MacBook Sound Card - Mono or Stereo?

Is the sound card (specifically, the external mic jack) of the MacBook mono or stereo? Thanks.

Thanks! I can't figure out, then, why my portable guitar amplifier (Rockman) will not play through my MacBook. It should be a simple thing. You connect a mini-jack stereo cable from the line out of the amp into the external mic jack of the computer. It works perfectly on my PC. But on the MacBook, there is no audio output whatsoever. GarageBand does pick up a signal that you can hear when playing back a recording, but it's a neutered signal and nothing like what you hear through headphones from the amp. I was told that it might be because the sound card of the MacBook is mono, and the Rockman requires stereo. But I guess that's not the case. Very frustrating! I'd like to record with my MacBook. Do you think this issue is worth a trip to a Genius Bar?

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Noise when recording - Macbook - sound card problem?

Hi, I'm recording with Garageband on my Macbook, and everything sounds fine through the monitors, but once I start recording, it picks up this cyclical, scattered hiss (very hard to describe, kind of like a hiss rolling it's R's). It's not any of my plugged-in equipment, because it records this noise even when it is recording "nothing", with no mics or anything plugged in. It's very apparent on quiet tracks, not so much on busier compositions, but it makes doing any real instrument recording untenable. Is this a fault in the sound card? Is the program recording a vibration from the processor? The hard drive? I am flummoxed. Would a USB or Firewire audio device suffer from the same issue? Help!

I used to have this problem too. Try this: Just record like 10 seconds of seomthing, anything... even silence, with the macbook plugged to it's power source(ac-adapter) then do the same thing... but unplug it from its power source so that is is running solely on battery power. My prediction is that you will hear a significant difference. Turns out, the buzz of the computer charging, while very very very very slight, will be picked up. (if you dont notice this diference, then I am full of crap and cant help you)
So here's what you do: Get an interface that plugs into usb or firwire. I use the iMic. Very simple and works great.

Sound card to home stereo speak

Right now I have my home stereo speakers hooked up by using the line out on my sound card going into the stereo receiver. I would like to eliminate the receiver and have my pc connected right to my stereo speakers. How can I do this? I dont think that the sound card has enough power to dri've the speakers. Is there a Creative product out there that will do what I am trying to do? If so what is it, I would like to buy it.

You must have a power?amplifier between equipment providing a line-level output, such as a soundcard, and the speakers. Speakers draw high currents and line-level output just won't work. Creative don't make separate amplifiers, they are incorporated into their speaker systems. If you want to save space then you could get one of the 2. speaker systems, but if you want quality, then hi-fi speakers and a nice power amp will be the best option.

MacBook Sound Card

Hello, everybody.
I have a black MacBook, 2.4 GHz, and I ran a PA through it once while trying to mix audio and it blew out the sound card and the speakers. I would like to be able to use the headphone jack again, but it doesn't work; I was wondering how I could fix this problem, preferably by purchasing a new sound card and replacing it myself if this is possible.
Thank you very much for your time.
Colton

Kappy,
In that case, I'm not sure whether it's the motherboard's chip or the speakers. How can I tell if it's just the speakers that blew out? Reason I ask is because I can't put headphones through my computer anymore; the sound just doesn't work, and I don't know much about computer hardware but I'm assuming this is an internal problem with the computer, as opposed to the speakers. However, the speakers play but they've been clearly ruined, with the sound being very quiet and distorted at best, and occasionally the speakers will make weird popping noises for no reason. Thank you for your reply, Kappy, and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Colton

HELP....need a good sound card that works with Windows 7 64 bit

I've searched the internet and I'm seeing that folks are struggling with getting sound cards to work with Windows 7 (particularly the 64 bit systems). I know there are stability issues with the 64 bit system but I'm looking to install a decent sound card to improve stereo sound from my HP Pavilion (h8-1260t). The onboard sound is OK, but I'm looking for higher fidelity and the shortcomings of the stock sound chip is noticeable when played through my hi fi system. Don't really need 'surround sound' (I'm not a gamer) but I'm assuming any card that comes with this feature will also produce a quality stereo signal. I also like to archive music from steaming sources and have found a significant loss of sound quality once the track is saved. I'm assuming a good sound card will help with this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Spauld, welcome to the forum.
I suggest finding a sound card that you like and contacting the manufacturer's Customer Service to assure its compatibility with Win7 64-bit. They are the experts on their products. While I am not a fan of dedicated sound cards because their drivers are conflict prone, I would buy a Creative Soundblaster. They have been proven over time.
Please click "Accept as Solution" if your problem is solved.
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MSI 965 Platinium sound card issue

Hi folks,
Does anybody have any clue how to convert the sound card into pure stereo one. I have a set of Logitech speakers model X-230 (left, right and the subwoofer). From the sound card driver I can pick whether I want to use a headset, 2 channel speakers, 4 channel etc. However in either of these setting the two speakers tend too be supplied with just the "surroud effect" signal so when watching movies or playing music, vocals are really flat and indistinguishable. Tis really pi..es me off. The speakers sound fantastic on my wifes laptop on stereo output! And I just can not make the sound card working with an output of pure stereo signal. In the past I had Gigabyte mainboard and could switch between stereo and 5.1 system activating/dis activating/disactivating specific outputs. This does not seem the case for P965 unfortunatelly.
Any clues how to fix it? Cheers lads.

