Connecting mackie mixer to laptop, no line-in jack

F

Futurome

New member
I recently inherited a mackie mixer and condenser mic and would like to connect it to my existing laptop, but there's no line-in jack, just headphones.

Is there a way I can get the mixer connected to the sound card? I'm assuming I'll need to buy an external USB card but I was wondering if there was another options or if this will even solve my problem

Thanks in advance
 
Slightly odd that there's no input jack at all...what kind of laptop is it? Anyway, if that really is the case then you'd need some kind of an audio interface, as you assumed. The question is, if/when you get that interface...what will you need the Mackie for?
 
I'm assuming I can get a cheap (~25 dollar) USB interface with RCA line-in that hooks into the laptop from the mixer (it's a Lenovo, my old laptop had a line in fwiw)

From there I'll plug the mixer into the interface. Considering I have an industry-standard mixer, there's no point in cutting costs on getting a "cheap" interface like a Scarlet with a mic/0.25" input when I can use that instead, unless there's a factor I'm missing.
 
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I just don't really see the point of the mixer in this setup - it's just an extra step between the interface and the mic.
 
Yeah, but you'll need some kind of an interface anyway - going with the cheapest POS is gonna decimate any sonic advantages the mixer's gonna offer. And if you get a decent interface, then it sort of becomes a bit pointless to have a mid-level mixer in between, especially if you're only using it for that mic. What kind of Mackie is it, btw?
 
1402 VLZ pro

You make a good point I think, I just figured if I'm just using a cheap interface to connect it to my sound card, might as well use that and eventually build around the mixer when I replace parts (like my computer), does that make sense?

Thanks for your help man, I appreciate it
 
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