Wayne Parham Messages: 18793 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
You'll need a sound card that supports that microphone and some measurement software. I doubt your laptop can connect that microphone, so you'll probably want to buy a USB device that acts like a sound card having analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters and amplifiers built-in. Several have microphone inputs like you need that provide the right connector and 48v "phantom power" for that microphone. Your microphone manufacturer makes such a device, for example, the UMC404HD. They actually make a lot more than just that device, but it's a simple stereo unit that I've worked with.
As for software, there is a lot of shareware and freeware out there that you can get started with. I personally run WTPro and LMS, and neither is free. So I can't personally recommend any of the freeware/shareware products from personal experience. But i can say that there are a lot of passionate individuals and small teams that have written software for acoustic measurement, so there's a lot out there to choose from.
Start by buying a USB sound card. Then do some searches for acoustic measurement software that you can download and try. Once you get started, report back and we'll help keep you moving forward.