Headphone Microphone & New iMac

[macduncan69]

Hi all...I am happy to say I am now an iMac owner and have it in addition to my MacBook from a couple years ago. This is very big deal as I am a "Windows PC guy" who has built my own systems etc!!!

I got the new 27" iMac and it is sweet. Don't hate me but I also put Windows 7 on Bootcamp so I can play some games which brings me to my question. One step at a time, don't want to go through complete withdrawal symptoms!

I have a gaming headset (not USB) that has a microphone built in to chat. The iMac does not seem to recognize it at all (the headphones have sound coming out of course) in either Mac OS X or Windows 7. I have the green and pink cables plugged in to the back of the iMac.

In reading the forums, it would seem that the iMac don't have a "regular" mic input jack per se, you have to get a preamp? Is this true? It seems really odd to me, that a new machine would not have a mic input as so many folks use them to chat with skype etc.

So bottom line, is that correct? What would I have to do to get a headset to work so I can have a mic on it?

Thanks so much folks!

Macduncan

 

[Freis968]

You don't need a mic, the iMac already has one built in. Just use your headphones to listen to the game and just talk through the iMac's mic!

Or get a USB based headphone/mic combo. They are cheap enough now and if you just spent over $1500.00 for your new iMac, what is another $30?

 

[macduncan69]

Thanks for your message back. Well the built-in mic captures too much background noise like my dogs etc!

Yeah, I guess I will have to buy a new headset. I spent bunch last year on a really good headset but the mistake was it was not USB!

 

[wodeh]

Or just get a USB audio interface to use with your decent headset. I use my Sennheiser PC156 USB adaptor when I really want to use a headset microphone with my MBP. Most of the time I would use a desktop Mic and a firewire audio interface anyway.

The idea behind the input on Macs is that it's more suitable, I think, for audio junkies who want to push all manner of pre-amped sources into there. But I could be wrong!

The benefit of a USB adaptor is that you can have your headphones plugged into a USB port, and your speakers plugged into the normal outputs of the iMac. Then you don't need to do any hot swapping!

This'll do: http://store.apple.com/uk/product/TV008LL/A

Bonus adaptor for decks and slightly more esoteric audio sources, too!

 

[macduncan69]

Thanks much for the help!