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If you are a podcaster and you want to invite some guest over to your podcast then there is no chance that you will be using the same mic to record your guests and will be curious to know How to connect multiple microphones to a computer.
To make your podcast a success you have to use a separate mic for your guests or co-host as well.
There are many ways you can connect multiple mics with your computer even if you are recording some video or content for YouTube.
But you have to make sure you choose the option that is easy and convenient because after recording the audio you have to edit it and that is going to take a lot of your time and effort so make sure you always go with a smart option or technique.
In this article, we are going to explain a few techniques with you guys that will help or guide you to connect multiple microphones to only one computer.
Things to consider while connecting multiple microphones to a computer
- The very first thing that you should keep in mind is that you have to monitor the mics while you are recording. Keeping on checking if all the mics are being recorded and working during the podcast so you can locate any issue before time.
- Always test the mics before starting to record to make sure their audio quality is good and make changes in the settings if there is a problem.
- Make sure all the mics are placed at an equal distance otherwise the audio quality of each speaker will appear different.
- Make sure you are using the mics of the same brand because if you are using mics all from different brands it will become a bit difficult for you to handle them and eventually it will affect the sound quality.
These considerations are very important for you to check-in in because recording with multiple mics or connecting them to the same computer can be challenging and difficult.
Once you have taken into account all of these considerations let’s look on to the various options and techniques for connecting multiple mics with a computer.
Options for Connecting Multiple Microphones to A Computer
There are a few ways or techniques that allow you to connect multiple mics to your computer the choice is yours to make.
Always go for the option that ensures the best audio quality because at the end of the quality is what going to matter.
Nobody is going to understand or appreciate the effort you had put in connecting the mics if the quality of the sound is not good so better focus on the quality.
In this article, we will look into all the possible options that are available to connect multiple microphones with your computer.
8 Ways to Connect Multiple Microphones to Pc
1. How to Use a USB Audio Interference With Several XLR Cables?
It is the simplest and easiest method that is used to connect multiple mics to a computer. You can easily find USB audio interference in the market and they are not very expensive.
Make sure you choose the one with the best quality to make it work with the mic and computer such that the quality of the audio is not compromised.
Also, make sure to get the USB audio interference that has various XLR inputs so that you will be able to connect more than one microphone with it.
After you have connected the microphones with the USB audio interference you will need to connect the interference itself with your PC or computer.
You can record each mic on the same audio track but it is always better to record all the mics on the separate audio track to make sure the voice recorded through each mic does not overlap with each other and the quality of the sound is retained.
You can get a DAW, specifically the Audacity which is free to record each mic on a separate track.
So, one technique is to get a USB audio interference to connect it with the help of XLR cables to all of your recording microphones and also connect this audio interference to your computer.
2. How to Use An Audio Mixer Having Multiple Channels?
The next option to connect multiple mics to your computer is to connect them with the help of an audio mixer.
An audio mixer records or collects audio from various sources. It also adjusts the input sound levels that it is receiving like sometimes the audio recorded from one mic is too loud as compared to the other ones so it lowers it and makes it adjust at the same level as the other inputs sound levels.
A lot of podcasters use an audio mixer to record multiple mics with their computer. You would find various audio mixers in the market; they are available at different prices and quality.
You can also find them at good prices on Amazon.
Just like the USB audio interference while buying an audio mixer you have to keep the same two points in mind.
One is that it should be of good quality and the other one is that it should be having multiple channels. No need to get a full-on mixer.
This technique is quite simple to try on but as compared to the audio interference you will find an audio mixer a little bit more expensive option.
You can easily connect the mixer to your computer and mics. For connecting it to the mics you will need XLR cables and for connecting it to the PC or connector you will require a USB cable.
You can also use a DAW same as we recommended you guys to use with the USB audio interference to record each guest’s audio on a separate track for better results and outputs.
Normally an audio mixer allows four input options means that you can connect four mics which are quite enough. But if you have more people you can search for the ones with more input options.
3. How to Connect Multiple Mics With a Computer?
Now that we have discussed various techniques used for connecting the mics let’s see how can we connect different numbers or combinations of mics with the computer.
Let’s start with the simplest combination.
4. How to Connect Two XLR Microphones?
If you have two XLR mics and you want to connect them to your PC or computer what you can do is two get a 3.5 mm jack that will be compatible with the XLR mics and connect the mics with it.
This jack might have another output cable at the other end which will allow you to connect it to your computer. You can also connect two XLR mics with the help of a USB port.
Make sure the USB port has various input options.
5. How to Connect Two USB Microphones
You can connect two USB mic with one of either techniques explained above as both will work great. For this, any USB audio interference with multiple outputs can be connected to mics and computers.
Besides this, can also purchase yourself an audio mixer with multiple channels for the connection.
The choice is yours to make. Keep your budget in mind but do not compromise on the quality.
6. How to Connect Three Microphones
It will become a bit complicated to use three mics and connect them with the computer as you have to be very careful.
You can either get a jack with various inputs just like we recommended for connecting the two XLR mics with the computer.
Try out the same technique with three mics as well but make sure the jack has three inputs for connecting each of the three mics. You can also go for a mixer which would be the best option because it will allow you to record each mic on a separate track.
7. How to Connect Four Microphones
For connecting four mics to your computer the best option will be to use audio interference.
Make sure this audio interference might have more than four channels and is of good quality. This would be the easiest and hassle-free technique for make four mics work with your computer.
8. How to Connect More Than Four Microphones
For connecting more than for mics with your computer you can go for a USB audio mixer with multiple channels.
But the problem with the USB audio mixers is that they do not give a separate track for each mic so you have to put in an extra effort while editing.
Final Thoughts on Connecting Multiple Microphones to Pc
Nowadays it’s quite a trend to have many guests on your podcasts but as much as it makes your podcast more fun it makes the editing of the podcast even more stressful.
It will demand more money time and effort to record and connect multiple mics with your computer. But this all will be worth it if you are quite serious and passionate about your content and work.
In this article, we have tried to share various techniques with you for connecting multiple mics with your computer. We hope you found the information shared in this article useful.