Yes, I can change the setting in the panel, but does not change the type of the output signal. The vocal part is somewhat buried/flat. This is particularly annoying when watching movies.

Is there any Sound card 5.1 include stereo mix that working with MacBook Air such as Creative Labs SoundBlaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro Entertainment System ? and if there any another sound card can you tell me what is it please ? Thank you.

Is there any Sound card 5.1 include stereo mix that working with MacBook Air such as Creative Labs SoundBlaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro Entertainment System ? and if there any another sound card can you tell me what is it please ? Thank you.

Okay, I did my best searching and I couldn't find anything that matched all your descriptors. I did do a search on both decoder numbers. SB0256 returned very little results, but with SB0466, I was able to find this ebay listing:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...6_fvi%3D&_rdc=
This card isn't a Champion like you suggested. And with my complete lack of knowledge, I don't know what I/O dri've bay means. But since it is PCI and the decoder matches the number you gave me, this card should be adequete, right?
Whether it works or not, my search indicated it might be very hard for me to find that card (or any PCI card for that matter). Everything I saw was out of stock. I know this is a forum for Creative, but are there any other manufacturers that will allow me to accomplish my goal, either with current cards, or discontinued cards? Thanks again
Oh, and I will vote on that thread. I probably won't wait for them to release the decoder since I need it now, but I still believe Creative should be giving the customer what they want

Sound Card Problem in Macbook Pro

I recently bought a 15" Macbook Pro with Retina Display form Apple Store in Singapore. I am kind of clueless as to why the Sound Card goes undetected in few occasions after a reboot. It is running Yosemite OS X 10.10.2, with Intel i7 Quad-Core 2.2Ghz Processor, 16Gig Memory, 256Gig Flash Storage.
Any help would be much appreciated to prevent this little annoyance of Sound Card "disappearing" when I boot into OS X. Thanks.

System Preferences/Universal Access/Hearing.
Uncheck “Play stereo audio as mono”

Stereo Microphone Sound Cards

LabVIEW has a set of SI-Config/Read/etc VI's that take data from the computer's microphone input. A configuration option is Mono-versus-Stereo. Does anybody have a list (or even one example) of Stereo sound input cards that work with these LabVIEW SI VIs? (Including information such as: Microphone or Line level)
Thanks,
[email protected]

Les,
I apologize for any confusion. What version of LabVIEW are you using? I know 7.0 has the example, but I�m not sure what other versions have it. I�ll attach it in case you still want it, but it looks like you have more of a hardware issue/question.
The sound VI�s make dll function calls to C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 7.0\resource\lvsound.dll. Any mic or line in input should be configurable through this dll. It can handle both mono and stereo, 8-bit or 16-bit. These parameters are returned from the dll call from �SI Read.vi,� and can be viewed directly but putting indicators on the outputs from the dll call inside �SI Read.vi.�
Most any newer sound card should be compatible with this dll. I�m surprised y
ou are having problems. What model/manufacturer sound card are you using? Most cards are now configurable for both input and output. I have an integrated sound card on my home computer. I was able to configure the three lines (line in, line out, and mic) for 6-channel output, 2 channels per line. I�m pretty sure I could configure them all to be inputs as well, but it just depends on the manufacturer.
I just tested the attached VI here at work. I�m on a Dell gx150 with their standard integrated sound card with a line in, line out, and mic. I was able to pick out a sound signal by plugging my speakers into the mic input and tapping them a bit. The line in didn�t work the same, but that may be because I wasn�t using an amplified mic (simply using my speakers).
Let me know if anything here helps, and if not, I�ll be happy to keep digging. Thanks, and have a great day!
Robert M
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
Robert Mortensen
Software Engineer
National Instruments
Attachments:
Sound_Card_Simple_Spectrum_Analyzer.vi ‏67 KB

Can I connect a USB 2 sound card to a Macbook equipped only with USB 3 ports?

Hello,
I just learned I might have to purchase a new Macbook because my USB ports are fried and I was looking at purchasing a refurbished Macbook pro from 2012:
http://store.apple.com/ca/product/FD101LL/A/refurbished-133-inch-macBook-pro-25g hz-dual-core-intel-i5
the only trouble is I make music with a MOTU Audio Express sound card, and it only has a USB 2 port and a bus-powered Firewire (which I don't like using since it hasn't been too reliable in the past).
http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/audio-express/summary.html
Unfortunately, it seems that the Macbook I'm looking into purchasing only has USB 3 ports, and I looked for info on USB 3->USB 2 adapters online and this simply doesn't seem to exist. The only info I managed to find on this subject was this little bit on the Apple website:
Can a USB 2 cable be used to connect a USB 3 device to my computer?
If the device end of the cable fits into the connector on the device, yes. However, because it has fewer wires, you won't get USB 3 speed and power may be limited to 500 mA.
does this mean that I can connect a USB 2 cable from the USB 2 port of the MOTU sound card to the USB 3 port on the Macbook? I'm OK with the power and the speed being limited to USB 2 power, I just want to make sure I can actually use my sound card with this new Macbook.
Thanks!

