MacBook Airs become even more functional when used with external microphones. These peripherals can be used alongside various apps like Discord, which is very popular for gamers, as well as Skype for taking or initiating calls.
Designed to plug directly into your Computer, Tablet, or Smartphone, USB Microphones deliver studio grade sound to your virtual meetings or computer recordings. All the USB Microphones in this article are both MAC & PC Compatible. Samson Meteorite: Now $39.99 At barely the size of a golf ball, this tiny microphone is a lot of bang for your buck! It's the only external USB DAC that features Super X-Fi tech, which recreates the experience of a high-end multispeaker sound system in your headphones. This is one of the few options that has a USB-C port, making it compatible with modern-day setups. It also helps you find that sweet spot between two audio sources. External mic with MacBook. Boot your Mac and connect your mic to the headphone jack. Mics come in different configurations; some do not need to be powered separately, while others have their own power source. Still others may have an on/off button, while it may be absent on a general desktop mic.
External Usb Mic For Macbook Air
So, when the microphone does not cooperate, it is not surprising why many of us feel frustrated. It seems that the things we can do on our computers suddenly become limited.
Fortunately, it is possible to troubleshoot problems with an external Microphone on a MacBook Air. In the event that your MacBook Air cannot detect your mic, try the solutions we have listed for you below. But before you do that, make sure that you have configured your mic correctly.
How to Properly Set Up an External Microphone on a MacBook Air
To avoid problems with your external microphone, you need to set it up correctly on your MacBook Air. We’ll teach you how below.
Connecting the External Microphone
Depending on the microphone that you are using, it will connect to your MacBook Air in various ways. Regardless, all these connections usually lead to one place: the USB port.
The most common type of microphone available is the USB mic. To use this, just plug its cable into an open USB port. Another microphone type is the Headset mic. This type is often compatible with headphone jacks and USB ports, which means it’s more versatile.
Usb Mic Interface
Some newer microphone types can be connected via Thunderbolt. Although they’re new, they function the same way USB-type microphones do. They only differ by the connection protocol they use and the connector style.
Configuring the Microphone
To use a microphone, you simply need to plug it into an available port and use it as you normally would. Things may only get complicated when you configure it.
To start with the configuration, follow these steps:
Go to System Preferences.
Select Sound.
Navigate to the Input tab.
Locate your microphone and set it as the system input. You can do that by clicking on your microphone’s name.
That’s it! You can start using your microphone.
What to Do If Your Mic Is Not Detected on MacBook Air
Is your external microphone not getting detected on your MacBook Air? Fret not because many have already found a way to fix the problem. These include the following:
Solution #1: Configure Your MacBook Air’s Microphone Settings.
Sometimes, all you need to do is configure the microphone settings of your MacBook Air. Here’s how:
Go to the Apple menu.
Navigate to System Preferences.
Find Sound and click on it.
Open the Input tab.
Select Internal Microphone. If there is no Internal Microphone option, try to speak in your microphone and check if the blue lines in the Input Level moves. If the blue lines are rising as you speak, then your microphone is working just fine. Otherwise, your microphone is faulty. If the blue lines are not rising, simply drag the slide next to Input Volume to the maximum level.
Solution #2: Restart Your MacBook Air.
Is your microphone still not working? Consider rebooting your MacBook Air. Give your computer a fresh start and check if the microphone now works.
To restart your MacBook Air, go to the Apple menu and select Restart.
Solution #3: Reset Your MacBook Air’s PRAM.
Since it is a hardware issue, it is worth trying to reset the PRAM. Follow the steps below to reset the PRAM on your MacBook Air:
Shut down your MacBook Air.
Switch it on by pressing the Power button and holding the CMD + P + R + Option keys. Release all of them once you hear the startup tone. By now, you have already reset your computer’s PRAM.
After resetting the PRAM, configure your microphone’s settings. You may refer to Solution #1 for a detailed guide on how to configure your microphone settings.
Solution #4: Create a New User Account.
Oftentimes, the problem is only within a specific user account. When you log into another user account, the problem does not exist. So, to fix the problem, you might want to create a new user account. Here’s how:
Go to the Apple menu.
Open System Preferences.
Choose Users and Groups.
Log out of your current account and create a new one.
Log in with it. Do not switch accounts.
Check if the problem persists.
Solution #5: Contact the Program’s Support.
