Griffin iMic / USB Audio Interface
iMic was the original USB audio adapter that enabled Mac and PC users to add stereo input and output to their USB computers that, otherwise, lacked the necessary hardware support. iMic allows you to connect virtually any microphone or sound input device to your iBook, PowerBook, PowerMac or other Mac or PC systems with a USB port. iMic supports both mic and line level inputs via a selectable switch, as well as a variable level output for connecting speakers or headphones.iMic's audio is superior to most computers' built-in audio because it uses USB for the audio signal. USB isolates the audio signal from the noisy electronics in your computer, giving you higher quality sound when you record, and higher quality sound output for external speakers.iMic shines as the essential tool for converting your old LPs and tapes into MP3s and CDs. Griffin's audio recording software Final Vinyl for Mac OS X (provided for free exclusively to iMic owners) makes recording old records and tapes super easy, with several advanced features such as waveform-based cue editing and built-in 10-band EQ. Final Vinyl can also equalize LPs without having to connect a turntable to a pre-amp. Just hook the turntable directly to the iMic, and Final Vinyl will record your LPs perfectly.iMic, now updated for modern hardware, provides the perfect solution for almost any audio need.
The Griffin Technology 9066-IMIC2 iMic/USB Audio Interface, the original USB audio adapter, lets you connect virtually any microphone or sound input device to any Mac or PC system with a USB port. iMic supports both mic and line level inputs via a selectable switch, and has a variable level output for connecting speakers or headphones. The iMic really shines as the essential tool for converting your old LPs and tapes into MP3s and CDs. Griffin's audio recording software, Final Vinyl for Mac OS X (provided for free exclusively to iMic owners), makes recording old records and tapes very easy with its advanced features, including waveform-based cue editing and built-in 10-band EQ. You can use Final Vinyl to equalize LPs without having to connect a turntable to a pre-amp. iMic is also an ideal solution for your podcasting needs and for use with GarageBand, iMovie, and Final Cut Pro.
Griffin iMic / USB Audio Interface Accessories
 Griffin Turntable Connection Cable with Grounding
GRIFFIN TECHNOLOGY GarageBand Microphone Cable 3105-XLR
Numark PT01 Portable Turntable
Mac OS X Version 10.5.4 Leopard
Griffin Technology GarageBand Guitar Cable 3101-GTR
Mac OS X Leopard: The Missing Manual
VMware Fusion [OLD VERSION]
Cables To Go 7 Port USB 2.0 Hub
Audio-Technica AT-PL120 Professional Direct-Drive Turntable
Roxio Toast 8 Titanium (Mac) [OLD VERSION]
Griffin iMic / USB Audio Interface Reviews
So this Griffin device worked well with my Sony cassette deck and my Apple computer. I also had Sound Studio on my Apple which has helped me when transferring vinyl, for which I've used my USB turntable, but that's another story. These were cassettes that were old enough to be ready to break. Then I played the cassette and recorded using Sound Studio on the computer. So, this little product arrived and it worked exactly as I wanted. I used this because I had a cassette deck that still worked and an Apple G4 and wanted to preserve some cassette tapes in my iTunes and iPod.
I plugged in the RCA cords I already had (they don't come with this product) from the back of my cassette deck to the little receptors, set the thing on "line" instead of "mic" and plugged the USB into the computer. The important thing is getting the cassette recorded in digital form, and this device made it possible for me to do that. I can say that Sound Studio has worked pretty well for me since it's helped me transfer old vinyl l.p.s and cassettes. The end result actually sounded a bit clearer than the cassette, and of course it's preserved digitally on my computer instead of on these cassette tapes that were about to break, and had some recordings I made back in high school (the 1980's for me.). My first thought was some sort of USB cassette deck, but that seemed unnecessary since I had a cassette deck that worked. How it works with PC's I can't say, since I have an Apple. If you need to transfer some cassettes cheaply to an Apple computer, this should do the job.
Of course once I've made a Sound Studio file I save it on my desktop, then drag that as an AIFF into iTunes and convert that to a smaller file, but that's all pretty simple. I imagine the software they provide would work, but can't say that's the case from experience. It was out of the box and working in minutes. The product comes with some recording software that I can't comment on because I already had Sound Studio downloaded on my computer.
Bought this as a present for my father, who wanted to transfer cassettes to his computer, and it has since provided him with hours of fun. The included Final Vinyl software worked very well too - better than Audacity.
The Apple Store Genius called to my attention this product which solved the problem affordably and was actually what I wanted in the first place. Rather than plugging and unplugging an audio-out connector, one simply selects the choice in the System Preferences menu. This device makes it very convenient to switch between a Mac's internal speaker's to an outside sound system. The audio-out connector on my Mac had a failure due to the numerous making and breaking of connections of the plug.
I play the cassette and (after setting up in the Sound window of System Preferences) capture the incoming sound using Final Vinyl. Terrific product I use it to connect a cassette player to my iMac computer. I then tweak the piece with Audacity and save it in the format preferred (often merely MP3 since these are generally spoken word tapes). Simple and to the point for translating cassettes to digital.
Works about like Pyro, but better for LP copying. Final Vinyl is a pretty neat little program too. All in all, it's definitely worth the price. I would recommend it to any homebound composer, hobbyist, or anyone who just needs the extra ports on their Mac. Honestly, for simple recording/monitoring tasks, this interface works well.
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