Once your project window opens, you'll need to specify the microphone you want to use. Selecting the correct project will load the required presets for the work you're doing. For the purpose of this tutorial, I'll be selecting Vocals. Launch GarageBand and select a new project that best suits your need. The benefit of recording with GarageBand is that you can record your audio directly in to a project that you're working on.
GarageBand is a great app for those wanting to learn how to make music on the Mac. We can use GarageBand to record external audio from different sources in the same way we have used QuickTime Player to do so. GarageBand is one of Apple's most popular apps and has been included free with Mac purchases for quite a number of years. It's only when you compare the built-in microphone to a dedicated USB version that you notice how much of a difference it sounds in comparison. Your browser does not support the audio tag. Here's another one I did with my Samson Meteor USB microphone. Here's a test recording I did with my MacBook Air's built-in microphone. If you change this to Audio only, a compressed MPEG-4 version is created that is still of a high quality.
Keeping the Format option as Movie will retain the quality of the recorded audio. Rather confusingly, QuickTime offers to save audio as a movie format. You can save your recording by using the File > Export menu. Once you've finished recording, press stop. Hit record and speak into the microphone. Unless you're going to be recording for hours or have very little space left, you can use the option Maximum. You can also select the quality you want to record in. Tip: You can have multiple audio devices plugged in at the same time and your Mac will only use the one you select. You can select which input device you wish to use easily by using the input selection menu.
If it's not already selected, pick the built-in microphone. Select the triangle icon on the right-side to bring up the list of currently enabled audio input sources. QuickTime Player's record functions are quite sparse, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. A rather inconspicuous window will appear with very few control options. Open QuickTime Player and, using the menu, select File > New Audio Recording. Let's test this by recording some audio from our built-in microphone. The Mac includes two easy methods of recording external audio without the need for any additional software, QuickTime Player and GarageBand.Įver since QuickTime Player X was released, it has provided some very simple ways of recording audio from external audio devices.
Now that I've covered some of the basics of getting audio in to your Mac, let me look at the software options.
The Peavey XPort is a USB device designed specifically for electric guitars. If you don't have a dedicated line in, USB devices such as the Peavey XPort provide a suitable input and are designed specifically for electric guitars. Currently, the only Mac models that have a dedicated line in port are the Mac mini and Mac Pro. If you have an electric guitar, you'll need to make sure you have a line in connection on your Mac. The Blue Microphones Snowball USB mic is a popular microphone for budding musicians and podcasters. These types of microphones offer a high quality of sound and can be used to record conversations, vocals and musical instruments.
Occasionally, some devices use proprietary drivers so double-check before spending any money.Ī popular USB microphone that's a good all-rounder for recording both vocals and musical instruments is the Blue Microphones Snowball USB Mic.
Mac OS X supports the ASIO (Audio Stream Input/Output) standard which the majority of USB devices are developed for.
Tip: Always check with the manufacturer before purchasing and audio interface. Many of them are fully Mac compatible and require no drivers to install, they simply appear as a usable audio input device in System Preferences. Whilst your Mac will likely have a built-in microphone (with the exception of the Mac mini and Mac Pro) which can be used, the quality is mediocre at best.įor the best results, it's recommended to use a dedicated audio device such as a USB microphone that best suits your needs. If you're wanting to capture audio such as vocals, musical instruments or even just dictating notes, you'll need a way of getting that external audio in to the Mac. In this tutorial, I'll look at the different ways you can capture and record audio to include in your future projects. But no matter how good your musical or conversational aspirations are, they'll be for nought if we can't effectively capture our music or record our conversations. Whether you're wanting to become the next Bob Dylan or start your own podcast, the Mac has some of the best software around to help you make this a reality.