Shure SV100 with MacBook Pro?

[The Illuminati]

Hey everyone,

A while ago, I got a great deal on a Shure SV100 microphone and bought it so I could record vocals for songs. However, after getting a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter so the mic would plug into my computer, I discovered the mic created a lot of noise and it was barely audible. I'm guessing this was due to the crappy soundcard and the power output not being enough. I read some stuff online and I discovered that I might need to bypass the computer's sound card and go through the USB port. I read about this thing called the Shure X2U, which seems like an excellent product, but it costs much more than the mic itself and $100 is way out of my budget. Then I discovered some cables like this one Amazon.com: HDE 10ft/3m XLR Female to USB 2.0 Cable Instruments/Microphones - Black: Musical Instruments that seem good but I'm not sure if my computer will have enough power to drive the mic. It might be able to though, because my friend's really expensive USB mic worked fine with my computer, but I'm not sure.

Also, I read about something called an audio interface,and I found a cheap one for $30 here: Amazon.com: Behringer UM2 Audio Interface: Musical Instruments Is this necessary or will the XLR-USB cable do? I'm trying to spend as little money as possible.

I'm sorry if my message wasn't very clear, but right now I'm trying to debate over whether I should buy the cable (which costs less but i don't know if my computer will be able to power the mic) or the audio interface (which costs more than what my parents will let me spend- I'm only 16, but I'm sure it will power the mic just fine). Please give me your opinion, I really need it since I'm brand new to this stuff!

Thanks!

 

[The Illuminati]

I would recommend against the XLR to USB cable. While it might work, it doesn't have a few features that you will need, importantly a means to hear/monitor the music through headphones while you are recording/tracking vocals. The Behringer UM2 is a pretty barebones interface, but would make life easier to record vocals for not much money. In addition to the interface you would also need an XLR to XLR mic cable, as the XLR to 1/4" cable you currently have wouldn't be suitable (the 1/4" part of the "combo" jack on the interface is for "line level" inputs and would not have enough gain for the mic). Also not sure the interface would include the USB cable to connect to the computer, so you may want to read up on what's included. The interface also has phantom power, so later at sometime you could upgrade to a condenser mic if you wanted to. The interface appears to include some recording software, Tracktion (don't know if it would be Mac compatible). A pair of closed back headphones would be a good idea also if your parents can be squeezed a bit more . If you already have some headphones, give them a try. Closed back will stop or reduce audio from the headphones from "bleeding" back into the mic.
Your MacBook Pro should be OK with powering an interface.

Yes, I do indeed have some high quality closed back headphones that I like a lot. But couldn't I just plug in my headphones into the headphone jack and hear what I am recording (Given, I'll need to configure some settings)? And I have both Windows and Mac installed on my computer so software shouldn't be a huge issue.