After installing macOS Mojave or later, you might see an alert that says audio input isn't accessible when trying to record. Or you might not hear sound, see waveforms, or see audio meters move when recording. To record audio, allow the app to access audio inputs:
A common way of recording 2 USB mics on the Windows platform, is with VoiceMeeter. This is a free virtual audio mixer that lets you set up a range of different input options. Once downloaded, you can select and manage separate USB mics inside VoiceMeeter's control panel.
- Close the app you're using to record audio.
- On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, then click Privacy.
- Click Microphone.
- Select the checkbox next to an app to allow it to access the built-in microphone on your Mac, an external USB mic, or the inputs on an external audio interface.
- Open the app and try to record audio again.
If you're using an external microphone or an external audio interface to record audio and it's still not working, check with the manufacturer of your device for software updates and information on compatibility.
Learn more
Here are some more resources to help with recording audio:
Does this sound familiar? You want to starta podcast. You’re on a budget. You’ve already decided to use GarageBand and foundthe perfect mic, but after a little bit of research, you realize the soundquality would be significantly improved using two microphones instead of one. Theproblem is that GarageBand won’t recognize the secondary input.
It seems like it should be easy to connecttwo different microphones to your computer, but it’s not as straightforward asit seems. Even if you do connect two separate microphones, you can end up withtwo individual audio streams.
Here’s how to record input from two separate microphones into a single audio stream. Also, check out my previous post on using GarageBand to record a real instrument playing.
How to Connect Two Microphones to GarageBand
GarageBand only recognizes a single input,but it is possible to record using two separate devices. You just have to trickthe program into thinking two connections are one. Here’s how to do it.
1. Open Finder and choose Go > Utilities, or hit Command + Shift + U with Finder open.
2. Open the Audio MIDI Setup application.
3. At the bottom left corner of the screen, click the “+.”
4. Choose Create Aggregate Device.
5. When you do this, a new aggregate devicewill appear in the list above. Double-click the device name to rename it.
6. With this device selected, you will see a list of all available audio devices in the Audio Devices window. Select the inputs you want to use. You would select the two microphones you want to use, but make note of the order you select them in. The order they are checked determines the order the system will view the inputs.
7. When you select multiple devices, youwill have the option to select the clock source. Without getting too technical,this will be the audio input the time is based on. Choose the source with themost reliable clock speed.
8. When you have selected the twomicrophones you intend to use, exit from the Audio MIDI Setup.
Garageband 2 Usb Mics At Once
Choosing the Aggregate Device in GarageBand
Now that you’ve created an aggregatedevice, it’s time to go back into GarageBand and select the proper device.
1. Go to File > New and select the type of project you wish to use.
2. Look in the bottom left corner and click on the arrow beside Details.
3. Click Input Device and select the aggregate device from the list.
4. Choose the output device you want touse. Note: you do not want to use the Built-in Output, as it can cause audiodistortion in the recording. Instead, use headphones or another output source.
5. Click Choose.
6. Next, go to GarageBand > Preferences and select Audio/MIDI.
7. Select Aggregate Input from the Input Device menu.
8. From there, navigate back to the GarageBand screen and press the Smart Controls button (or just hit the B key.)
2 Usb Mics In Garageband
9. In the Smart Controls menu, select Input and choose Aggregate Device from the list if it isn’t already selected.
And with that step, you should be set upand ready to record from two microphones. There are still a few issues that mayarise, however. If you have two identical USB microphones, it can be difficultto get the computer to recognize them as individual devices because theirdigital signatures are identical. This may be easier to pull off using separatetypes of microphones.
Garageband 2 Usb Mics Free
If you try to record and find one of themicrophones isn’t working, don’t make the mistake we did and repeat every stepabove—not at first, anyway. The first step should be to check that the secondmicrophone is turned on. Congratulations, and good luck with recording.