[birdman]

I'm still in search of a microphone that can plug into a Mac's line-in port... and *work*. Anything other than Apple's old PlainTalk microphone isn't "loud enough", if that makes sense. That is, the signal is too quiet, even with the gain turned all the way up in the Sound preferance pane.

I noticed that the PT mic has a longer plug than most miniplug connectors, and someone told me the PT drew power this way, to amplify the signal. So I thought, OK then I'll buy a microphone with a battery so it'll amplify on its own.

Nope! Still too quiet. So what's the deal? What kind of (non-digital) microphone do I need?

-birdman

P.S. the battery-powered mic I bought was the Sony ECM-MS907. Guess I'll be returning it.

[tr]

that mic takes batteries? huh...didn't know that.

first, what mac are you using?
second, have you tried the gain controls in Audio Midi Setup?

for the record, never used a mic other than a plaintalk straight into a mac. have run every other kind of line in to the jack, and usually input via mic through a mixer to the mac.

tr

[birdman]

Oops, I forgot that I started this thread! In any case... my Mac is a 1 GHz PowerBook Titanium, although the results are the same on any Mac, in OS 9 or X (and with at least three stereo miniplug mics I've tried over the years -- good thing Radio Shack accepts returns). I have input gain turned all the way up (+12 db) in the Sound preferance pane, as well as Audio MIDI Setup, as well as in Amadeus II when I try to record. I have to put my mouth right up to the mic (literally almost touching it with my lips) for it to pick up any sound.

Yet on a tape or minidisc recorder, this mic works fine, which was also the case for the other mics I tried.

I know a guy who has a mixer, but I'd really rather not have to mess with it -- I mainly want this for recording myself playing the piano, or other instrumental recordings. Nothing professional here, just impromptu stuff.

-birdman

[Axo1ot1]

The old apple mic has a preamp inside it. There was a macaddict issue a few years ago with instructions on a hack to make that mic into a 1/4 inch jack.