XLR mic to MacBook Pro

[Thank The Cheese]

I want a cheap solution. I'm not running a recording studio, just for a podcast I"m working on, but at the same time I want decent audio quality. My search has yielded 3 options:

1: XLR to USB cable

2: XLR to mini jack (Griffin Garageband Mic cable)

3: input XLR mic to my Sony DVCAM which has an XLR input, then capture audio through Final Cut via firewire

I'm no audio phile, but logic tells me the DVCAM/Firewire solution would give me the best results, with the USB solution a close second (unless I"m wrong? The DVCAM will probably compress the audio before sending it to Final Cut...I may even need to record to a DV tape before exporting to Final Cut, which may reduce quality even more).

Of course, #3 is a pain in the neck because I have to set up the camera every time, so unless the audio results are going to be A LOT better than #1 and #2, I think I'm over that idea.

So that leaves me with USB or mini jack. I would say USB would give me a better result, but how much better? I'm inclined to go with the mini jack because I can grab it form my local store instead of importing from overseas, but again, if the audio quality is going to be awful, I'll get the USB cable.

help always appreciated

 

[symphonix]

Your reasoning is sound. The USB option is the most convenient, and will give the best quality. The DV camera method would also work, but as you've pointed out would require extra steps both in hardware and software, making it less convenient.

 

[fryke]

You _could_ however simply connect the mic to the cam and the cam to the Mac and in QuickTime Pro create a new movie. Then you don't need to go through the DV tape at least.