Its been a while …
Finally moving off my Mac mini 2009 with audio in plug
to Mac mini 2018 sans audio in plug.
I see a Thunderbolt hub that includes audio in and audio out plugs.
On the 2009 setup,
I had a phonograph, tape deck, connected to $15 amp.
I connected the amp through the audio in plug
and recorded with Audacity.
Would the audio plug on the hub work the same way?
If it has line inputs, yes. Any USB audio interface with line inputs should work. The Behringer UCA202 (or UCA222) is popular and relatively inexpensive.
A line input is compatible with the regular the standard RCA audio outputs on a CD/DVD player, TV, or the “tape” output on an older stereo etc. They will also work with a headphone output (if you have the correct adapter cable).
Line level connections are NOT compatible with microphone connections. A line level signal is about 100 times stronger than a microphone signal and the mic input on most laptops or regular “USB soundcards” is mono.
Thanks for the info.
Here is what I was looking at
This is my orininal setup
The mini is thunderbolt 3
You’d have to check if the audio input is a mic or line input, or if it’s configurable.
I don’t see any type / model mentioned for your device - so I can’t say whether this would work for a recording setup. Do you really need so many USB ports (whose functions are not clear to me), Thunderbolt, Display port, Ethernet, etc.?
I’d suggest you get a device labeled as “external sound card” to connect to your new Mac mini via USB. In this forum I often see the “Behringer UCA 202” recommended, which is around 20-25 US$. You’d probably also need an adapter cable from the old USB to USB-C. However, since I do not own such a device, I can’t tell anything about quality.
I myself still use a “Griffin iMic” - but this has been discontinued a long time ago - with an iMac running Sonoma and a MacBook Air running Sequoia.
You have to shop carefully. Most “USB soundcards” like this have only mic-in and headphone-out. Some have a single mic/headphone combo jack.
Well, I’d not call this an “external sound card” - rather, an adapter for old-fashioned, 2-plug headsets (mono microphone and mono or maybe stereo headphones). I have two of them here collecting dust.
Its a CalDigit TS3Plus+
Unconfirmed factoid: the headphone plug on the 2018 Mac mini
is a TRRS RCA jack, so it has a microphone sound in
As I understand, this would not help me.
Yes, that is the case - but it is a mono sound-in only it it is not a line-in. It is designed in a way that you can use it with a “headset”, for video conferencing and similar things.
I already pulled the trigger.
Will let you know how it turns out.
We have all been warned about the trials and tribulations
that come from being on the “bleeding” edge.
Well I am here to tell you being a studied laggard is no picnic either.
Thunderbolt 3 devices and adapters are going extinct.
The trick is to buy them new at closeout before they begin to show up on eBay.
I missed out on all the Thunderbolt 3 adapters Apple had,
This item was still available, new, $100 off, free shipping.
Pretty sure they will not be making more.
I took a chance.
Will let you know how it works out.
I plan to be on Mac mini 2018 and Mojave for the next 10 years.
Corporation computer terminal attached to a corporate mainframe,
been there, done that,
do not want to go back.
Good luck… but the 2018 Mac mini is still supported to use the “latest version of macOS” (which is macOS 15 “Sequoia”), according to MacTracker. So, no need to stay behind…
