Macbook Pro 13 inch Audio Breakout box

[bpazolli]

One of the main disadvantages of the Macbook Pro 13inch in my opinion is the fact it only has only one audio port which is the stupidest thing you could do to a computer I think. The other one is the fact it doesn't support the HDMI standard properly in that it doesn't send audio through the HDMI cable (which I think is one of the greatest conveniences in connecting your laptop to a tv ever).

However while looking at the apple website I noticed that the audio port supports the iphone headset. So I made an adaptor that used the iphone headset connector and broke it out into two standard female 3.5mm audio ports (microphone/line in and headphones/line out). This worked and I wonder if I'm the first to do this as though I didn't look that hard I couldn't find anyone else doing it.

Basically what you do is take a connector like the iphone one (I used this one) (Also called 3.5mm stereo audio & video plug) and then set up the wires as such,

iphone plug
Pin 1 (top) Headphone Pin(1) top Left Channel Audio
Pin 2 Headphone Pin(2) Right Channel Audio
Pin 3 Microphone Pin(2) and Headphone Sleeve Ground
Sleeve Microphone Pin(1) Microphone Signal

Then you have full stereo audio through your headphones and can record from an external audio source at the same time with just standard computer mics. The quality is pretty great as expected (i.e. the same as doing one or the other normally on their own). It took me all evening to make and my connector is a bit dodgy cause I'm crap at soldiering but I think I'll find this very useful cause as a musician. I often want to record while monitoring and not through the internal mic.

 

[DVD9]

One of the main disadvantages of the Macbook Pro 13inch in my opinion is the fact it only has only one audio port which is the stupidest thing you could do to a computer I think. The other one is the fact it doesn't support the HDMI standard properly in that it doesn't send audio through the HDMI cable (which I think is one of the greatest conveniences in connecting your laptop to a tv ever).

However while looking at the apple website I noticed that the audio port supports the iphone headset. So I made an adaptor that used the iphone headset connector and broke it out into two standard female 3.5mm audio ports (microphone/line in and headphones/line out). This worked and I wonder if I'm the first to do this as though I didn't look that hard I couldn't find anyone else doing it.

Basically what you do is take a connector like the iphone one (I used this one) (Also called 3.5mm stereo audio & video plug) and then set up the wires as such,

iphone plug
Pin 1 (top) Headphone Pin(1) top Left Channel Audio
Pin 2 Headphone Pin(2) Right Channel Audio
Pin 3 Microphone Pin(2) and Headphone Sleeve Ground
Sleeve Microphone Pin(1) Microphone Signal

Then you have full stereo audio through your headphones and can record from an external audio source at the same time with just standard computer mics. The quality is pretty great as expected (i.e. the same as doing one or the other normally on their own). It took me all evening to make and my connector is a bit dodgy cause I'm crap at soldiering but I think I'll find this very useful cause as a musician. I often want to record while monitoring and not through the internal mic.

Another example of "It just works?"

Not for 1200 bucks apparently.
--

 

[yaniv]

Did you get it to work with an electric guitar ?

Hi,
I just read your post, and it is exactly what I'm tying to do.

When I plug the 4 contacts plug I can hear computer sounds (music/videos) and while watching the input volume meter in Sound Preferences I can see that my guitar sends the correct signals.

The problem is, that when I'm plugging my guitar using this method, and launching GarageBand or Guitar Rig there is a constant feedback that I couldn't get rid of.

Have you encountered problems like this ?

 

[Matth345]

You can send audio down hdmi from the minidp so what is the problem?