I'm assuming you are talking about a condenser microphone. Condenser mics usually require phantom power. Your mic will say so if it does. (It sounds like you haven't bought a mic yet; the product listing should tell you. But generally they will.) A MacBook is not going to provide phantom power whether you have an adapter that technically fits in the plug. The easiest approach will be an audio interface. They are available at various price points from vendors like FocusRite, Presonus, Universal Audio, etc. Usually these interfaces will be able to provide phantom power, but you should double check the product you're looking at buying. There are also mixers that provide audio interface functionality and phantom power, but it sounds like you don't necessarily need that level of complexity. If it were me and I were trying to start out on a budget and with minimal equipment, I would look at a FocusRite Scarlitt (the 2i2 is kind of the "standard" starter one) if I didn't need MIDI inputs, or the Presonus if I did. These devices are relatively inexpensive, fully-featured, decent quality, and have a small physical footprint. As far as what microphone to buy, that is a hole with no bottom. I can give you some suggestions that I've used and liked, but I'm not a professional and haven't used most of the "industry standard" ones. Mics can range from relatively affordable to hideously expensive and you may or may not notice or care about the differences. Large-diaphragm, side-address condenser mics are what I usually think of as the go-to for vocals. AKG makes a budget line of microphones (the Perception series) that I think offer good bang for the buck, which doesn't necessarily mean they're cheap. The P420 is the budget version of the industry-standard C414. It runs about $200, which may not sound cheap, but the C414 is about $1000 (and plenty of mics cost more). I have this mic and I think it's good. Audio Technica is another brand that offers good value for money. The AT2020 is a common beginner recommendation and runs about $100. I have never used it and for no good reason I suspect I wouldn't like it as much as the P420, which I do own, but it is half the price. It is a "medium diaphragm" condenser mic, which is a nebulous category without a clear definition, but the diaphragm size does affect the sound. It's up to you what you prefer. Rode is another common name. I think it's the NT1 people like on the more budget end. It's $250, though it does come with a pop filter. (You can get a serviceable pop filter for much less than $50, though.) I haven't used this one. The first condenser mic I ever owned was the Neat Worker Bee. They have, sadly, ditched the yellow-and-black "bee" design, but it's still available for $100. I still have mine and it's a great all-rounder medium diaphragm condenser. Lastly, the budget audio interface makers do have bundles that include a microphone, among other things. Scarlitt and Presonus both have decent deals on these. As I mentioned in another post, they probably aren't gonna be world champs, but they are probably decent mics. I haven't used these. Unless you are buying a bundle that includes them, you'll want a stand and an XLR cable to use with your mic, and I suggest a pop filter as well since you are recording vocals. Even if you are buying a bundle, I still recommend buying a "real" stand, as the ones that come with the bundles don't look very good to me. I recommend a boom stand for maximum versatility, rather than a straight vertical stand. Hope that's of some help. Answer from guppyur on reddit.com