It’s a common scenario. You start with a great-quality USB microphone, but as you get more serious about recording, you invest in a professional audio interface (like a Maono G1 NEO or PS22 Series). You unbox your new gear, ready to combine their power, only to be met with a confusing problem: there is no way to connect the two.
You're not missing a special adapter. The simple, direct answer is:
You can't plug a USB mic into an audio interface because a USB mic is its own audio interface, and they are designed for two mutually exclusive signal paths.
To understand this, we need to look at the one concept that defines all audio recording: Analog vs. Digital.
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Analog: This is the language of the real world. Your voice, a guitar, the wind—these are all analog sound waves. A traditional microphone (with an XLR connector) translates these waves into an analog electrical signal.
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Digital: This is the language of computers, made of 0s and 1s.
To get sound from the real world into your computer, a conversion must happen. This job is done by a chip called an ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter). Where this ADC lives in your signal chain is the key to understanding everything.
What a USB Mic Really Is: The All-in-One System
Think of a USB microphone as a complete, self-contained recording studio in a single package. Inside the microphone's body, a full signal chain is already built-in:
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Capsule: This is the part that "hears" your voice and converts the analog sound waves into a weak analog signal.
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Preamp: A built-in preamplifier boosts this weak analog signal to a stronger, usable level.
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ADC (The Magic Chip): This built-in converter takes the amplified analog signal and converts it into a digital signal (0s and 1s).
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USB Controller: This final chip takes that digital signal and sends it out through the USB port, straight to your computer.
Because the conversion to digital happens inside the microphone, the signal coming out of the USB port is already a finished digital product.
What an Audio Interface Really Is: The Professional Hub
An audio interface is a professional "hub" designed to be the bridge for raw analog sources. Its entire purpose is to take analog signals from the outside world and perform the conversion to digital itself.
Here is the traditional "pro" workflow that an interface is built for:
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XLR Microphone: A traditional mic (like a Shure SM7B or Maono PM500, PM320) only does one job: converting sound waves into an analog signal, which it outputs via its XLR connector.
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Audio Interface (Input):
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The XLR or 1/4" (TRS) inputs on your interface are designed to receive analog signals only.
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Its high-quality internal Preamp boosts this raw signal.
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Its high-quality internal ADC then converts that analog signal into a digital signal.
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Audio Interface (Output): The interface then sends this newly created digital signal to your computer via its own USB or Thunderbolt cable.
The Fundamental Conflict: Digital Output vs. Analog Input
Now the incompatibility is clear:
An audio interface's input (XLR/TRS) is an "Analog-In" port. It is waiting to receive a raw, analog signal that it can process and convert.
A USB microphone's output (USB) is a "Digital-Out" port. It has already processed the signal and is sending a finished digital stream.
A Simple Analogy:
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An Audio Interface is a blender. Its inputs are designed to receive raw ingredients like fruit and milk (analog signals).
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A USB Microphone is a sealed bottle of finished smoothie (a digital signal).
You cannot pour the finished smoothie (digital signal) back into the blender's "ingredients" input (analog input) and expect it to work. They are two different parts of the process.
Summary: USB Mic vs. Interface + XLR Mic
| Feature | USB Microphone | Audio Interface + XLR Mic |
| Signal Output | Digital Signal (from the mic) | Analog Signal (from the mic) |
| ADC Location | Inside the microphone | Inside the audio interface |
| Preamplifier | Built-in, non-swappable | In the interface (often higher quality, swappable) |
| Connection Path | Mic ➔ (USB) ➔ Computer | Mic ➔ (XLR) ➔ Interface ➔ (USB) ➔ Computer |
| Primary Use | Simplicity, streaming, podcasting | Flexibility, music production, pro audio |
The "Exception That Proves the Rule": Dual-Output Mics
To make this concept even clearer, some modern microphones (like the Shure MV7 or Maono PD300X, PD200X) are "dual-output" mics. They have both a USB port and an XLR port on their body.
This design perfectly illustrates the two separate paths:
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When you use its USB port: It acts as a USB mic. It uses its internal ADC and sends a digital signal to your computer.
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When you use its XLR port: It acts as a traditional analog mic. It bypasses its internal ADC entirely and sends a raw analog signal, requiring you to plug it into an audio interface.
These mics prove that the two workflows (digital-out and analog-out) are two completely different, independent systems.
In conclusion, your USB mic and your audio interface can't work together because they are designed to do the exact same job—and you only need one "converter" (ADC) in any given signal chain.