How do you get digital audio into a new MacBook Pro? NB. No input socket!

[MitchT]

My Brother is planning on buying a MacBook Pro so he can record digital audio at 96KHz into Audacity. The audio will be coming down a digital optical cable. This will work fine on my 2008 MacBook Pro as it has an optical input, but the new ones don't. Recently the separate input socket was removed from MacBook Pros and the output doubled-up as an input - it could be switched between the output/input functions in the Sound System Preferences pane, but this feature no longer exists. So, what will my Bro need to purchase to attach the digital optical cable to his MacBook Pro for recording into Audacity?

[muzines]

I still see an audio line in and out on the current 15inch Macbook Pros.

The smaller 13 doesn't have it, and neither do the Retina MBPs, but those are both different things.
http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/

So get a 15inch MBP or buy an audio interface.

[MitchT]

I still see an audio line in and out on the current 15inch Macbook Pros.

That’s bizarre! I couldn’t find any pics on the Apple store with a visible input, nor was such a thing listed on the tech specs for any of the models, but I’ve managed to find some more pics where it’s clearly visible. I Googled and found some pretty angry debate raging on other forums about the limitations caused for musicians by the input having been removed, so I’m not sure what has motivated that if it’s still there! I’m meeting my brother on Sunday, so I’ll bob into my local Apple store on Saturday just to confirm 100% before I see him. Thanks Desmond.

Edited to add:

Okay, I’ve spotted the problem – I was looking at the pics for the Retina model – they show no audio input. If I click on the non-Retina model and scroll down I see the same pic that you’ve linked to with the input clearly present. How would you go about recording audio into one of the Retina models if they don’t have an audio input?

[jonesy]

He'll have to buy an audio interface - there are dozens available at all sorts of prices, offering different levels of quality. Surely, if he wants to record at 96KHz, he would want something better than the built-in input anyway?

[electrotimba]

Only old 15` (and 17`) unibody MBP have separate line in (absolutely useless, never ever used it for anything), on all other the "phones" can be switched to line in (Preferences>Sound>Output)

[Guy Johnson]

Ahem! i've used the audio input on my MBP, and it functions perfectly well; albeit it's not as good as on my RME Fireface 800 ...

[ken long]

Ahem! i've used the audio input on my MBP, and it functions perfectly well; albeit it's not as good as on my RME Fireface 800 ...

As a digital input, it will be no different to your FF.

[ken long]

Surely, if he wants to record at 96KHz, he would want something better than the built-in input anyway?

Not necessary for digital input capture.

[jonesy]

Whoops - should have read original post more carefully..... missed the 'inputing a digital signal' bit - apologies for writing nonsense.

[chris...]

On the Macs I've used, the digital-in is combined on the same socket as the analog line-in.

I believe this is the widget you need to connect a regular optical digital audio cable:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/toslink-to-mini-toslinkconverter-292...

[muzines]

On the Macs I've used, the digital-in is combined on the same socket as the analog line-in.

Yes, and I have one of those adaptors just in case (but never needed to use it).

However the OP is saying that all current MBP's *except* the 15-inch Non-Retina MBP no longer have a line-in socket at all (just a headphone output).

If the OP wants a line in, he'll have to get the 15-inch non-retina MBP, an older model second-hand, or buy a regular audio interface.

[Tui]

So much for progress and Macs being designed for creative types.

Honestly. I used to get a warm and fuzzy feeling when thinking about Apple. No longer.

[muzines]

So much for progress and Macs being designed for creative types.

Honestly. I used to get a warm and fuzzy feeling when thinking about Apple. No longer.

As someone else said - there are many "pro" features that Apple laptops had, that were only used by a small percentage of users (but they were highly valuable to them). These things get removed over time. Things like removing the Expresscard slot to be replaced by a consumer camera SD card slot, losing FW ports, losing external display ports and so and so. Apple target these machines to the consumer market these days, unfortunately, so the more demanding professional types will always lose out.

At the same time the machines are great and there are usually workarounds or more expensive ways to continue to do what's needed, so we shouldn't complain too much - they are amazing machines for the money.

[chris...]

However the OP is saying that all current MBP's *except* the 15-inch Non-Retina MBP no longer have a line-in socket at all (just a headphone output).

Ah, OK. I'd got the idea he was specifically planning to choose an MBP with the onboard digital in, but could very well have read that wrong.

[benniferj]

So to try and push this forward...

Does anyone who has a Macbook Pro with only a single minijack socket... Can you go in system prefs and select this to be an audio input which DOES work as a digital input? Or can it only work as an analogue input?

I am aware that the ones with seperate line in/Hphone out jackets let you use digi in/out

Does that combo socket only do digi-out or does it do digi-in when selected too?

[Tui]

At the same time the machines are great and there are usually workarounds or more expensive ways to continue to do what's needed, so we shouldn't complain too much - they are amazing machines for the money.

I think "we" (as in, the folks that use this stuff professionally) should complain a lot more. Are we so brainwashed, when having features and opportunities removed, that we thank our corporate masters for making our lives more difficult? Think about it: For reasons that probably are a combination of penny-pinching and one-size-fits-all arrogance, Apple has removed features (such as ports and PPC support, which is important to me), that were, and still are, extremely useful to a segment of their user base.

Macs are premium products, with premium price tags. If all you're after is surfing the net for entertainment and education, you might as well buy an Acer or similar...In fact, that's what I did today for a relative, at 14000 Baht or 478 USD. Nice little machine, 4GB RAM as standard. The cheapest MBP is 1,296 USD. That's 2.7 times more expensive. Would a MBP provide for a 2.7 times better browsing experience? I don't think so.

I just about had it with Apple.

[Guy Johnson]

Ahem! i've used the audio input on my MBP, and it functions perfectly well; albeit it's not as good as on my RME Fireface 800 ...

As a digital input, it will be no different to your FF.

I meant audio/analogue, rather than data/digital

[ef37a]

http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/manuals/Transit-USB_Manual2.PDF

Job's a good'un?

Dave.

[ken long]

Ahem! i've used the audio input on my MBP, and it functions perfectly well; albeit it's not as good as on my RME Fireface 800 ...

As a digital input, it will be no different to your FF.

I meant audio/analogue, rather than data/digital

I know you did but that's OT.

[MitchT]

Does anyone who has a Macbook Pro with only a single minijack socket... Can you go in system prefs and select this to be an audio input which DOES work as a digital input? Or can it only work as an analogue input?

The single socket version was initially switchable between output and input in the system prefs, but it no longer is. You'll need an interface.

Incidentally, my Bro bought the last new 2.6GHz non-retina 15" MBP from our local authorised Apple reseller yesterday. All is well!