iMic: How do I record vinyl LPs into my computer in OS 9?

SOFTWARE

If your Macintosh is running System 9.1 or later, you already have all the necessary
software – iTunes and SimpleSound.

HARDWARE

Turntable
Amp/Receiver – for the turntable

NOTE: Turntables require pre-amplification and a special equalization curve (called the RIAA curve). You need the receiver/amp that you would ordinarily use with your turntable, since you can’t connect it directly to the iMic.

Cable – You’ll need a cable that is at least a few feet long, with two RCA male connectors on one end and a stereo mini 1/8″ male connector on the other.

STEP 1 – Connecting the hardware

Set up the turntable/amp combo near the computer. For monitoring, you might want to connect your stereo speakers or headphones to the amp also. Where you connect the RCA connectors depends on your amp, of course, but generally you’ll be connecting to something like “Tape Out” or “Aux Out”, etc. Connect the 1/8″ stereo mini jack to the iMic input (the one with the microphone icon), and push the switch on the iMic toward the Microphone icon.

STEP 2 – Setting up the iMic

Now go to the Sound Control Panel, and select
Line In…USB Audio under Input.

Activate the Check signal level box, play your LP and check the signal level indicator. If the signal level indicator is lighting up, you’re ready. If you’re not seeing input at this point or the play sound through output device is grayed out, go to the I’ve Got Problems! section of the iMic FAQ.

A Word about USB Audio and Input Monitoring

Just above Check signal level is one marked Play sound through output device. If you check this box, you’ll be able to hear what you’re recording through whatever you selected in Output. So why wouldn’t you want to do
that? Because USB Audio has a known latency problem. There’s a delay between the time the sound goes into the computer and the time you hear it. That’s why we suggest connecting your stereo speakers or headphones, so you can monitor in real time.

STEP 3 – Recording

Once you’ve got a good input level on the iMic, open the application SimpleSound. Play some of the LP to double check volume levels – you can check by watching the speaker icon in SimpleSound. Hit Record, start the LP and hit Stop when you’re done. You’ll then be prompted to Save the selection. Give it a name and tell the computer where you want the track saved.
You can now play that selection, using SimpleSound, or get fancier using iTunes.

You might as well use iTunes since it’s easier to manage and more versatile. So open up iTunes, and select New Playlist under File Now grab the file you just recorded and drag it on top of iTunes. It will show up under Song, and you can double click on it to listen. Or you can go a step further and convert it to an MP3 by selecting Convert to MP3 under Advanced. You’ve now encoded a song, which any computer based or portable MP3 player can play. You can also burn it to CD, but that’s another story and another day.

Congratulations! You now have the basics down. iTunes is a great program, but you might find SimpleSound a little……well, a little too simple for your needs. There are a number of free and shareware programs available. For examples and links you might check these

Knowledge Base