How to Connect a Microphone to a Computer

This wikiHow teaches you how to set up a new device, specifically an external microphone (a regular micro-microphone or a professional XLR jack microphone) to upgrade your computer’s audio input and chat online or record audio. sound at home. If you are still confused as to why the system is not receiving a signal, see how to fix the problem in the last section.

Table of Contents

Connect ordinary computer microphone

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Specify the microphone jack type. Typically, basic computer microphones have two main types of jacks: a 3.5mm TRS (essentially the same as a headphone jack) and a flat rectangular USB plug. Both types of jacks are compatible with most computers.

If you are using a 6.35 mm XLR jack microphone or some other type of microphone, see the next section.

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Find the corresponding connection port on the computer. Most desktop computers have an inconspicuous microphone port located on the front or back of the case. Usually this port will be pink with a microphone image. If the microphone has a 3.5mm jack, you just need to plug it into this port to start checking the sound.

With a microphone with a USB jack, almost every computer has two or more USB ports located on the side or back of the device. You just need to plug this USB jack into one of the corresponding ports.
Laptops and some computers today do not have a microphone port because they often have a built-in microphone inside the device. However, you can still plug the microphone into the headphone port, then adjust the audio settings.

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Try out a new microphone with recording software. To check the volume and set up the microphone easily and quickly, open the audio input options. Next, you check if the device you just plugged in is displayed and selected for use. Finally, open the recording program to set the volume and test the microphone.

On Windows, you can use Sound Recorder, but on Macs, Quicktime or GarageBand are appropriate options.
If you’re still not getting a signal, see the end for troubleshooting instructions.

Connect to a professional microphone

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Determine the microphone jack type. Typically, high-end music microphones, condenser microphones, and other professional equipment will require an adapter or converter cable to be plugged into a computer. The cost of these converters varies greatly and will depend on the type of microphone you are connecting to your computer.

If you see three pins arranged in a triangle at the top of the microphone, it is an XLR microphone, you will need an XLR to 3.5mm jack adapter cable, a USB converter or a mixer.
With a 6.35 mm jack (the size of a guitar cable), you need to buy a cable that converts this plug to a common USB or 3.5 mm size and then plugs it into the port for the microphone/headphone. These cables are usually quite cheap, only a few tens of thousands.

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Prepare the appropriate adapter. All of these microphones need to be connected to some kind of adapter in order to be plugged into a computer. Because these types of microphones are usually of high quality, it’s best to invest in a good adapter to keep the signal as strong as possible.

Micro XLRs can be plugged into relatively inexpensive cables or USB-to-USB converters, but some users have found that this connection can cause “clicks” and degrade the quality of the microphone. Good. For the best sound quality, you should invest in a mixer with a USB output.
6.35mm to 3.5mm jack converter cable is widely sold and very cheap. You can find it at any electronics store or online retailer.

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Try out a new microphone with recording software. To check the volume and set up the microphone easily and quickly, open the audio input option. Next, you check if the device you just plugged in is displayed and selected for use. Finally, open the recording program to set the volume and test the microphone.

On Windows, you can use Sound Recorder, but on Macs, Quicktime or GarageBand are appropriate options.
If you’re still not getting a signal, see the next section for troubleshooting instructions.

Troubleshoot common problems

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Check input audio settings. If you are not getting a signal, navigate to your computer’s sound settings and check to make sure that the appropriate device is selected and that the volume is not too low.

Macs don’t have drivers to access that way, so you can just go to System Settings and click “Sound,” then “Input.” ). Make sure that the checkmark is in the microphone section, not the built-in microphone.
On PC , you open the Contrp Panel and click “Hardware and Sound” then select “Sound”, another window will pop up. Next, click Recording at the top of the window, the microphone will show up here. If there is no green checkmark next to it, the microphone is not selected. You need to click and select Properties. You can then change the settings at the bottom of the “Use this Device” section so that the microphone is automatically used the next time it’s plugged in to your computer.

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Set the input volume level. On most computers, you should be able to control the input volume level. With cheap microphones, the volume needs to be set higher than normal to achieve the desired signal, but you should not turn it all the way up either. Usually, setting within the default range (about 50%) is best.

On Mac, you can do so in System Settings, under “Sound.”
On a PC, you can do so in the “Hardware and Sound” section, under “Sound.”

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Check your computer’s speakers and volume. In case of using external speakers or headphones, you need to check the settings of your computer and device to make sure that the volume level is adjusted properly, otherwise you may not hear anything. .

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Check the settings on the microphone. Of course, you also need to make sure that the microphone is turned on, the cable is plugged in correctly, and that other settings are adjusted appropriately according to the microphone.

Some condenser and chat microphones will have various switching settings, such as making the volume louder or extending the volume range. Switching between features will help you determine what sounds best for your intended use.

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Check the settings of the specific program you are using. Different audio processing programs will have different input settings and need to be checked to make sure everything is stable. Even if you’ve changed the system settings, some recording software still needs to be set up specifically to use the built-in microphone or sound from other sources.

For example, if you use Skype, open Tops > Options > Audio settings and select a microphone. If the microphone is not showing up or is still not working, you need to check to see if the microphone requires specific software or drivers to run.

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Try restarting the computer. Sometimes, you need to close at least the program you’re using or even restart in order for the computer to recognize the newly connected hardware.

If the microphone still doesn’t work, try changing the microphone or using it on another computer. You will determine whether the cause is the computer or the microphone.

Advice

You need to make sure the microphone is connected before trying/configuring the device.
If you feel your voice is too low, turn up the microphone volume.
You can find Sound Recorder on a Windows computer by typing sndrec32 in the Run dialog box.
GarageBand on Mac computers is located in the Dock or the /Applications folder. If you can’t find it, it’s on an additional installation disc (Additional Installs, sometimes labeled Disc 2).
You can record the conversation.
Make sure the microphone has the proper connector.

Warning

Do not connect the microphone to ports other than the compatible pink port. This may damage the microphone or the connection port.

Things you need

Microphone to connect to the computer.
The computer has a chip or sound card.
Adapter if the microphone has a 6.35 mm XLR or TRS jack.

Steps