Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

finknottle · Oct 12, 2003, 07:43 PM

Hi, I have a 700Mhz iBook with 640Mb Ram on OSX.2.8. I want to record some music from my iBook to my girlfriends minidisc (will have to get her an iPod

.....). What is the best way to do this, by that I mean the best sound?
I see that the Griffin iMic would probably work but there is any truely digital way of transferring tracks? Her Minidisc Player (Sony MZ-NF810) has optical input from what I understand, though I am open to correction on this!! It would be nice to use this connection (no hiss!).
Any suggestions appreciated!!
Thanks in advance

azt33 · Oct 12, 2003, 07:53 PM

You can read all about Mac and Minidisc here Good luck!

finknottle · Oct 12, 2003, 08:26 PM

Thanks, The Xitel DG2 appears to be gone off the market (at least it is not on the Xitel.com webpage! Do you know what the replacement is? The DG2 sounded like the ideal solution....
Thanks again

vasu · 08:42 PM

If I read that correctly, you're looking for a usb-toslink device. M-Audio makes one called the Sonica look for it at www.m-audio.com

-vasu

finknottle · Oct 12, 2003, 08:44 PM

Thanks, that looks like the ticket

Do you know what, while the sound is great from the MD Player (not to mention battery life!), it makes you appreciate the ease of use and just simplicity of the ipod, doesn't it?
I am going to the US in a weeks time so I think I'll get the Sonica when I get there.
Thanks again!!

finknottle · Oct 12, 2003, 08:45 PM

I just thought of something....iTunes just plays one mp3 into the next, how do I have a cpouple second interval so the MD will show a new track?? Thanks again.

cc_foo · Oct 13, 2003, 03:47 AM

About sometime at the start of the year, I read that there was a new product that plugged into USB, and had outputs of TOSLINK, RCA and so on etc.... Supported Dolby, DTS blah blah blah. This was in a PC magazine, and was PC compatible, and was meant to be the "solution" to provide great audio for laptops etc. I seem to remember it was Mac compatible.

Try as I might, I can't remember the name. Although Creative does make similar devices:

http://asia.creative.com/products/audio/audigy2_nx/

finknottle · Oct 13, 2003, 04:45 PM

Anybody know if this would work.....
http://www.compusa.com/products/prod...979&pfp=SEARCH
it lists Windows requirements only but I am owndering, to use any of the solutions mentioned (The Soundblaster NX2, The Sonica or the Creative Sound Blaster MP3+ External Sound Device....), will they just plug into my iBook out of the box (without software)? I am especially interested in the latter as its price is only $60.
Thanks again.

finknottle · Oct 13, 2003, 07:17 PM

I guess my question is, if I just plug one of these products into the USB port (and the optical cable into the MD on the other end) will this sound output show up in the "Sound" Panel in the System Prefs in OS?. There are no Mac drivers with these products, so I just want to be sure before I buy them

Anybody know anything about it?

Goldie · 09:00 PM

The PowerWave works 100%. Done it.

edit: I would not worry about recording in digital with the (a) minidisc. Analog is just as good.

Scooterboy · Oct 13, 2003, 10:31 PM

Just today I purchased the M-Audio Sonica Theater USB 7.1 Surround Sound Card, and will let you know how well it works. It has digital audio out, as well as 7.1 and 5.1 Surround sound output. I bought it on sale at the Apple Store for $107. I had no idea there was a product like this. I've been bemoaning the "fact" that my iBook was limited to 2.1 speakers but now I'm shopping for a good 7.1 speaker system.

edit: It comes with Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 and a CD full of software. Too bad the game is Windows only.