Standard microphones are compatible with PCs, but may require additional tools.
Any microphone will work with a PC, even if it's not designed specifically for that purpose. Connect a standard microphone to the computer using a 1/8-inch mini-stereo plug. Professional microphones require a cable converter or a mixer for a proper connection. Some microphones are designed specifically for computer usage.
Standard Microphones
Any microphone that has a standard 1/8-inch plug on the end of its cable can record into a PC sound card. These microphones are usually meant for karaoke and consumer-level voice recording, but are still perfect for many PC audio recording tasks. Plug the standard microphone's cable into the "Mic" or "Line In" jack on your sound cable, then enable the microphone for recording in the Windows Sound Mixer. You can then use Windows Sound Recorder or a more powerful third-party audio program to record.
Professional Microphones
Professional microphones use the XLR cable connection, which is not compatible with most consumer-priced sound cards. To use an XLR microphone on a computer, you need an impedance matching converter. This device converts an XLR mic cable to a format compatible with a PC. Typically, these converters connect the XLR cable to a mono 1/4-inch phono plug, which requires an additional cable to convert to the 1/8-inch input on your sound card. Some cables, however, convert XLR to 1/8-inch without the use of an extra cable.
USB Microphones
Manufacturers including Logitech, Samson, Rode and Shure make microphones that can connect to a computer through its USB port. Newer Windows and Mac OS X computers will automatically recognize this type of microphone and enable it for recording as soon as you plug it in. Users of older operating systems and Linux may have to install additional drivers or software.
Mixers
Connecting a microphone to your PC through a mixer allows you to adjust the microphone's recording volume and to plug in additional microphones. If you want to record a podcast on your PC, a mixer is very beneficial in providing the best sound quality possible. Audio mixers can contain both XLR jacks for professional microphones and 1/8-inch inputs for standard microphones.
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