Mini Disc To G5; Di To G5 Options

[mpnow]

Two related questions;

1) I have sketches of rough songs I recorded with the aid of a tiny little stereo microphone on a sony minidisc player. I would like to put them onto the hard drive of my G5. How do I do this?

2) I have been trying to start recording these sketches straight onto the mac (into Garageband) using exactly the same little microphone that I used to record onto the sony mini disc, but without any success. I do not understand why not.

I have checked that
(a) the mike still works by using it on the mini disk player again five minutes ago;
(b) in my 'system preferences' I have made sure that the 'input' is on 'audio line-in', that the volume control is up as high as it will go (though it seems to refuse to stay there and become the default volume setting);
© that the tiny little jack of the mike is plugged into the audio input jack on the back of the G5; and
(d) in Garageband, the new track is a 'real instrument' (voice).

Do not see what else I can do (I have not yet tried plugging the mike into the headphones socket on the front as I do not want to damage anything). Anyone any suggestions that will do the trick with the tools I have before me?

[georgie]

Hi mpnow!
I don't have a G5 but you need to select 'mic in' under your sound preferences.
When you plug the mic into the computer it needs a major boost in level for you to hear it which you will not get from just 'line input'.
Alternately, record onto your minidisc and then connect your minidisc to the computer with a double ended stereo minijack cable ((3.5mm))
This input will need to be selected as line input in your system preferences
as it does not need so much of a boost.

Don't try and plug the mic into the headphone jack because the headphones is an output and a mic is an input device. You won't hear anything.
Hope this helps

Dazz

[mpnow]

Thanks for the suggestions Newbie.
The problem is that there is no 'mic in' in the sound preferences'. The only choice it gives you is between:

Line-in (Audio line-in port)
&
Digital-in (Optical digital-in port).

I have set the input volume at its maximum - although it will not stay there. It constantly defaults to the minimum position.

[ullanta]

MiniDisc recorders provide what's called "Plug-In Power" for microphones (kind of a low-level phantom power). It's possible, in addition to everything else mentioned, that your little mic only works when supplied such power. Certainly many of them won't.

I'd suggest, as a quick'n'dirty solution, to either:

1) record to the minidisc and then transfer to the computer at line level, or

2) use your minidisc player as a preamp by connecting the mic to the MD and the MD line out to the computer. Some MD recorders will only pass the mic signal while actually recording, so you may need to record anyway... but you'll save the time of transferring, and have a backup.

Hope this helps,
-Barry

[mpnow]

Thanks Barry.

I think you are right about the mic and the "Plug-in Power".
I have another small mic I also got with the MD, but which requires a small battery. I will try that with the mac.
If that does not work Iwill get a jack convertor for an old PZM mic I have and see if that works.
Failing that I will buy a new mic!

Re your quick n dirty solutions, when you say 'transfer to the computer at line level', via which input, the audio or the digital/optical?

[ullanta]

Via the audio input... unless your MD has an optical output, which consumer devices don't (due to copyright issues). On most MDs, the "Line Output" is the same as the headphone output, with the volume at maximum.

Remember, the line input on the mac wants a much higher level than a mic will put out... does the G5 have a mic input? I have a G5, and would check, except the way it's jammed into my setup that's a major pain. However, the level of the "audio line input" (in speech prefs, anyway) can be adjusted... so it may do something reasonable. Try the battery-powered mic and see what you get... or better yet, get an MBox!

[mpnow]

just for the record, I just checked. MD has Optical line in, but no Optical line out. (On my Sony MD there are 2 lines out. One is marked Phones/Remote.)

The G5 appears to have a mic input. On the back of mine there are two stereo jack connections. One is for the line out (for speakers), and the other, I presume is for line in (it is marked by two black triangles pointing towards each other).

The systems prefs for 'sound' and for 'speech' both allow you to adjust the level of "audio line input", although in my case it keeps defaulting to the minimum.

As for those MBoxes, is it mainly size that makes them a better alternative to getting a small mixing desk?

[citypigeon]

hi,

i agree with the recording to minidisc then recording to the mac via line level.... if you're happy with the sound on the minidisc and not bothered about the extrfa time it will take to transfer to the mac. you could actually use the minidisc as a pre-amp and put the mic into it, have it on record-standby and get a line out into the mac and record in one go.

You want to be recording straight into the mac if you're multi-tracking audio

.....an mbox is really good for this kind of thing because its got powered mic preamps on it for running condenser mics (which are usually much better for recording anything but drums and percussion) you also get protools...... its worth it


i don't think there's much point getting a mixer unless you're recording more than one signal at a time (two mics or more)

[mpnow]

thanks again.

the protools that comes with the Mbox - is it the entire thing, or some watered down version?

[citypigeon]

its protools LE- the same that comes with the 002 systems...... but its not TDM (the full version that only comes with the multi thousand pound protools hardware setups)

its a full program in its own right though