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Drew n macs

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 16, 2010
85
1
I have a mac mini and I some times use the audio out and feed it to the audio in for sound effects quick sound clips from the internet in imovie. I will like to sell my mini and get a 13 MBP pro but it has a shared port so i was going to get a usb audio port that has 3.5 mm jack. Am I on the right track? Any suggestions?
 
You can use Audio Hijack (Pro) to capture the sound that goes through your sound card, so no need for external adapters.

And the sound will not be converted during that process, as when you output sound to the 3.5mm port and use a 3.5mm stereo cable, the digital sound gets converted to analog, and then gets converted to digital again when you use the audio in port.
 
You can use Audio Hijack (Pro) to capture the sound that goes through your sound card, so no need for external adapters.

And the sound will not be converted during that process, as when you output sound to the 3.5mm port and use a 3.5mm stereo cable, the digital sound gets converted to analog, and then gets converted to digital again when you use the audio in port.

I am really new to this... where would I get audio hijack (pro)?

thanks
 
Would this only be for recording the audio feed on your computer? If so, Audio Hijack is the way to go.

If you plan to ever use low-impedance earbuds with your MBP, though, you might like the USB audio interface just to avoid the noise on the MBP audio bus.
 
Would this only be for recording the audio feed on your computer? If so, Audio Hijack is the way to go.

If you plan to ever use low-impedance earbuds with your MBP, though, you might like the USB audio interface just to avoid the noise on the MBP audio bus.

it was for the audio feed. but good to know.

how about for hooking up computer speakers?
 
it was for the audio feed. but good to know.

how about for hooking up computer speakers?

For hooking up speakers you should be fine with the built-in audio jack (or USB ports if you get USB speakers). The noise on the jack is really only a problem if you're using super low-impedance earbuds like the Etymotic ER-6.
 
"I will like to sell my mini and get a 13 MBP pro but it has a shared port so i was going to get a usb audio port that has 3.5 mm jack. Am I on the right track? Any suggestions?"

From today's DealMac:
http://dealmac.com/lw/artclick.html?1,363319,1137118

Looks like this can convert an open USB port into an analog in/out sound port. Might be a good "workaround" against the combined single audio in/out port of the 13" MacBook Pro.

Not necessarily the most "elegant" solution, but a simple low-cost one that works....
 
I have a mac mini and I some times use the audio out and feed it to the audio in for sound effects quick sound clips from the internet in imovie. I will like to sell my mini and get a 13 MBP pro but it has a shared port so i was going to get a usb audio port that has 3.5 mm jack. Am I on the right track? Any suggestions?

An external USB audio interface can have quite a bit better audio quality than trhe built-in audio ports if you are willing to spend the $$ for a good quality interface box. But most all the cheap (under $80) ones are not as good as the built-in audio.

What to get depends on your needs. for driving cheap "computer speakers" just about anything will work as the speakers themselves are the weak link. But for driving high end headphones or studio monitor speakers you will want an audio interface of comparable quality. The good stuff is not cheap.

But if all you want to do is capture sounds that are already in the computer you are MUCH better off using software. "Hijack" or the like can capture the sound with zero loss of quality
 
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