With programs like Garageband and iMovie bundled with OS X, its easy to begin working with music and video. While the included audio output (headphone jack) does its job, its hardly something that can handle professional work. For those starting out who want something that they can use, yet doesn’t suck, I’ve compiled a list of five quality portable audio interfaces that cost less than $300.
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Five Portable High Quality Apple Friendly Audio Interfaces That Won’t Hurt Your Wallet
The Easiest Ways to Record Internet Audio in OS X
Out on the internet there’s tons of great content to listen to. Dj mixes, internet radio, special broadcasts, foreign news and programming and much more. Listen to your old college radio station. Supplement language learning by listening to foreign broadcasts. Found something great that you want to listen to again and again? Its easy to record audio off the web. I’ll show you how.
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The Easiest and Cheapest Way to Convert Your Records, Tapes, 8-Tracks and More into CDs or .MP3s – Part II – Advanced Techniques
In Part I we learned how to get the audio into the computer. Now we will expand upon that using Audacity, an Open Source audio editor. We will examine four different situations and how to correct them – Silence or unwanted noise at the beginning and end of a song, Multiple songs in one large audio file, and Continuous DJ style mixes where there is no clear beginning or end. (more…)
The Easiest and Cheapest Way to Convert Your Records, Tapes, 8-Tracks and More into CDs or .MP3s – Part I
Just a few years ago, before it was easy and cheap to record onto a CD, we used cassettes for recordings, mix tapes, band practice, and tons of other purposes. Before cassettes, it was 8-Tracks, Reel to Reel and Vinyl. Now that old collection of cassettes, records, and other media is gathering dust in the basement, closet or attic.
For quality and durability reasons, I’d never advocate throwing out vinyl although it can take up a ton of space. As a former DJ, I know how much fun it is to lug around crates upon crates of records from place to place. For tapes and other magnetic media, they will deteriorate over time. A common question that I’m asked is “How do you transfer these tapes / records onto the computer?”
Its actually easy but it does take time. OS X comes equipped with all the software you need to do this on a basic level. (more…)
How to use your SanDisk Sansa e200 Series .mp3 player with OS X
SanDisk’s Sansa series of .mp3 players are compact, well built (except for the scroll wheel..) and all around a good deal for the price. I bought my e280 about a year ago and I enjoy it. It works without problem and does what its supposed to. I enjoy the ease of just dragging and dropping folders of .mp3 files into the music directory. No PC iTunes, no weird proprietary software and best of all – no Windows Media Player nonsense. There’s only one thing that I can’t stand about it – No OS X support.
Fortunately, I dug and dug through forums and open source software and learned you can get the Sansa e280 to work under OS X. (more…)