I Need Help With My G4 Powerbook!!, need advice on software etc Options

[kohtaonic]

can anyone help me?
i am using a g4 powerbook for video editing and really want to start using it for audio as well.unfortunatly i am in a very cut off part of the world so i am having the stuff bought out from the u.k.
basically what i want to do is to be able to take a recording from a minidisc or a mixer and be able to pipe that into a program that will allow me to play around with it and transform it into mp3.
my powerbook comes with a single line in,is it possible to just use that?
if anyone has any advice for me please get in contact as my delivery will be leaving the uk on the 12th of this month.
thanks a lot.

[Presto]

You could try the Mbox. Have a look at www.digidesign.com
Its only got 2 I/O but does D/A conversion, preamp and 48V for 2 mics (500$ I think). Protools LE comes with it. I use it for audio only so I don't know how it works with video. Ask Miss Kiki - she uses Protools and does video (I think).

There are other solutions but I have no experience with them.

[Synthetic]

also consider Emagic EMI 2/6 or 6/2 as well. It is a bit cheaper and doesn't come with software but it does work and good quality sound.

if you have a the AV option with sound in... if you can locate a cable that will transfer say 1/8" line out from Minidisc to whatever type of connection you have for line in then you may be able to use that. Its not hard to find cables that transfor one tupe of connection to another but signals may not match up and so sound quality may be lost according to the output levels and such.

Unless your tracking highly dynamic instruments the sound manager in your powerbook should be sufficient for getting source from your md. I did a recording here with the stock mac s.m. I'm using a UAD-1 though, so it kinda beefed up the dynamics and warmed things up, but if your happy with what you've already recorded just re-record your stereo tracks into the program of choice, Then normallize to max yor s/n ratio. I really don't recommend software to people because everyone has a different way of working, so software is so subjective. Myself I've used Digital Performer with EXCELLENT results!Messiah's Reign