mic to computer connections?

[musicguyguy]

I'm looking for a microphone to record instrumentals, especially high-pressure stuff like trumpet or piano. So, I've got my eyes set on the generic-but-awesome Shure SM57; pity it's a dynamic mic and won't connect directly to my computer.

I'm not quite ready to research up and buy a mixer, preamp, or anything like that for a (crappy) 3.5mm connection, so I was looking for a USB conversion, and two options came up.

1. X2U XLR-to-USB Signal Adapter: same brand, seems more official, but is crazy expensive ($150) and seems to have a terrible hissing noise.
2. Alesis MicLink XLR-to-USB cable: cheaper (up to $40), has a much-needed cable
(2b. LightSnake USB mic cable)

However, I'm not sure if the Alesis cable will work with a dynamic mic, although it claims to have a built-in converter.

Does anyone have experience with this? Which works best?
Thanks in advance!

 

[TimOBrien]

Stay away from usb mic converters.
The digital converters are not as good and you'll have trouble monitoring and recording at the same time. They are mainly made for podcasters.

You want a real usb audio interface with asio (low-latency) drivers and you can get them for less than $50-$100.

Here's the guide with user-test suggestions:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_and_audio_interfaces.htm