Audio Adapters Replace What Apple Omitted
Apple was the first personal computer company to build sound-recording circuitry into its products. Macs have been able to record digital audio since 1990, back when Microsoft Windows’ sonic repertoire went something like this: beep.
Apple recently chalked up another first: It has become the first computer company to remove sound-recording hardware from its products. Many of the newest Macs, including the Power Mac G4 towers, the iBook and the PowerBook G4, lack recording circuitry and audio-input jacks. In an era when virtually all Windows computers include sound-recording circuitry--and when computers are commonly being connected to stereo systems and musical instruments--Apple has taken a trip back to 1989.
But hey, it’s probably saving $1.63 per computer in manufacturing costs.
Audio gurus will quickly point out that the Mac’s sound-recording circuitry wasn’t up to professional standards. They’re right. But many people don’t need or can’t afford pro-quality audio. The Mac’s built-in audio hardware was more than adequate for amateur musicians, for school music labs and for users who wanted to try out the Mac OS’s speech-recognition features or Internet telephony products.
Several third-party manufacturers have stepped in to fill the void. I tested a sampling of products ranging from $35 to $895. Although numerous audio cards are available that plug into a Power Mac’s PCI expansion slots, I concentrated on external products that connect to a Mac’s Universal Serial Bus, or USB, port--and thus work with slot-free Macs such as PowerBooks and iBooks.
The best low-cost audio adapter is Griffin Technology’s $35 iMic. The 2-ounce, yo-yo-size iMic has a jack for a microphone or other audio source as well as an earphone jack.
The iMic doesn’t have a microphone, however. If you want a mike for applications such as Internet telephony and speech recognition, there’s MacAlly’s $49 iVoice. The iVoice is only slightly larger than the iMic, and it contains a microphone as well as sound input and output jacks. But the iVoice has a flaw: When you connect an audio source to its input jack, its microphone remains active. This makes the iVoice useless for tasks such as digitizing old records in preparation for a CD burning session.
Mac-based musicians should take a close look at Tascam’s $499 US-428, which combines high-quality digital audio recording and playback, a multitrack mixer and jacks for connecting to electronic instruments via the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI. Elegantly designed in metallic blue, the US-428 includes software for both Macs and Windows.
The versatile US-428 also acts as a remote controller for audio programs such as Mark of the Unicorn’s Digital Performer. When you press the Play button on the US-428, your audio software goes into playback mode. When you adjust the US-428’s mixer knobs, your audio software’s on-screen knobs move in concert. Being able to control audio software by pressing real buttons eliminates groping for the mouse and shuffling among numerous windows.
A few rungs higher on the price ladder is Swissonic’s $849 USB Studio D. The USB-based Studio D lacks remote control and MIDI features, but it does pack high-quality audio circuitry and sports more audio inputs and outputs than Tascam’s US-428.
Some audio professionals report delays when playing multiple audio tracks via USB, which wasn’t designed for fast, real-time data transfers. Apple’s FireWire technology, however, was. Mark of the Unicorn’s $795 MOTO 828 adds pro-quality recording and playback to FireWire-equipped Macs or Windows machines. The 828 also includes AudioDesk, an excellent multitrack audio recording program.
Look for FireWire to play a growing role in personal computer audio. Yamaha Corp.’s mLAN technology uses FireWire to transmit both audio and MIDI information--eliminating USB delays and the spaghetti of cabling that chokes most studios. If it catches on among instrument manufacturers, it will greatly simplify setting up a music studio.
Assuming that Apple doesn’t decide to save 74 cents on each Mac by eliminating FireWire jacks.
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Jim Heid is a contributing editor of Macworld magazine.
