USB vs XLR microphones for streaming

The short answer

One person at one computer: a USB microphone does the whole job and needs nothing else. Two people, a mixer, or a microphone you want to move between setups: XLR, which needs an audio interface or mixer with a microphone preamp. Not sure yet: a hybrid with both sockets starts on USB and moves to XLR later without replacing the microphone.

USB: one cable to the computer

The microphone has its own preamp and converter inside and appears to the computer as a sound device. Most add a headphone socket that lets you hear yourself without delay and a software app for processing.

• Elgato Wave Neo and Elgato Wave:3 MK.2: condenser, USB, Elgato’s Wave Link software.
• Shure MV6: dynamic, USB only; the catch is that it cannot move onto a standalone mixer later.
• RØDE NT-USB+: condenser for a quiet, controlled room.

XLR: the microphone and the interface are separate

An XLR microphone sends an analog signal that a computer cannot take directly: an interface or mixer raises it with a preamp, supplies 48 V phantom power if a condenser needs it, and sends it on over USB. A passive USB-to-XLR cable does not do this. In return, each extra voice is just another input, and the interface’s own headphone output monitors you with no computer delay. The interfaces side by side and interface or mixer help choose that half.

• Elgato Wave DX: dynamic, XLR only; add an XLR cable and an interface such as the Elgato Wave XLR MK.2.
• Shure SM7B: dynamic, XLR only and quiet, so it needs an interface with plenty of clean gain; check both figures before buying.
• Two voices: an interface with two microphone inputs, such as the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen or the Elgato Wave XLR Pro.

Hybrid: both sockets

A hybrid works on USB today and on XLR when you add an interface. The catch: the processing and headphone features belong to the USB route and do not come through the XLR socket; on XLR, plan them at the interface. Some hybrids can send both at once (Samson says the Q2U can record over USB and XLR together), but on stream use one route per microphone, so your voice doesn’t reach OBS twice.

• Shure MV7+, RØDE PodMic USB, Razer Seiren V3 Pro and Samson Q2U: all dynamic, all USB and XLR.

Choose by these three questions

Three questions settle it for most streamers.

• How many people talk at once? One: USB or a hybrid. Two or more in the room: XLR into one interface, so each voice has its own gain and track.
• Will the microphone ever leave the computer? A mixer, a recorder or a second setup take XLR, not USB.
• How loud is your room? More than the connection, this decides dynamic or condenser: dynamic for a normal room, condenser for a quiet one. The microphone hub groups the current models both ways.

Test the route you choose

Plug it in, select it in OBS as an Audio Input Capture and speak at your normal level and your loudest in the microphone test: your voice should reach the yellow on OBS’s meter. On XLR, set the gain at the interface first, then the computer, and only then OBS’s fader; OBS audio filters continues from there. The setup builder checks the microphone, interface, gain and phantom power together.

Equipment for these connections

Start with the kind of gear you’re missing, and read its full profile before adding it to your setup.

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