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Connecting to USB-C as input sound source w/mini-jack & USB-C adapter

I am trying to connect an external sound source to my MacBook M1 so it can used with GarageBand.


Guitar amp...

> headphone output

> mini-jack cable

> USB-C adapter

> MacBook USB-C input

> System Settings or GarageBand input sound source

> Record to a track in GarageBand


I don't see a sound input source for the USB-C. System Settings and GarageBand only show the internal mic and a set of bluetooth headphones that I regularly use.


How do I select any incoming sound source through the USB-C? Or won't the mini-jack cable and USB-C adapter idea work in this scenario? If not, what is the correct way to connect the amp using its headphone output using a mini-jack? It has to convert using an adapter, right? Or does Apple not allow this?


I thought that what I was doing would work, but alas...


Thanks in advance :)


MacBook Air 13″

Posted on Feb 20, 2023 10:07 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 27, 2023 9:05 AM

Thanks for the heads up and the suggestion. I bought a few different cables and adapters to give me some choice in case some didn't work, but alas, none of them did.


I have since tried the cables and adapters on other devices, and they all work fine, so it's Apple playing silly yet again by wanting to control how and what *we* use on *our* machines that *we* paid for. It's very frustrating.


Anyway, thanks once again, and if I ever learn of a hack I will update you :)


btw, what machine and device were you successfully able to connect? And, do you still have the link to where you bought your cable and adapter? I should buy exactly the same.


Cheers


[Edited by Moderator]

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3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 27, 2023 9:05 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks for the heads up and the suggestion. I bought a few different cables and adapters to give me some choice in case some didn't work, but alas, none of them did.


I have since tried the cables and adapters on other devices, and they all work fine, so it's Apple playing silly yet again by wanting to control how and what *we* use on *our* machines that *we* paid for. It's very frustrating.


Anyway, thanks once again, and if I ever learn of a hack I will update you :)


btw, what machine and device were you successfully able to connect? And, do you still have the link to where you bought your cable and adapter? I should buy exactly the same.


Cheers


[Edited by Moderator]

Feb 27, 2023 9:21 AM in response to inknpaper

I'd still like to know more about the USB-C adapter. It seems to me that many are output only - ie. they allow you to use regular headphones connected to a USB-C port.

Some, like the one Apple offers for the iPhone, support both input and output.


I don't recall when or where I got the adapter that I posted. Maybe it came with one table mic that I once bought.

It does work fine on my mac, connecting a pc microphone to the pink plug and common headphones to the green one.


Here is a similar one:


https://www.amazon.com/Headset-Separate-Microphone-Headphone-Adapter/dp/B01FNL3VA6

Connecting to USB-C as input sound source w/mini-jack & USB-C adapter

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