Members Bruce Swedien Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 Forumites.... Is it possible to play a CD on a Macintosh G4 using a USB port and a Griffin iMic and just hear the CD as it would sound normally??? Don't forget I am quite computer challenged!!! Bruce Swedien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DontLetMeDrown Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 You cant just pop it in the CD drive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bruce Swedien Posted December 30, 2006 Author Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 Originally posted by DontLetMeDrown You cant just pop it in the CD drive? That's what I did. It normals to iTunes. My high quality sound is hooked up through a USB port to the Griffin. I don't have a high quality amp set up for my Mac. Except through the USB, of course. Normally it's OK, but I am listening to something that is very critical. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Paully Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 Ya, I'm a little confused as to why you don't use the Macs CD drive. That'll give you a truer sound than doing some sort of conversion first. For anyone looking to respond, here's what the imic is: http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/imic/ Best, Paul OOPS. Misread what you're trying to do. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DontLetMeDrown Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 kk, i see you need to go to your settings in itunes and tell it to play thru the imic (or whichever you are trying to play thru) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 I believe what you would do, if I understand this correctly, is that you would click on the Apple (upper left part of the screen) or otherwise somehow go to the Control Panel. Sometimes on OS X, the Control Panel appears as a lightswitch at the bottom of your screen, so you can access it that way as well. Control Panel > Sounds From there, you should be able to allocate which soundcard or other output device goes where. Again, I'm guessing, as I am not familiar with the iMic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 You can adjust the output settings in iTunes, DontLetMeDrown? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ed A. Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 Maybe this will help: From: System Preferences (at the blue Apple menu), select "CDs & DVDs", then you can set what program opens when you insert a music CD: To set up iMic, go to System Preferences (at the blue Apple menu), select "Sound", then select iMic as your input and output: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Extreme Mixing Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 Bruce, Ken is right, you need to assign the outputs of the computer CD player to your audio interface. I think his instructions are for OS9. Here's how it works in OSX. In the upper left hand corner of the screen you will see a blue Apple. Click and hold it to open the drop down menu. Move the cursor down to System Preferences... That will open up a panel. Click on Sound, it looks like a speaker. Select the output tab near the top. That should show you the audio interfaces attached to your computer. All of the sounds, includion the computer CD will now come through the chosen interface. Close System Preferences. Put your CD into the CD drive, iTunes will open, and the disc will load. iTunes will ask if you want to add the CD to your library. You can say yes or no here, either way, you can play directly from the CD at full CD quality. Then just double click on the track you want to play. This should be the best way to play a CD on the computer. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Extreme Mixing Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 By the way, Bruce, you can import the CD into iTunes with full 16 bit CD quality. I think it comes set to AAC. Most people use mp3 because of size, and the fact that there are fewer restrictions on copys and so forth. You can also select .Wav or Aiff if you like. To do this, open iTunes, and find Preferences, or press Apple and , (comma). Click on the Importing tab. Select the format you'd like to use from the list, and you'll be "cooking with gas". There are lots of better interfaces for critical listening than the Griffin you are using. Your Pro Tools interface will probably come up on the list in the Sound panel, too. The problem with using it is that it doesn't share well, and you have to quit Pro Tools to hear iTunes through the 192 interface, and vice versa. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted December 30, 2006 CMS Author Share Posted December 30, 2006 Originally posted by Bruce Swedien That's what I did [put the CD in the computer's CD drive]. It normals to iTunes. My high quality sound is hooked up through a USB port to the Griffin. To paraphrase (invert) the words of the Mac addicts: "Get a PC!" In Windows, there's a way to tell the computer what the default audio device is. I'm Mac-challanged, but I assume there's a way to tell a Mac that. But is your problem that when you stick a CD in the drive, iTunes, rather than some other program of your preference, starts? In Windoze, there's a "CD Auto Play" option that I had to find and turn off in order to let me choose what happens when I insert a CD. However, iTunes may be the ringer. I know that the Windows installation of iTunes is pretty intrusive, and it doesn't give you much of a chance to tell it that you don't want it to try to serve ALL of your audio needs. I suspect that it's pretty much the same way on a Mac. You probably need to do some excavating to drag your audio kicking and screaming away from iTunes and whatever hardware it's driving, and tell it to play CDs using the player and hardware that you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Extreme Mixing Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 Hahahahah. Right Ed. We must have been typing at the same time. Nice graphics!!! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bruce Swedien Posted December 30, 2006 Author Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 Forum-Wallahs..... You folks are the greatest! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! I think my problem is the Griffin. It is a piece of pure unadulterated Dog-Doo! This is an area that I am unfamiliar with. Do you have any suggestions? I want to be able to play a CD from my Macintosh G4....... - As is... And I still need my iTunes. (I love iTunes!!!) Probably from a USB Port.... and to be able to listen through my Electrocompaniet Amplifiers which power my Westlake Audio speakers, and my Mackie Sub-Woofer, which is self-powered. I use a Panasonic DAT Machine to add a bit of level to the Monitor Amps... I guess I need a device that does what the Griffin does.... but far better in Auido Quality! Is there such a thing? Thanks..... Bruce Swedien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ed A. Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 This is probably of the quality you're looking for: MiniDAC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bruce Swedien Posted December 30, 2006 Author Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 Originally posted by Ed A. This is probably of the quality you're looking for: MiniDAC Ed A..... That looks great! Do I need any special clockng device? Many thanks for your help.... Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ed A. Posted December 30, 2006 Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 The clock in the MiniDAC looks like it will be all you need for your purposes. Here's a excerpt from the Apogee MiniDAC manual about the clock accuracy: The clock circuitry of a typical D-to-A converter must be designed as a compromise between the ability to attenuate input signal jitter and the ability to accept any bitstream, regardless of its stability. The more the clock is allowed to track timing variations of the input, the more jitter remains in the clock at the conversion stage, with the degradation of conversion quality as a result. The Mini-DAC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bruce Swedien Posted December 30, 2006 Author Members Share Posted December 30, 2006 Originally posted by Ed A. The clock in the MiniDAC looks like it will be all you need for your purposes. Here's a excerpt from the manual about the clock accuracy: The clock circuitry of a typical D-to-A converter must be designed as a compromise between the ability to attenuate input signal jitter and the ability to accept any bitstream, regardless of its stability. The more the clock is allowed to track timing variations of the input, the more jitter remains in the clock at the conversion stage, with the degradation of conversion quality as a result. The Mini-DAC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ed A. Posted December 31, 2006 Members Share Posted December 31, 2006 ...just make sure you get the version that has the USB option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members amplayer Posted December 31, 2006 Members Share Posted December 31, 2006 Bruce, If you want to get one of these, there is an online store in CA that is currently having a yearend 10% off sale, and they're selling them for $715 before the 10% off. However, TODAY is the last day of their sale. Just make sure to enter YEAREND10 in the coupon area when you check out.audiomidi.com Mini-DAC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ed A. Posted December 31, 2006 Members Share Posted December 31, 2006 Originally posted by amplayer Bruce,If you want to get one of these, there is an online store in CA that is currently having a yearend 10% off sale, and they're selling them for $715 before the 10% off. With the USB option, they charge an additional $180 (notice the "Choose Model" drop-down menu on that web page has two choices). Still a pretty good price though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bruce Swedien Posted January 5, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 5, 2007 Originally posted by Ed A. With the USB option, they charge an additional $180 (notice the "Choose Model" drop-down menu on that web page has two choices). Still a pretty good price though. Ed A. I got it! I installed it! Holy Cow! It sounds incredible.... Of course I mean my new Mini-Dac.... It's a miracle!!! Thanks for your help Ed.... Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ed A. Posted January 5, 2007 Members Share Posted January 5, 2007 You're welcome. Glad you like it, it's a big difference from the iMic, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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