Griffin Technology

How do I record vinyl LPs into my computer in OS X?

In OS X, you can record into iMovie, though it’s not configured well for archiving LPs, tapes, etc. Third party applications are better suited for that. There are so many varied uses for PowerWave, there's no single program we can instruct you to use, but we can instruct you in how to set up the basic PowerWave hardware.

HARDWARE

Turntable Amp/Receiver - for the turntable

NOTE: Turntables require pre-amplification and a special equalization curve (called the RIAA curve). You MAY need the receiver/amp that you would ordinarily use with your turntable, if you don't get enough power from the PowerWave alone.

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 OS X– 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 PowerWave input (the one with the microphone icon), and push the switch on the PowerWave toward the Microphone icon.

STEP 2 OS X– Setting up the PowerWave and recording

Now go to the Speech Preference Pane>Speech Recognition>Listening, and select PowerWave USB audio.

Play your LP and check the signal level indicator in your recording software. You’re ready to hit the Record button and start recording. 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.

A Word about USB Audio and Input Monitoring

Depending on what software you choose, you may be able to monitor what you’re recording through whatever Output you selected in the Sound Preference Pane. 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.

Once you’ve recorded and saved your selection, you can play it back either through your recording software or through iTunes (if you saved it as an AIFF,WAV, or MP3 file). 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.