If you’re using an XLR microphone, a quarter-inch jack, or some other variety of mic, skip to the next section.
If you have a USB jack on the end of your microphone, most computers will have two or more USB ports on the side, or the back of the computer. Simply plug the USB jack into one of these ports. Laptops and some more contemporary computers don’t have microphone ports, because they’re generally outfitted with internal microphones. It’s usually possible to plug into the headphone port on most computers, however, and adjust your sound settings later.
On Windows, you can use the Sound Recorder, on a Mac, Quicktime or GarageBand should do fine. If you’re not getting a signal, skip to the last section for troubleshooting tips.
If you see a triangle of prongs on the end of the end of the microphone, that’s an XLR mic, and you’ll need to get either a cable which converts the XLR jack into the eighth-inch port, a converter box which will convert it into USB, or a mixer. If the jack is a quarter-inch, the size of a guitar cable, you’ll need to purchase an adapter cable that will convert into either USB or (more usually) eighth-inch size, and plug it into the mic port or the headphone port. These cables are usually quite cheap, no more than a few dollars.
XLR mics can be adapted relatively cheaply with cables or a USB converter box, but some users find that this can be “crackly,” losing some of the presence of good microphones. For the best sound quality, invest in a mixing board with a USB output. Quarter-inch to eighth-inch converter cables are widely available and pretty cheap to buy. You can find them at any electronics store or online electronics retailer.
On Windows, you can use the Sound Recorder, on a Mac, Quicktime or GarageBand should do fine. If you’re not getting a signal, skip to the next section for troubleshooting tips.
On a mac there are no drivers to get in the way, so the only other thing you need to do is to go into System Settings and click on “Sound,” then select “Input. " Make sure that the microphone is checked, rather than the built-in microphone. On a PC, go into the Control Panel and clicking on “Hardware and Sound,” then click on “Sound” and it should pop up another windows. At the top, click on recording, and you should see your microphone there. If it doesn’t have a green check mark next to it, it isn’t selected. Click on it and click properties. You can then change the settings at the bottom to “Use this Device” and it will automatically use it next time it is plugged into your computer.
On a Mac, you can do this in the System Settings, under “Sound. " On a PC, you can do this in “Hardware and Sound,” under “Sound. "
Some condenser mics, and speaking microphones will have a variety of toggle settings, some of which might be louder, or feature a wider range of sound than others. Switch between them to get a sense for what sounds best for your purposes.
For example if you are using Skype, go to: Tools>Options>Audio settings, and select your microphone. If your microphone isn’t listed or still doesn’t work then check whether it requires software or drivers to run.
If the microphone still doesn’t work then try using another microphone or try using the microphone on another computer. This should help you figure out whether it is the computer or the microphone which is at fault.
