How you connect the microphone to a computer will depend upon the connector the microphone is using. There are generally two kinds of connectors that are used for microphones that are those of the mini-plug and the USB. Both connectors can be connected to virtually any computer, as the majority of machines (including certain laptops and Chromebooks) come with both.
The following sections have pictures as well as descriptions that will assist you in determining the kind of connector your microphone is using. Once you’ve determined that then follow the steps for getting you connected to the computer.
USB microphone
The first step is to locate a USB port and connect the microphone to it. They are located in the front, back or sides of desktops laptops, laptops as well as the all-in-one computers. After connecting, the computer will detect the microphone and install driver to support it. Once the software has been installed, you can confirm that the microphone is in good condition to use by checking the audio settings and then looking through the options.
What happens if the microphone isn’t identified by itself?
In the beginning, if you’re plugging an USB microphone to the front or top of the desktop then try attaching it via the rear. Certain cases require additional wires to “activate” the secondary USB ports, those aren’t directly connected with the motherboard.
If your computer can not recognize your microphone after you’ve downloaded the software, you might need to download the drivers on your own. We have pages that provide these directions as follows:
- How do I find driver and software for your computer.
- Install and upgrade a driver for your computer.
Mini-plug microphone
Many microphones have the mini-plug connector similar to the type you’d see on your smartphone, tablet as well as your iPod. If you have a desktop computer, the microphone jack is usually in the back of the computer and can be distinguished by the pink hue, as illustrated in the picture. But, microphone jacks could be placed on top or the front of the computer case.
A lot of laptop computers as well as Chromebooks come with a microphone built into the device. If there is no microphone, it is typically located on the front of the device, or on the left or front side.
What happens if the microphone can’t be identified by itself?
If your computer cannot automatically recognize your microphone and install the driver, you might require downloading the drivers on your own. We have guides for this as follows:
- How do I find driver and software for your computer.
- What is the best way to update and install a driver for your computer.
How do you determine whether the microphone is being recognized
- Press the Windows key Type Control Panel within on the Windows Search bar and then press Enter .
You can also open your Windows 10 Start menu and select Windows System > Control Panel..
- On the Control Panel In the Control Panel, click the Hardware and Sound tabs..
- Under Sound Manage Some clicks For audio devices
- On the top of the window, you can click the recording tab. If you’ve got an external or internal microphone, it’s shown in the middle area.
- If you own several input device You can change to another device by selecting the device, after that, pressing on the button and clicking the one you want to switch.
