A good pre-amp like this costs about a third of the price of a USB interface, though, and handles only one mic. This would effectively be replacing the low quality pre-amp in your PC with a high quality pre-amp. If your built-in sound card does an acceptable job with line-level input, then one possible alternative to a USB audio interface, is to buy a microphone pre-amp:Ĭonnecting it as: mic (XLR)-> pre-amp (phone)-> PC line-in. You'll always be able to find an audiophile who will insist you need more expensive equipment. The one extra step is the pre-amplifier in the PC which boosts the signal from mic level to line level - again, this may or may not be good enough for your needs. If you can record music from the line-in input to a quality you consider 'good enough', then there's a chance the mic input will also be 'good enough'. However, whether it's good enough for your needs is entirely subjective. After all, most of them don't get used at all, and the rest get used for Skype-type chats. The input of the standard audio interface on a PC is not designed for connoisseurs. With many microphones, you can put in a battery instead - but it's an extra thing to worry about. Your PC's 3.5mm microphone socket won't provide phantom power. You can expect the XLR sockets on USB audio interfaces to provide phantom power - but check the specifications before buying.

Condenser microphones need power, and usually the most convenient way to get power to the mic is phantom power, whereby a small current is carried on the signal lines of the cable. However, it's potentially an $8 spend that would allow you to make-do without a USB interface. These are not all that common, and I see anecdotes on the internet about many of them being incorrectly wired. You can get XLR to 3.5mm cables, such as this one. So if you don't buy a suitable audio interface, you have the issue of physically plugging stuff together.

Your computer's microphone input will be a stereo 3.5mm socket. Many USB audio interfaces have XLR sockets (but check that the one you choose does). These have three wires arranged so that any interference picked up in the cable is cancelled out.

Good quality microphones usually have XLR connectors.

Let's instead talk about the various factors you have to consider.

Best audio interface for macbook pro