Shouldn't I use a mixer/pre-amp and connect the output to the 3.5mm jack on my laptop? Would I severely compromise audio quality while doing this?
I am on a budget. Can I get 48kHz 24bit audio using the built-in sound card?
I use a dynamic mic.
1 Answer
This depends on the laptop of course. Many computers have low-budget audio circuits. Sometimes they're badly shielded from the rest of the computer so you get noise. An external interface has better shielding, and usually has higher-performance audio hardware.
I don't think 48 kHz 24 bit sampling is common on built-in audio hardware.
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Low vs high impedance is the main issue, although you wouldn't know that from this question. The OP has another question with the mic named.– TetsujinMay 31, 2020 at 8:30
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Most external interfaces have better hardware in pretty much every stage, ADC, clocking, filters, DAC, etc, so most often they provide higher quality sound for similar or even the same specs as some on-board interfaces. Of course, impedance and shielding are some more things to consider.– ZaellixAJun 30, 2020 at 19:44