Microphone XLR to computer

Mr_Furball

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Jan 24, 2014
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Hi,

I just wanted to get this question out of my head so I won't be overthinking when buying the equipments. I wanted to buy an XLR microphone and I saw a lot of people recommending and audio interface. Originally, I was going to buy a blue icicle to do the conversion to usb, but now I'm wondering if I need the audio interface. I would use the microphone for voice recording and basic stuff and not professional home studio. Is an blue icicle converter enough? Will windows recognize it without any problems to be used in Audacity, for example?

Thank you in advance.
 
Solution
Sure the Behringer works great for $50. It's not as good as a say a $300 interface, and doesn't have all the controls such as headphone volume level. But it gets the job done. In windows when you go in control panel you'll just have to choose behringer USB audio device as your output and also as your microphone input. Then it should be the default in any program you use such as audacity.

If you were to use the icycle you would choose that as your mic input, and your soundcard as your audio out or your HDMI video card out if you send it to a home theatre receiver.

Personally I'd go the interface route and if you have a tight budget go with the Behringer. If you love it and it works out for you and you would like more, then...

gondo

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Apr 20, 2004
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The Blue Icycle is exactly what you need. It converts USB to XLR and interfaces is to the computer.

Now a USB audio interface is more of a DAC. It'll output audio to headphones or amplifier bypassing the computers sound card giving better sound quality than the soundcard. Some of them have an XLR mic in and transfer that via the USB as well.

If better audio is something you might want and avoid using a soundcard or expensive motherboards to get better onboard audio, then a USB audio interface with XLR mic in is what I would look at. If you just want to hook your XLR mic up and keep listening through your soundcard or onboard sound then the Blue Icycle works.
 

Mr_Furball

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Jan 24, 2014
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An audio interface is good for monitoring, but I don't know if I will need it. There is a audio interface here that is cheaper than the blue icicle. It's the behringer um2. Is it any good? I just know that pluging a blue icicle will give me great sound. But Im not sure if these simpler audio interfaces can mess it up or if I can get it with no worries. I can plug the XLR, plug in headphones and listen to my own voice better, I dont know if I plug in the p2 from the motherboard, apps like Audacity will capture the system sound too. Blue icicle just seems a little more straight foward, or maybe it's very easy to learn with the audio interface. What are your thoughts?
 

gondo

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Apr 20, 2004
165
0
18,760
Sure the Behringer works great for $50. It's not as good as a say a $300 interface, and doesn't have all the controls such as headphone volume level. But it gets the job done. In windows when you go in control panel you'll just have to choose behringer USB audio device as your output and also as your microphone input. Then it should be the default in any program you use such as audacity.

If you were to use the icycle you would choose that as your mic input, and your soundcard as your audio out or your HDMI video card out if you send it to a home theatre receiver.

Personally I'd go the interface route and if you have a tight budget go with the Behringer. If you love it and it works out for you and you would like more, then save up and possible get something better in the future like a Scarlette.
 
Solution