable from the DI out of a guitar/bass amp into a mic socket on one of those converters?

I'm trying to record guitar and bass onto my laptop using Audacity
 
Green rOB said:
Hi guys, apologies if this is really obvious noob question but can I run a cable from the DI out of a guitar/bass amp into a mic socket on one of those converters?

I'm trying to record guitar and bass onto my laptop using Audacity
Click to expand...

You should really start your own thread to ask your questions instead of hijacking someone else's. But to answer your question quickly, most interfaces have a Hi-Z input for guitars, basses, etc.
 
Chili said:
You should really start your own thread to ask your questions instead of hijacking someone else's. But to answer your question quickly, most interfaces have a Hi-Z input for guitars, basses, etc.
Click to expand...

That's another illustration of why the interface is more versatile. Unlike a USB mic or a simple line converter, it generally has not only high-z instrument inputs, but also line ins for an external preamp or a modeler, such as a POD.-Richie
 
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