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Below are instructions for connecting multiple MXL USB microphones to your Mac or PC for use with Zoom or other video conferencing and streaming software.

For PC:

You will need a virtual mixer to sum together your multiple hardware inputs. In this example, we use VB Audio's Voicemeeter which is free, but donation based. MXL has no affiliation with VB Audio and this software is used for example purposes only.

Step 1

• Connect your USB microphones to your laptop or desktop computer.
  • If possible, connect microphones directly to USB ports. Only if necessary, use a USB hub. If USB microphones don't power on, you'll need a powered USB hub.

Step 2

• Open Voicemeeter and select your Hardware Inputs
  • Your microphones may appear as "USB AUDIO CODEC", "MXL AC44" or "MXL USB MIC"
  • Select the "MME" driver option.
    • For more information on Windows Audio Drivers, see this article.

Step 3

• Adjust your input gain until the meter crosses into the green
  • Input gain can be controlled using Voicemeeter's "Fader Gain" slider, or from your microphone's physical gain control (if applicable)
  • A healthy input level should peak around 75% of the audio meter. Make sure to listen if your microphone is distorting - if so, bring the gain back down until you have a clear sound.

Step 4

• Double check your Sample Rate
  • If you're experiencing pops, clicks or noise, you may need to switch your Sample Rate from 44.1kHz to 48kHz
    • In Voicemeeter, click Menu > System Settings/Options
    • Click on the number next to "Preferred Main Sample Rate" for a dropdown menu where you can select "441000 Hz" or "48000 Hz"

Step 5

• Set Voicemeeter as your Input Device and Output Device in your computer's settings

Step 6

• Match your Input/Output settings within your video conferencing software (Zoom, Teams, etc.) to your computer's Sound settings from Step 5

If you want to hear yourself through Voicemeeter:

• Select a Hardware Output
  • Choose how you want to hear the audio from Voicemeeter by selecting your computer's speakers, headphone output, the output on your USB microphone, or any other connected device you wish to route your audio through

• Assign your Hardware Inputs to the Output you selected
  • Your Output options are next to the channel's "Fader Gain" slider. Select the Output that you chose from Step 4.
  • You can turn this on/off as needed. If the Output is deselected on your channel, the audio from the channel will still be sent to your video conferencing program

For Mac:

You can create an "aggregate audio device" in your computer's settings that combines multiple inputs into one overall source.

Step 1

• Connect your USB microphones to your Mac and open "Audio Midi Setup" using the Finder

Step 2

• Click the "+" button in the bottom left corner to create a new aggregate audio device

Step 3

• Select the microphones you wish to add to the aggregate device by checking the box next to each microphone's name

Step 4

• Rename your aggregate device by double clicking it to make it easier to find and select in the following steps

Step 5

• In System Preferences > Sound, select your new aggregate device as your Input source

Step 6

• Match your Input/Output settings within your video conferencing software (Zoom, Teams, etc.) to your computer's Sound settings from Step 5

Screenshot of Zoom Audio preferences