sound input into iBook G4?

[jkratz]

Phew! That piezo thing nearly wore me out! Here's a new project. I got a Mac laptop to use at work -- I'm a teacher -- and I'm all set to try out Garage Band and Sound Studio, but there's no audio input! There's USB, and someone gave me a Macally i-voice to use, which don't appear to review well; I'll know more after I try it. There are a few other products out there in the $40.00 range...

Is anyone recording on an iBook, and what works?
Jonathan

[jwb]

Depends on your level of need. If you just need a simple stereo input, use a Griffin iMic. If you need microphone inputs, gain controls, and whatnot get an Edirol UA-5.

[planet10]

I highly recommend the iMic for basic I/O.

dave

[jkratz]

Several review sites and the woman tyhat gave me the iVoice agree...the Griffin thing is the way to go. You'd really get mad at me if I asked for a schematic...

Jonathan

[jwb]

Actually, a device like the iMic is super easy to build. All you need is a Texas Instruments PCM2902, a USB jack, and two 1/8" stereo mini jacks. Power the 2902 from the USB, attach the input to the ADC and the output to the DAC. Voila: your own take on the iMic.

[jkratz]

Hey. Another project. Thanks.
J


(I had to ask!)

[planet10]

Originally posted by jkratz
Several review sites and the woman tyhat gave me the iVoice agree...the Griffin thing is the way to go. You'd really get mad at me if I asked for a schematic...

As posted, it is not that hard, but by the time you even account for your time to source & order the parts you could have paid for an iMic... even if i was building a more elaborate USB/analog device it would be at the top of my list as a prebuilt I/O module/part for my creation.

dave

[pinkmouse]

I have to agree with P10 here, the iMic is so cheap that it's well worth getting just to have a play around with and keep with your laptop all the time, rather than the bigger and heavier other solutions. Sound quality is pretty good as well. A future project for me will be to buy another, and convert it to balanced xlr input and output.

[jkratz]

I agree. I just got back from a wedding reception where my friend Mike dj'd from his Powerbook. He has a band of two or three of them and his computer, and he uses the Tascam product to interface the music with his computer, apparently in both directions. Quite nice, mic preamps, levels, phantom power; quite tasty looking and about $200.00 or so, he says. The $40 for the Macally thing is about what I could spend on discretionary toys -- uh, tools. and gets the job done. I'll let y'all know how it goes with the iVoice in a few days...that has an in, an out, a little condenser mic, and the USB cord. There nothing on the website in the way of manuals or such for this one, but you're suggesting that the analogue to digital trick is the hard part, around which you could build whichever input preamps and etc. you wanted?
J

[pinkmouse]

Originally posted by jkratz
... but you're suggesting that the analogue to digital trick is the hard part, around which you could build whichever input preamps and etc. you wanted?
J

Yeh, but again as Dave said, don't go over the top. I happen to have the bits and pieces around to play with, but if you didn't, then one of the prebuilt ones would work out cheaper and easier than sourcing all the bits to do it yourself, ( but then again, this is diyAudio! ).