I think I'm understanding this a bit more now.
Here is the cable that I use:
http://www.amazon.ca/USB-Cable-Type-Male-Black/dp/B00183I7EE
The Type A part is the one that I'm currently putting into the Macbook and the Type B part goes in the sound card.
Would this work with a USB 3.0 port on the Macbook?
Thanks for your time and patience...

[SOLVED] Sound Card not recognized on Macbook (5,1)

Hello,
I had no problems installing Archlinux on my Macbook (5,1). In fact, the first time I followed the Wiki's instructions for installing ALSA, I could play sounds just fine. However, ever since my first restart, the ALSA daemon complains that I have no sound cards installed. lspci shows that it sees an audio device, but /sys/modules/snd no longer exists. I do not know much about useful diagnostic information for this situation, so please let me know what else could be of use.
Thank you,
Rob
Last edited by rennis250 (2009-07-28 20:58:00)

I had forgotten that I installed OSS, which caused conflicts with a previously installed copy of ALSA. Once I removed OSS completely, rebooted, and went through the ALSA setup again, I had fully working sound. This problem can be marked as solved.
--Rob

Sound cards macbook air

I am looking at buying the newly released macbook Air for travel.
I am heavily into audio recording and presently use a MOTU sound card with my home i Mac.
I was wondering if any one has a specific recommendation for a sound card that is portable yet functional with the new MBAir.
Your input would definitely be appreciated.
Thank you
RJC

Hopefully one of these steps should solve the problem.
1. System Preference > Sound > Output > Internal Speakers
    Highlight Internal Speakers / Headphones
    Make sure Mute is not enabled.
2. Remove the headphone.
    If you see red light in the headphone port, plug the headphone
    in and out of the port 5 or 6 times to flip the microswitch inside.
    Sound output may be stuck in the digital mode.
3. Reset PRAM. http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4405
4. Reset SMC.     http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
    Choose the method for:
    "Resetting SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own".
5. Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup
    Audio Devices window
    Side Bar
    Click the Built-in Output.
    Under Mute any of the boxes checked? If so, uncheck it.

Change between mono- and stereo-sound

My question is if there is any way to change between mono and stereo sound on the ipod nano 3th generation...?
Thanks for help!

Are you not getting stereo? What are you listening with - maybe there's a plug problem...
Does it sound like stereo from iTunes?

What is the name of the sound card in an early 2011 MacBook Pro laptop?

What is the name of the sound card in an early 2011 MacBook Pro laptop with Mountain Lion?

The largest HDDs for MBPs are 1 and 1.5 TB in capacity. For details I suggest that you look at the OWC website for compatible drives.
Ciao.

USB Sound Card: dual stereo output?

I recently bought a Channel Audio Sound Card Adapter which would channel sound through my computer's USB port. Pretty standard it would allow for Stereo headphone out and microphone input:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-2-0-Virtual-7-1-Channel-Audio-Sound-Card-Adapter-3 D-for-XP-Windows-7-Mac-/321480885369?pt=UK_Computing_ComputerComponents_SoundCar ds&hash=item4ad9c10479
I opted for it so I could control from my menu bar where the sound was being directed: http://www.cnet.com/uk/how-to/how-to-quickly-change-audio-output-in-os-x/
However I do not need the microphone in, but do need a second stereo headphone out and would like to know if:
a) A USB adapter exists that will encompass two stereo headphone ports, not a microphone?
b) Whether OS X will be able to distinguish the two so I can control which headphones are in use at any one time from a single USB Sound Card dongle? (note: I am not looking for a Y splitter)
I have read of some OS X software called "SoundSource" from RogueAmoeba, but this has been retired - it would allow for me to flip the microphone port so it would transmit sound, even through the microphone socket, I might have been able to get around it like that? Is there anything else that may be available that could do the job?
Also, I was wondering, if I had to get another USB Sound Card, could I use a USB splitter so that I could plug two USB spun cards into one port and with no loss of quality? USB ports are a premium on my computer.
e.g.
http://www.amazon.com/HDE-Compact-Travel-Speed-4-Port/dp/B009G47NG0/ref=pd_sim_e _14?ie=UTF8&refRID=014JJGAHPFBYASDRCG1B

Hello,
I'd avoid the bus powered 4 port adapter & get an AC powered 4 port hub...
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/MacAlly/TRIHUB4/
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/MacAlly/TRIHUB7/
Audio Midi Setup in Utilities can do some Port aggregation.

MacBook Sound Card - Mono or Stereo?

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