External Microphone Troubles

[katie ta achoo]

I got a sony F-V100 to record some music in Garageband on my PowerBook.

I've plugged it into the audio-in port, and in system preferences, it knows that it's there, and when I hit in with my hand, the sound bar moves, showing that it IS picking up sound.

But when I go to make a new track in Garageband, and try to select it, it isn't there. I've relaunched Garageband several times and it never shows up.

Could this mic not be compatible somehow?
Do I get to go back to Fry's to return it? Bleh...

 

[katie ta achoo]

OK, I'm a freaking idiot, and I solved my own problem. It didn't differentiate between line-in and just audio. It automatically did it for me. Stupid Powerbook, so convenient-- doing things for me.

Is there any way to increase the maximum volume it can pick up?
Will I need a little powered thing between the plug and the PowerBook?

 

[mkrishnan]

Katie, you're always getting the coolest toys!

Have you already maxxed the input volume in the system preferences / sound / input section? I don't know how much of an impact on actual sensitivity that will have, but it will make it louder.

I think the problem you're having is, like you said, that you're plugging an unpowered microphone into a line-in port. So you really ought to have a pre-amp, to boost the microphone signal to line level. But a pre-amp is going to be a lot more expensive than that microphone. If you have a stereo of some kind with a microphone in and a line out, you might be able to use it as a pre-amp....

 

[katie ta achoo]

Katie, you're always getting the coolest toys!

Have you already maxxed the input volume in the system preferences / sound / input section? I don't know how much of an impact on actual sensitivity that will have, but it will make it louder.

I think the problem you're having is, like you said, that you're plugging an unpowered microphone into a line-in port. So you really ought to have a pre-amp, to boost the microphone signal to line level. But a pre-amp is going to be a lot more expensive than that microphone. If you have a stereo of some kind with a microphone in and a line out, you might be able to use it as a pre-amp....

New, cool toy day is always great! ....when they work correctly! (Apple new toy day is ALWAYS great. Other new gadget days.. not so much. "Where's the printer driver? I hate windows! ah!")

I plugged it in, sat next to the piano and just BANGED on it, and nothing even showed up.
Then, I googled it, to see if there was some problem with specifically mine, and apparently this microphone hates everyone and everything it touches. I'm just gonna return it. The internal microphone is better than this.

I'll just borrow some from the theatre department at school.. muahhaa.