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Most sound cards have a microphone input on them. Can this replace an external mic preamp?

April 26, 2017cards external input mic microphone preamp replace sound

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Most sound cards have a microphone input on them. Can this replace an external mic preamp?

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For basic measurements the simple unbalanced mic input on the sound card can work fine. You will probably be limited to multimedia mics or a mic that you build yourself. Noise may become a problem with longer cable lengths. If you are using a professional balanced microphone (like the Behringer ECM8000 we recommend above) you will need a mic preamp with balanced inputs and phantom power. This usually calls for the use of a professional mic mixer as the preamp and source for the phantom power (see our recommendations above).