[SOLVED] How to set up a condenser mic for gaming

[h3r3t1k]

I got a mic connected to an interface. It's always on. It doesn't seem to work like a headset mic. I can select it as an input in game but it won't pick up any audio in game. I would like to set it up for push to talk. How do I do that? My headphones connected to the same interface work like a charm.

 

[Lutfij]

Make and model of your interface? Make and model of your Mic and make and model f your headset? I think the option for push to talk is found in Discord and a number of app's, not games. i could be wrong though. Perhaps read through this...?

 

[chetmaster12]

First, make sure that you have Phantom power turned on. Condenser microphones (unless it's one of the very few that is powered through batteries or an external power supply) need phantom power to operate.

Second, make sure that the gain is set appropriately. That means somewhere between the minimum and the maximum, where it should be depends on the microphone, placement, sound pressure level, etc, so you'll have to adjust it accordingly.

 

[audreanne]

Condenser mic aren't like a headset or lapel mic that will function just by plugin into interface. They requires external power source (phantom power) so that their internal electronic mechanism could work.

Also you should use the phantom power that is required to you mic. The international standard P48 phantom power. Just about any microphone input, these days, is equipped with phantom power. All you have to do is press the button labeled “P48”, “48V”, or “Phantom Power”. Some hardware don't have switch to "on", instead you have to activate it through their control software.

Also if need to test your condenser mic then I got link

Mictest - Test your Microphone online 2021 { Updated }

Mictest.me - Test Your Mic with 100% valid Results and accurancy.

mictest.me

where you can check/test your mic. This will help you to test mic, its functioning, connecting to phantom power before usage.

Make sure to connect your mic first before turning on phantom power. If you plugin in p48 is already activated the It can cause serious failures to you mic. Do not put anything in between mic and its output as this will block phantom power and/or degrade the sound quality . Also avoid putting mics input on a patchbay. Also, Connect your mic directly into XLR mic input always.

Try this ways and check if problem is fix or still persist. If not try to mention issue again.

 

[chetmaster12]

99% of the time, connecting a microphone while phantom power is already turned on won't cause any damage unless the engineer who designed the microphone and / or preamp was an idiot. It is still bad practice to do so, but it happens more often than most people want to admit.

FWIW, phantom power is a +48 V power source connected to XLR pin 2 and pin 3 through a pair of 6k8 resistors and is used to power the electronics in a condenser microphone. This includes the bias voltage for the capsule and the output buffer, which is necessary since the capsule output impedance is somewhere in the 100 Meg to 10 Gig range.