You'll need a good microphone if you want to record music or spoken word on your Mac. It is available in a variety of types. And the Mac mini microphone gains increasing popularity. In this article, we will tell you the steps to set it up on your computer and how it feels to use different types of mics.
Photo by Karim Yatrib
Connect mini Mac microphone according to types
An audio input port, USB-C port, or audio interface linked to your Mac can all be used to connect a microphone. Your microphone will connect to your Mac in a variety of ways, depending on the sort of microphone you have.
Lavalier
A lavalier microphone is a mini microphone that is clipped to an actor's body or clothes. It's meant to be unobtrusive and light. It usually comes with a 3.5mm cable, so you can connect it to your Mac by plugging it into the audio input port.
Wireless
Mac mini wireless microphone that works with Mac can be connected through USB-C or the headphone jack. It's a plug-and-play setting in any case. It should not be necessary to configure the microphone in order for it to pick up sounds. But before utilizing the microphone, make sure you choose it as your input. We will tell you how to make it below.
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Shotgun
A shotgun microphone is a directional microphone that is used to pick up sounds from the front of it while suppressing noise from the sides or behind it. It gets its name from the fact that it shoots sound in the same way that a shotgun shoots pellets.
If your Mac mini microphone features a 3.5mm jack, you can directly plug it into the audio input jack. but what if it has an XLR connector?
The XLR connection is the most standard connector. Macs do not have XLR ports. That's when a USB pre-amplifier comes in handy.
The pre-amplifier, commonly known as an audio interface, is an external USB device that accepts an XLR input. It also powers the microphone and transforms the analog signal to digital if the microphone utilizes "phantom power."
Use the USB port on the preamp to connect it to your Mac mini microphone jack. A USB 2.0 Type B connection in the "printer style" is usually used to connect the device. Connect it to your preamp, then to your Mac through the other end of the connection.
Thunderbolt is also used by some audio interfaces. These interfaces work in the same way as USB-style audio interfaces. They just employ a different connector type and connection protocol.
Besides being used for Mac, there is also mini microphone for iPhone. It brings benefits to phone recording. You can check the article Why and how to use mini microphone for iPhone and other phones? to get the tips to use it for getting better audio results.
Configure Mac mini microphone input
It's time to set up the audio interface after you've connected and switched on Mac mini microphone. While Windows requires audio interface drivers, Mac OS usually does not. It's as easy as plugging it in! That makes things a lot easier for you, but you'll probably still have to flick a few switches to have everything set up the way you want it.
Go to System Preferences and open the "Sound" preference pane. There are two tabs in the preference pane: "Input" and "Output." Select your Mac mini external microphone or audio interface from the "Input" menu and designate it as the system input.
While most digital audio workstations let you choose your input from within the program, configuring it at the system level makes the recording process go faster. Click on the device in the list of available audio interfaces to set it up for input.
If the audio interface does not appear in this list, double-check that it is switched on and connected properly. Make sure it's not connected to a USB hub and is inserted straight into your Mac.
You'll also want to make sure your output device is configured correctly. Make sure the audio interface is selected in the "Output" tab of the Sounds preference pane if you'll be monitoring your Mac mini camera microphone through the headphone port on your audio interface. Make sure "Built-In" is chosen as the audio output if you'll be using headphones with your Mac's headphone port.
If the Mac doesn’t capture sounds from the Mac mini microphone, without disconnecting or turning off the microphone, save your project and restart the computer. And then rep the previous steps.
Table: How it feels to use Mac mini microphone
Microphone company like SYNCO has launched different types of mini microphone for Mac and other recording devices. The various designs make them helpful in some aspects and also bring some drawbacks. We list the pros and cons below so you can see which type can better satisfy your recording requirements.
|
Type |
Pros |
Cons |
|
Lavalier |
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Wireless |
|
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Shotgun |
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