recording w/ GarageBand

[evilredhed]

I am a lowly college student who hasn't had a music class yet. But I just got a tasty new powerbook for school, and am excited to find out that it comes with garageband. My question is this:

For somebody just messing around like myself, would running an output from my mixer to the mic input on the laptop be sufficient for recording? I have read that some people like to use firebox or similar equipment, but I dont feel like spending more money than I have to.

 

I dont know if this information makes a differance or not, but I would like to record piano and guitar. The mixer I use is a Mackie 1202-VLZ Pro. I plan on simultaneiously connecting a crappy synth for drums etc. via midi.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[JeffLearman]

Is it really a powerbook or an iBook?

Powerbooks usually have a line input, which is what you want to use. Get yourself an adaptor cable from Radio Shack. Make sure the 1/8" end has a stereo connector (tip/ring/sleeve) so you can record stereo if you want. (Get an RCA to 1/8" stereo cable, plus two RCA-to-1/4" inline adaptors, to connect between mixer and line input.)

 

If your computer doesn't have a line input, get a Griffin iMic for the cheapest line input solution (USB). While you're waiting for it, you can try using the mike input, but expect poor sound quality & high noise -- those mike preamps are terrible, and you're really not supposed to plug a line output into a mike input. Probably won't hurt the Mackie, and won't hurt your Mac.