How do you mute an XLR microphone during a podcast, live stream, or online meeting? After all, they don’t have a built-in mute switch. We’re going to introduce you to a single device that provides 2 ways to mute an XLR mic.
Quick Answer: We recommend using an inline XLR mute switch like the Rolls MS111 to mute an XLR microphone. Some mixers and audio interfaces have mute buttons, but this is the next best solution if yours doesn’t.
- Rolls XLR Mute Switch: https://currentprice.io/xlr_mute
Audio Mixer / Interface
If your audio mixer or audio interface has a mute button, this is the easiest way to mute your XLR microphone.
Audio mixers, like the Mackie ProFX10v3, have mute buttons for each input. Likewise, audio interfaces like the Elgato Wave XLR also have a mute button for the XLR input.
If you’re researching a new audio setup, either of these gives you an easy way to mute an XLR mic. If you’re looking for a method that will work with your current gear, keep reading for our recommendation.
Inline XLR Mute Switch
If you don’t have access to a mixer/interface with mute buttons, we recommend using an inline XLR mute switch. You plug your microphone’s XLR cable into the switch and connect the switch to your mixer/interface.
XLR microphone > XLR cable > Mute switch > XLR Cable > Mixer/interface.
There are different types of XLR mute switches available and a few things you need to look out for when buying one. We’ll cover those next.
+48 V Phantom Power
If you’re using a condenser microphone, you’ll want to ensure that the mute switch you select is phantom power-friendly. The inline mute button sits between your microphone and audio interface/mixer, so phantom power will have to pass through it.
Cough Mute Button
There are two different types of mute switches. The first one we’ll look at is called a cough mute button. This style of mute switch mutes the microphone when you’re holding the button down.
This is ideal for quick, impulsive muting when you need to cough, sneeze, take a sip of water, or say something offline. However, it’s not ideal for an online meeting where you might have to hold the mute button down for minutes at a time.
Latch Mute Button
A latch-style mute button works like a toggle switch. You click it on to mute the mic and click it off again when you’re ready to speak. This is better suited to the online meeting scenario we mentioned earlier. The latch button keeps your hands free while the mic is muted.
Rolls MS111 XLR Mute Button
We recommend the Rolls MS111 MicSwitch as it has both cough and latch modes. The Rolls is also compatible with 48 V phantom power, so it covers all bases in a single unit.
This is a device we use every single day for online meetings. It’s great, and we know it works. If you’d like to see more audio equipment recommendations, take a look at our selection of audio gear buyer’s guides.
Mute XLR Microphone Pricing
- Rode NT1 Condenser Microphone: https://currentprice.io/rode_nt1_kit
- Rolls XLR Mute Switch: https://currentprice.io/xlr_mute
- Mackie ProFX10v3: https://currentprice.io/profx10v3
- Elgato Wave XLR: https://currentprice.io/wave_xlr
- Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro Headphones: https://currentprice.io/beyer_dt_990
- XLR Cable: https://currentprice.io/xlr_cable
- TRS Cable: https://currentprice.io/trs_cable
- Mic Stand: https://currentprice.io/desk_stand
- Rode PSA1 Boom Arm: https://currentprice.io/boom_arm
