MicDropHow MicDrop works
Set up MicDrop once in about five minutes: install the plugin, pair your phone, and every take after that lands in your DAW on its own.
What you need
- An Android phone running Android 8.0 or later, with the MicDrop app from Google Play.
- A Mac with Apple silicon on macOS 14 or later, or a 64-bit Windows 10/11 PC.
- A DAW that loads VST3 plugins (or Audio Units on Mac).
- Your phone and computer on the same Wi-Fi network, or the computer joined to your phone's hotspot.
1. Install the plugin
Download the zip for your computer, open it and run the installer inside: Install MicDrop.command on Mac or Install MicDrop.bat on Windows. It copies the plugin into your system plugin folder. The download page has step-by-step help if macOS or Windows asks you to confirm.
2. Load MicDrop in your DAW
Open your DAW, rescan plugins if it doesn't pick MicDrop up automatically, and add MicDrop to any track as an effect. When the plugin opens it starts its built-in engine; the status at the top right changes to Engine Connected.
Keep the plugin loaded while you work: it's what receives your takes. You can close its window; it keeps running on the track.
3. Pair your phone
Open the MicDrop app on your phone and go to Connect. Then use any of these:
- Scan QR Code: scan the code shown in the plugin's Connect tab. This is the quickest way.
- Nearby devices: pick your computer from the list.
- Enter IP Address: type the address shown in the plugin.
For Nearby and IP, the plugin asks you to approve the phone. Once paired, the app shows your computer's name at the top of the Record screen with a green dot. You only pair once; the phone reconnects by itself next time.
4. Record
Tap REC on the Record screen and sing, rap or play. Use Input check first to set your level and keep the meter out of the red. Tap STOP when you're done: the take is saved on the phone as a WAV file.
With Auto Send on (the default), the take goes to your computer straight away. With it off, open the take and tap Send to Desktop when you're ready.
5. Drop it into your DAW
In the plugin, open the Takes tab. New takes appear at the top with their format and length. Click one to see its waveform and play it, then drag it onto a track using Drag to DAW. The file is also saved in Music/MicDrop/Recordings on your computer.
Optional: Live Mic
To hear your phone's mic through the plugin while you practise, open the Live tab in the app and tap Start Live Mic. Choose Low latency on a good 5 GHz Wi-Fi, or Stable if the sound breaks up. Live Mic is experimental and always has some delay, so record your keeper take on the phone.
Optional: Remote Session
Recording with someone in another place? In the plugin, open Remote Session and generate a code. The singer opens Connect → Remote Session in the app, enters the six digits and requests to join. Approve the right singer in the plugin, and their takes come back to you over the internet. More about Remote Session.
If it doesn't connect
Check that both devices are on the same network (not a guest Wi-Fi), that the plugin is loaded and shows Engine Connected, and that your firewall allows MicDrop on private networks. The support page walks through each fix.