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I am wanting to plug a microphone into my New 2021 iMac to record a podcast.
I have a bluetooth headset with plug in capabilities and I also have a stand microphone.
Neither of them work when plugged into the headphone jack on the left side of the iMac.
What do I need, OR how can I use my microphones with my iMa?
iMac 24″, macOS 11.5
All Mac models support analog audio input via the headphone jack. Apple has designed it to be a multi-function port, and like the headphone port on iOS devices, it supports audio input as well as output. So it is possible to input audio into the Mac from an external microphone or from a cassette or CD player (mono only).
There are multiple options to connect a microphone to your Mac.
1- For a stand alone mic with cable you can use a USB connector type or Audio to USB converter.
2- You can use a USB or Bluetooth type microphone/headset.
3 -You can use a headphone with standard 3.5mm (1/8’) plug, but NOT with a standard stereo audio plug.
The headphone used must be of the TRRS (tip-ring-ring-sleeve) variety, just like Apple’s headphones. The tip is used for left channel audio, ring 1 is for right channel audio, ring 2 is ground and the sleeve (ring 3) is for the microphone.
To get your audio into the Mac via the headphone jack, a 3.5mm headphone splitter (example here) breaks out the Mac’s TRRS (tip-ring-ring-sleeve) combined audio port into two distinct ports - one that can be used for a microphone input connection, and the other for a stereo headset or speaker output.
All Mac models support analog audio input via the headphone jack. Apple has designed it to be a multi-function port, and like the headphone port on iOS devices, it supports audio input as well as output. So it is possible to input audio into the Mac from an external microphone or from a cassette or CD player (mono only).
There are multiple options to connect a microphone to your Mac.
1- For a stand alone mic with cable you can use a USB connector type or Audio to USB converter.
2- You can use a USB or Bluetooth type microphone/headset.
3 -You can use a headphone with standard 3.5mm (1/8’) plug, but NOT with a standard stereo audio plug.
The headphone used must be of the TRRS (tip-ring-ring-sleeve) variety, just like Apple’s headphones. The tip is used for left channel audio, ring 1 is for right channel audio, ring 2 is ground and the sleeve (ring 3) is for the microphone.
To get your audio into the Mac via the headphone jack, a 3.5mm headphone splitter (example here) breaks out the Mac’s TRRS (tip-ring-ring-sleeve) combined audio port into two distinct ports - one that can be used for a microphone input connection, and the other for a stereo headset or speaker output.
iMac 2021 headphone jack