Usb Mic Target
If you see the blue bars moving when you speak into the microphone, then it is an indication that it is configured properly and that your MacBook Air can hear it. If you wish to verify that, you can use online mic test tools.
Your problem lies within the program where you are using the microphone. It might not be configured properly; hence the mic does not work. The program could be listening to your microphone the wrong way or the volume is set too low.
Now, if the settings are correct, your last resort is to contact the program’s support. Explain to them your problem and ask for possible solutions.
Solution #6: Run a Mac Repair Tool.
In some cases, MacBook Air issues arise due to problematic files and apps. When left unsolved, these issues may trigger more problems, affect other programs or worse, corrupt your macOS.
To fix them, all you have to do is to download and install a reliable Mac repair tool. Once installed, perform a quick scan. Wait as it identifies and resolves issues on your MacBook Air.
Solution #7: Visit an Apple Genius.
If all else fails, you may take your MacBook Air to an Apple Genius. Have the experts check on your computer and figure out what’s causing your microphone problems. This is the best and safest option for MacBook Air users who are not confident with their technical skills.
Conclusion
Connecting an external microphone to a MacBook Pro should be easy. Basically, you just need to plug and play. But if you are having issues with it, you might need to try the solutions above or check if the microphone itself is faulty.
Do you know other effective fixes that can resolve microphone problems on MacBook Airs? We’re dying to know. Comment on them below.
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Your Macbook has an internal mic, but it isn’t that good. Off course you can buy those external USB mics from Amazon, but they are quite expensive as well. Turns out, you can use your iPhone’s mic as an audio input for your Mac. The trick here is simple. All you need is an app that transmits audio from your iPhone to your Mac and set up your Mac, to make it receive audio input. Let’s see how to do this.
Read: Best Audio Recording Software for Mac
You Will Need
A free app – Microphone Live
Apple’s Lightning to USB cable
And of course, iPhone and MacBook.
Use iPhone as External Mic Input in MacBook
Step 1
Once you have downloaded the Microphone Live app on your iPhone, connect your iPhone and MacBook through the lightning to USB cable. Placing your iPhone on a tripod or hold it in your hand, to make the best use of the microphones placed at the bottom.
Step 2
Now, go to your Mac and open a new Finder window by pressing ‘cmd + N’. Click on ‘Applications’ under the head favorites, in the left navigation menu.
Step 3
Scroll down to find the ‘Utilities’ folder. You can also access the same in your Launchpad or even in the Spotlight search.
Step 4
Look for ‘Audio MIDI Setup’. This app is a macOS utility that manages audio and MIDI devices.
Step 4
Open the Audio MIDI Setup and look for your iPhone’s name on the left menu. Click on ‘Enable‘ right under your iPhone’s name. This allows your iPhone to appear as an audio input device on your MacBook.
Step 5
Now, go back to your iPhone and open Microphone lite app. You’ll see the input and output options at the bottom of the screen. Although initially, the app shows the input device as iPhone Bottom Mic. But in some devices, you’ll notice that as soon as you enable the device on your Mac, the audio input changes to Front iPhone Mic.
This is because your device has another microphone that you were probably not aware of. It is placed right on top along with the stereo speakers.
Step 6
On the bottom right of the app, you’ll see the output device menu. Tap on it once and select ‘Dock Connector’ if not already selected.
Step 7
Open System Preferences either through launchpad or Spotlight and look for Sounds.
Here you’ll see that iPhone is now available as an input device for your Mac. Select iPhone and you are good to go. You can check if the device is working right from this menu itself. As you speak the sound bar shows input.
Step 8
Similarly, if you use Audacity to record audio, you can now see iPhone in the input device drop-down menu.
Step 9
Now go back to your iPhone, open the microphone lite if it’s not already open and press the power button to activate iPhone mic.
Usb Audio Mic
Step 10
And that’s it, hit the record button on Audacity and start recording audio on your Mac from your iPhone’s mic. You might have to do some noise removal and audio compression with Audacity, here is our step by step article on how to improve your voice over with Audacity
External Usb Mic For Mac Os
Recording Audio on Your MacBook
Usb Mic For Phone
Although there are other ways to record audio on your iPhone and then transfer it to your MacBook, for better audio quality. In fact, you can even record audio on the native Voice Memo app which is common across your Apple devices and hence you can access it on your Mac as well. But then again there’s a hassle of importing the audio file into the editing software. Microphone Live and other similar apps let you record audio in apps like audacity in real-time. So make your choice and let me know your experience in the comments below.