The down side is you can only record what you can put your mic in front of and only one thing at a time. You simply plug-in the mic, run your software, hit record, and start talking. The mic itself is an audio interface as well as the device for capturing your voice.
This mic plugs directly into your computer, via a free USB port, and interfaces directly with your recording software of choice. The simplest way to recording your voice might be to use an interface like the Mxl 990 Usb Powered Condenser Microphone. This is where an audio interface comes in. There must be some way to plug your mic into the computer. You can't just fire up your computer, run a program like Reaper, and start talking into thin air. You may not need a mixer but you do need an audio interface that can convert your audio signal into a digital format. This is where we get back to our question, "Do I need a mixer for home recording?" Lets first explain the simple response of no. If you are going to record your guitar then you need some way to plug your guitar into your DAW. This type of setup requires an audio interface and some type of recording software. In the studio world we would call this a digital audio workstation or DAW for short. You can reference my post on the best software for home recording and several recommendations here.Īll that said, the software is only as good as its audio interface counterpart. However, my personal preference is to use a computer in home music studio recording. I've stated in an earlier post that there are many stand alone recording units. There are a few factors to consider when it comes to a home music studio setup. I have often been asked, "Do I need a mixer for home recording?" The simple answer to this question is "no you don't, but you may want one." I'd like to take a moment and address my theory behind that response.