External Mic/Line In volume very low

[rhix]

Hello,

I have an iBook, and as you all know, there isn't a Line-in input on iBooks. While the mic on the iBook works, I've gotten to the point where I want higher quality mic input for when I'm talking to friends and family over iChat and Skype. I've had this Sony powered mic for what seems like forever now:
http://smb.us.sony.biz/is-bin/INTER...=&PrintThisPage=true&RequestChannel=Education

And I've been trying to get it to work with my iBook. A few months ago, I purchased an external soundcard (M-Audio Sonica Theater), and so I'm trying to use that to connect the mic to the iBook. It works, technically, however the volume is near inaudible. To the point where no one can hear me on their phone when I'm using Skype, and on iChat they need to have their headphones blaring to be able to hear me somewhat. I've used the M-Audio tool to set the gain to max on the line input, and OS X sysprefs says that that device doesn't have any audio input volume controls, so I can't adjust the volume there.

I've tried everything I can think of, but I still just can't get the volume to be anywhere near acceptable. The sound quality of this mic is leaps and bounds ahead of the one built into the iBook (unidirectional vs omnidirectional for one), and so I'd really like to get this working.

Anyone here have some advice for me?

Thanks,

Richard Fillion

 

[MemphisSoulStew]

Sounds like you need a Griffin iMic

Plug your microphone into the audio-in port on the iMic, plug the iMic into a spare USB port, select the iMic as the audio-in source in System Prefs > Sound. Done.

 

[rhix]

Re: iMic

I fail to see what the iMic provides that the M-Audio Sonica Theatre pro does not. The mic rocks, the soundcard has been pretty solid, I really don't see why extra hardware should be required for such a task.

Richard Fillion

 

[MemphisSoulStew]

I fail to see what the iMic provides that the M-Audio Sonica Theatre pro does not.

Possibly better OS X compatibility?

and OS X sysprefs says that that device doesn't have any audio input volume controls, so I can't adjust the volume there.

I'm intrigued by this though. System Prefs > Sound > Input has its own input volume control, regardless of what you select as your input source. See screen shot below. Is this disabled for your sound card?

 

[rhix]

Sysprefs Volume

Right, OS X disables the volume control for the input on that card. Most probably because the drivers (less than perfect, and I've let them know of the issues I have with it) for the M-Audio Sonica Theatre tell OS X that there's no such volume control.

The custom application that comes with the drivers for the card does have gain control for the input, however I have it as high as it gets, and it isn't helping much.

I _really_ don't feel like purchasing more hardware, especially since I'd also need to get a USB hub because I have no free USB ports to get the iMic working. So please, don't suggest more hardware, that really is not an option.

 

[Gravity]

Success with iMic

I have had success with Griffin's iMic, when I wanted to narrate over one of my iMovies.

With that, I used a $49.00 boundary mic I got from Radio Shack...which is very sensitive and useful if more than one person is going to narrate...but needs to be used in a quiet place.

Without the iMic, I've had the same level problems you describe.

 

[deltrotter]

Hi Gravity

Could you tell me what boundary mic you use? Sounds like just the thing I am looking for to do some interviews with my ibook (two people in the same room). I'd get the iMic as well.

TIA

Del

 

[Gravity]

The Boundary Mic I use from Radio Shack

Here you go...

http://www.radioshack.com/product.a..._name=CTLG_007_002_007_001&product_id=33-3022

 

[deltrotter]

Brilliant, thanks Gravity. Just what I was looking for - I'll try to source in the UK.

If anyone can point out one similar in the UK that would be great.

Cheers

Del