Choosing an Elgato XLR Microphone

In Elgato's audio range, the XLR products and the USB microphones are different things. The Wave DX is a dynamic microphone with an XLR output. The Wave:XLR is not a microphone. It is a compact audio interface that connects any standard XLR microphone to a computer over USB. Choosing an Elgato XLR setup usually means choosing a microphone and confirming how it will reach your computer. This guide covers that choice, the connection, and a basic sound check.

Before you start

An XLR microphone cannot plug directly into a computer. You need an audio interface or a mixer with an XLR input that the computer recognizes as an input device. The Wave:XLR is one such interface. Any interface with a suitable preamp will also work with the Wave DX.

• Decide on the microphone type. A dynamic microphone such as the Wave DX generally picks up less room sound and background noise, but it needs more gain. A condenser microphone is usually more sensitive and requires 48V phantom power.
• Confirm that your interface provides enough clean gain for a dynamic mic and phantom power for a condenser. Check these in the interface's official specifications rather than assuming.
• Have an XLR cable, a stand or boom arm, and wired headphones for monitoring.
• Check the system requirements for Elgato's Wave Link software on the current product documentation if you plan to use it. Also check whether it needs an account or online sign-in.
• Audio capture and mixing through the interface happen on your computer. Whether any recording is uploaded depends on the app you use, such as a call, streaming or cloud recording service. Review that app's own privacy and storage settings.

Step-by-step instructions

• 1. Choose the microphone. For untreated rooms, keyboards nearby or streaming in a shared space, a dynamic mic is usually the easier choice. For a quiet, treated room where you want more detail, a condenser can suit better.
• 2. Turn the interface's gain down to its minimum, then connect the XLR cable from the microphone to the interface input.
• 3. Connect the interface to the computer with the supplied USB cable. Use a port directly on the computer rather than an unpowered hub where possible.
• 4. Enable phantom power only if you use a condenser microphone. Leave it off for a dynamic mic like the Wave DX. On the Wave:XLR, phantom power is controlled in the Wave Link software.
• 5. Install Elgato's software if you use the Wave:XLR, and apply any firmware update it offers. Feature names and layout can differ between software versions, so follow the version you have installed.
• 6. In your operating system's sound settings, select the interface as the input device. Select it, or your headphones, as the output device if you monitor through the interface.
• 7. Speak at your normal volume from your usual distance, and raise the gain slowly. Aim for strong levels whose loudest peaks stay clearly below the top of the meter.
• 8. Match the sample rate set in the operating system with the one in your recording or streaming app. Use a rate that the interface's documentation lists as supported.
• 9. In each app, such as a video call, streaming or recording app, select the same input device. If you route audio through Wave Link, select the virtual device it provides instead of the hardware device.

Every step is reversible. You can turn the gain back down, switch phantom power off, or change the default device back in system settings at any time.

Check the output

Record a short clip in any local recording app with a few sentences at normal volume, a loud laugh or emphasis, and a few seconds of silence. Play it back on headphones. Your voice should be clear without distortion on the loudest parts. The silent section should have only a low, steady hiss rather than hum, buzzing or obvious room noise.

Then check the setup inside the app you actually use. Video call and streaming apps often apply their own noise suppression, automatic gain and compression, so the result can sound different from your local recording. If the interface has a clipping-protection feature such as Clipguard on the Wave:XLR, treat it as a safety net. Set the gain correctly rather than relying on it.

Common problems and next steps

• No signal at all: confirm the interface is selected as the input device in both the system and the app. Check that the mute control on the interface is off, and reseat the XLR cable. A condenser microphone will stay silent without phantom power.
• Voice too quiet with the gain near maximum: this is common with dynamic microphones. Move closer to the mic and speak into its front. If the interface still runs out of gain, an inline preamp between the microphone and the interface is a common fix.
• Too much background noise: lower the gain and move closer, so your voice is loud relative to the room. Point the back of the microphone toward noise sources such as fans or keyboards.
• Crackles or dropouts: make the sample rate match between the system and the app. Try another USB port, and close other apps that are using the same input device.
• Others hear an echo of themselves: monitor through headphones instead of speakers, so the microphone does not pick up the call audio.
• An app ignores the microphone: some apps keep their own device setting and do not follow the system default. Select the interface, or the Wave Link virtual device, directly in that app's audio settings.

If problems persist after these checks, test the microphone with a different XLR cable or interface. This tells you whether the cause is the mic, the cable, the interface or the software. Then consult Elgato's support documentation for your exact model and software version.