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Monstermind · May 13, 2003, 11:33 AM

I have a mic left over from my last Mac. Plugged it into the line-in on the back of my dual-1Ghz. Tried recording my voice in the Sound Preference panel; no soap. (Switched audio input setting to "line in" first.)

Any ideas?

Orion27 · May 13, 2003, 01:07 PM

i believe it has to be a "powered" mic. Is yours?

greenG4 · May 13, 2003, 01:20 PM

The recent macs have only a "line in" jack which requires power. Older ones like my G4/400 Gigabit Ethernet model have a "mic" jack that does not require power. Not sure what model it changed with though--I think the digital audio models. Someone correct me if i'm wrong...

SSharon · May 13, 2003, 07:05 PM

reading these posts, I realize that I will have this problem soon and I guess now is the time to fix it. So does anyone in here use that usb griffin iMic? does that count as a "powered" mic? Also I want to record some live music (not too amazing quality but decent so I can burn it later) so does anyone know of a good recording app that is stable. A decent cheap mic would be good too. Anyway, after all my rambling the key question is can I use the supplied mic from some older mac (not powered) and plug it into iMic, shouldn't be a problem since thats usb though right (hope its still ok if its going through a hub).
Stephen

Orion27 · May 13, 2003, 07:32 PM

The iMic is one solution.

SSharon · May 14, 2003, 01:11 AM

I was just reading about this too
http://www.griffintechnology.com/pro...ave/index.html
take a look.

Monstermind · May 14, 2003, 01:26 PM

It has to be powered? Dang; I like my old beige mic from my old beige 6500...

Guess I'll HAVE to get me an iMic. This isn't the first time I've heard that name invoked.

Thanks all.

NYCFarmboy · May 14, 2003, 05:26 PM

I have am trying to use a nice microphone with my new g4 1.42..and having no luck.

purchased the iMic from griffen and reset my input to the imic..

and getting no sound at all.

the Imic is plugged into the USB port directly in back of the tower (powered).

but still no luck with just the imic.

looking at getting the PowerWave..will let you know if that works!

SSharon · May 14, 2003, 07:29 PM

Please let us know how the powerwave works out for you (NYCfarmboy) also can you tell us what kind of mic you are using and how you like it since I'm in the market. Anything about your setup, equipment, what software you use to record, and what you are using it for would be great. Good luck. Thanks in advance.

NYCFarmboy · May 14, 2003, 09:31 PM

Originally posted by SSharon:
Please let us know how the powerwave works out for you (NYCfarmboy) also can you tell us what kind of mic you are using and how you like it since I'm in the market. Anything about your setup, equipment, what software you use to record, and what you are using it for would be great. Good luck. Thanks in advance.

A Realistic Cardioid Dynamic Microphone #33-1071 IMP 4000.

purchased at Radio Shack about 10 years ago at least.

It is just a standard plug in microphone.

I had purchased 2 weeks ago a Macally iVoice USB microphone.

It works, but the audio quality is very poor.

I need something I can do voice overs on in imovie, and the USB Macally Ivoice sounded like I was talking 20 feet away from the microphone at the bottom of a well somewhere.

I'll keep you posted when I hit upon the right combination for rich deep audio input using just imovie.

digi-j · May 15, 2003, 04:40 AM

I had an iMic with my quicksilver PowerMac and it works with both powered and un-powered Mics and other audio gear. A nice tool to make up for Apple leaving out a necessary feature on that line of PowerMac.

SSharon · May 15, 2003, 08:42 PM

NYCFarmboy: thanks for the response, looking forward to an update about a decent mic, a new one that is. Do you use it with anything other than iMovie? Is it ok if I assume that a mic that will pick up voices well will pick up instruments well too? (note: I'm thinking harps and pianos here). If I find one I'll post it.

Monstermind · May 21, 2003, 09:20 AM

OK, me again...

I bought the iMic but I've made a new discovery: microphone jacks seem to have gotten shorter compared to the ones I have... the post on the mic that shipped with my 6500 is about 1/4 inch longer than the depth of the iMic port.

I now have audio in but there's HEAVY HEAVY interference, my guess is it's caused by the overlong mic post that STICKS OUT OF THE HOLE when plugged into the iMic...

Does Radio Shack make an adapter? "Long - to - short"? I like my little beige Apple mic...

Or should I just say eff it and get another mic?

SSharon · May 22, 2003, 01:54 AM

just a guess and I may be very wrong but one may be stereo while the other is mono. if someone could confirm this . . .

Monstermind · May 23, 2003, 09:03 AM

Hmmm. Good theory! I've also plugged my headphones into the iMic microphone jack (!), using them as a microphone in the interrim...

Still, I'll probably just pop for a new mic. Thanks all.

Person Man · May 23, 2003, 11:08 AM

Originally posted by Monstermind:
OK, me again...

I bought the iMic but I've made a new discovery: microphone jacks seem to have gotten shorter compared to the ones I have... the post on the mic that shipped with my 6500 is about 1/4 inch longer than the depth of the iMic port.

I now have audio in but there's HEAVY HEAVY interference, my guess is it's caused by the overlong mic post that STICKS OUT OF THE HOLE when plugged into the iMic...

Does Radio Shack make an adapter? "Long - to - short"? I like my little beige Apple mic...

Or should I just say eff it and get another mic?

Apple's PlainTalk Microphones had a special connector on them that was about 1/4 in longer than standard microphone plugs. I can't remember exactly why that was though, but it did serve a purpose.

cloudship · May 30, 2003, 06:23 PM

Originally posted by Person Man:
Apple's PlainTalk Microphones had a special connector on them that was about 1/4 in longer than standard microphone plugs. I can't remember exactly why that was though, but it did serve a purpose.

From http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58022
There is a difference between a PlainTalk microphone and third-party microphones. PlainTalk microphones are amplified by the computer. They receive power for amplification from an 1/8 inch plug extension that makes contact with specific connections in the microphone port. That's why the plug on the PlainTalk microphone is longer than other external computer microphones. Remember that both types of plugs may be used in the side microphone jack.

tooki · May 31, 2003, 02:59 PM

OK, let me clear up the confusion.

Early Macs (<1993) had simple microphone jacks, for unpowered mikes.

Every Mac since 1993 (inclusive)* until the disappearance of the audio input in 2001 has had a "microphone" jack that is actually a line-in with power for the PlainTalk mike.

The PlainTalk plug, which is about 1/4" longer and has one extra connector, uses the extra connector to supply power to the preamplifier inside the PlainTalk mike. The PlainTalk mike (as Monstermind confirmed) cannot function on any input other than a PlainTalk-compatible input jack. The iMic does not count.

After reappearing in 2002 on the MDD Power Mac G4, PowerBook G4, flat-panel iMac and eMac, the audio input is no longer a PlainTalk socket, just a line-in. To use a standard microphone, you must use a preamplifier. I dunno if Radio Shack carries them any more, I think Best Buy might.

The iMic has both line-in and mic-in inputs, so you can use a standard microphone with it.

Cloudship: that article refers to the CRT iMacs, and is totally outdated, since Apple stopped shipping the PlainTalk-compatible input jack. Besides, you misunderstood it -- you can't connect any kind of mike to even a CRT iMac. You can connect either a PlainTalk mike, or a line-level input. That's it. No unpowered mikes, they will not work.

Monstermind, you can either buy any old mike to plug into your iMic, or you can dig up an OLD Apple mike, like the pre-PlainTalk one (it's round), which will work with your iMic.

tooki

*There was a little bit of overlap as old models were phased out, or resold as Performas. But new designs in 1993 included the PlainTalk mike.