Connect your microphone to the mixing board using the XLR cable. The cable should plug directly into a microphone input port on the mixing board. If you do not own a mixing board, several popular audio equipment companies such as Mackie and Numark offer affordable mixers through their respective websites.
Connect the mixer to your computer by plugging the mixing board into your audio interface. Connect the interface to your computer using a firewire or USB cable. If your interface relies on USB connections, you will also be required to power the interface with a portable power supply.
Power on your computer and launch your digital audio workstation. Create a new track within the workstation and select your audio interface as the signal input source. If the previous connections have been made correctly, audio received by the microphone should play through your workstation. If you do not own a digital audio workstation, consider purchasing a software workstation such as Logic or ProTools. Refer to the documentation provided with your workstation to properly create and configure audio tracks.
Raise the volume input level on your audio interface to boost the overall volume of your microphone. Use the volume metering tools within your workstation to watch for signs of audio clipping or distortion due to excessively high volume levels.
Raise the overall volume level of your microphone input using the mastering tools provided with your workstation. Tools such as audio compressors or maximizers raise the overall volume level of your microphones signals while imposing a limiting feature that prohibits audio from reaching clipping levels.