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Consumer-Grade Audio Input Options for the Mac?

Posted by Cliff on from the what-sound-does-an-apple-make-when-it-hits-the-ground dept.

hypnos asks: "With the recent release of the Creative Labs Extigy, I'm wondering if there are any remotely similar options for Mac users. What I really want is a way to get several audio inputs, a mic pre-amp, and MIDI-IN all in one box, and attached to some protocol (USB, FireWire) that'll let me use it on my desktop or my laptop. Does anyone know of such a device? And barring that, are there sub-$500 PCI-type options that will allow the same things (without the notebook portability, obviously)?"

7 of 16 comments (clear)

  1. apple.com by chrismear · · Score: 2

    No experience of Mac audio myself, but I'm guessing Apple's own page on Music and Audio is a good place to start.

  2. More... by chrismear · · Score: 3, Informative

    Also, a quick Google search brought this up: The Tascam US-428 has 4 channels of audio plus MIDI, and has actual sliders and transport controls that can control your recording software. And this online store has a whole page of USB audio interfaces.

  3. Tascam US428? by mopp · · Score: 2, Informative

    Have you considered the Tascam US428? It performs as a bright-blue hardware interface to your sound software (a stripped down version of Cubase is included, although you may be unimpressed with the 'Mac version coming soon!' bit).

    It's got a USB interface, MIDI I/O, 4 inputs, 2 outputs, and may meet many of your needs...

    I'm trying to locate one in Sydney at the moment (with limited success), so I cannot give a review of its capabilities, but if it lives up to the product blurb, it could be nice! (any tips from fellow Australians?)

  4. iAudio iInput by nadie · · Score: 2, Informative
    On the most basic level, there is the iMic

    A bit (lot?) more capable is a couple of USB Digital Audio Processor's from Onkyo, a MSE-U33HB and a SE-U55

    I don't have any direct experience with these, but a quick Google search should turn up several reviews.

  5. UNIVERSAL serial bus... by Howie · · Score: 2

    So much for the promise of USB. Why not hassle Creative into providing non-Windows drivers for their existing unit? That's the way it's supposed to work - you have one device for all USB-capable computers...

    Heck, we might even get *nix USB drivers out of it.

    --
    "don't fall into the fallacy of believing that Perl can solve social problems. Maybe Perl 6 can, but that's a ways off"
  6. Re:Try the M-Audio USB Quattro by clifyt · · Score: 2

    The Midiman / MAudio stuff is pretty good...they've actually worked with Apple to get the latency down to near realtime speeds for their Delta 1010.

    To be honest, I'm not sure why this was a /. question...go to any of your local music stores and ask there. Most pro musicians are STILL Mac despite what others may tell you (usually bedroom musicians are more likely to tell you Windows is the predominant music OS...because thats what they have and what they can pirate easily).

    After you've checked out your local music store and found there are dozens of options stop on over at Sonikmatter.com as we have tons of knowledgable users that work on Macs and all have different audio interfaces).

    clif marsiglio
    editor
    sonikmatter.com

  7. There's this thing called a search engine. by Wakko+Warner · · Score: 3, Insightful

    For God's sake, USE IT!

    Google is your friend.

    - A.P.

    --
    "Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"