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Robert4

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 20, 2012
659
30
Hello,

Thanks for previous help. Blame my "problems" on old age now.

I have a mac desktop. Running Sonoma. Dated 2021. (24 inch)
Has only 4 connectors in rear; two with the lightning symbol.

I did get the following to work, many years ago, and would like to again.

I wish to send the audio from a sw radio, via a cable, into the mac.
I am using a program that needs it.

Then, I wish to hear it via headphones from the jack on the left edge of the mac

Cannot find any way to port the radio audio into the mac via a cable.
Can't figure out where/how to plug it into the mac.

In the System Settings/Sound, there are only choices for:
Input: i mac Microphone (Built In)
VB-Cable

Input level showing on the Slider volume indicator is always at zero

For output, there is an option for the Headphone Jack.

So, my problem is apparently the Input

**If the microphone option shows only built in, how can I wire in the radio audio's output ?

Use one of the 4 rear connectors perhaps ? Which ?
(the VB-Cable option I have never used for anything)

Thanks for any suggestions,
Bob
 
You have to either 1) get a USB sound card with an input jack and plug it into one of your USB ports (Maybe something like this), or 2) fix a cable that has separate inputs and outputs for the iMac's 3,5 mm jack, which is a combined microphone and headphone jack (Something like this).
 
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2) fix a cable that has separate inputs and outputs for the iMac's 3,5 mm jack, which is a combined microphone and headphone jack (Something like this).
This is a great suggestion, Bob. Get that splitter cable, plus a simple cable to connect the radio output into the splitter cable marked w/microphone symbol. You can still use headphones with your mac via the one marked w/headphones symbol.
 
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