Irig2 doesn't work with iMac

[troyp42]

Hello, I just brought an Irig2 hoping to connect it up to my late 2009 iMac. However I cant get it to work in AmpliTube or garage band. Ive tried a standard Cale from my guitar to the Macs inout port and can get garage band to work that way but not the Irig2.
I cant even see an input signal in audio settings.

Ive selected line in for the audio settings and in GarageBand and I can hear a humming coming from my amp speakers but other than that it simply doesn't work.
Ive tried the input in jack and the headphone jack.

[Peter_IK]

In order to work with Macs, your Mac must support the proper connection which can be checked on your system. Please see the iRig 2 Specs page for more information.

[troyp42]

Well that page says most Imacs from 2008 onwards support Irig2 and mine is a late 2009 but I dont see"External Microphone / iPhone headset" appearing under my audio specs.

So I suppose that means mine isn't MOST iMacs from 2008 onwards which seems strange as mine is your standard iMac so to say MOST Macs seems a bit misleading. I wouldn't say its most IMacs at all.

if I had known that before I brought it I wouldn't have bothered.

[garfy]

What OS and which Late 2009 iMac?

[troyp42]

What OS and which Late 2009 iMac?

It’s the 27 inch large 3.06 ghz core 2 duo running Mac OS high Sierra 10.13.3. Latest version.

A standard cable worked ok from guitar to input port with garage band so I thought the Iris would too. So I really don’t know why I bothered buying the Irig2. I should have got the irig2 HD but it was $200. Au.

[troyp42]

So should it work with my model IMAC?

[garfy]

That iMac definitely has the hardware for the correct connection of the iRig2, so I'm surprised that they don't show up in your Hardware Overview>Audio.

Without appearing to be glib, you have got the iRig2 plugged correctly to the Audio In/Optical Digital Audio in port, denoted >O<, and your headphones plugged out of the headphone out on the Mac? If they're connected to the iRig2 I can't see that working properly.

Failing that, do you have an iOS device so you can check that the iRig2 is definitely working correctly?

For what it's worth, I don't own an iRig2 I'm just guessing based on specs etc.

[troyp42]

This is all I get.
Devices:

Built-in Microphone:

Input Channels: 2
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Current SampleRate: 44100
Transport: Built-in
Input Source: Internal Microphone

Built-in Input:

Default Input Device: Yes
Input Channels: 2
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Current SampleRate: 44100
Transport: Built-in
Input Source: Line In

Built-in Output:

Default Output Device: Yes
Default System Output Device: Yes
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Output Channels: 2
Current SampleRate: 44100
Transport: Built-in
Output Source: Internal Speakers

I am plugging it into the audio in/Optical digital audio port but also tried the headphone port just in case. BUT..I wasnt using any headphones plugged into the IRIG2. I expected to hear the guitar come out through my amp as I had a lead from the guitar to the Irig and another from the Irig to the amp.

If I use it with my iPhone or my iPad it works fine. I can hear it if I plug headphones in and I can also hear it through my amp with the effects

[garfy]

If I use it with my iPhone or my iPad it works fine. I can hear it if I plug headphones in and I can also hear it through my amp with the effects

At least this shows the iRig2 is working

I expected to hear the guitar come out through my amp as I had a lead from the guitar to the Irig and another from the Irig to the amp.

Is this the same if you have the switch set to 'Thru' instead of 'FX'? Howabout if you disconnect from the iMac and set it to 'Thru'?

Sorry for the questions, but diagnosing problems over forum is a clunky affair...

With regards to the Hardware>Audio, in the top right hand box you should see Devices and Intel High Definition Audio with drop down arrows. Under Intel Hi-Def etc, you should see a list of 8 items and External Microphone/iPhone Headset should be number 7.

[garfy]

Hmm, might've thrown you a bum-steer here. I don't normally use the in/out jacks on my MBP (which should be identical to your iMac's) but it would appear that the headphone output also has a discrete input for the Apple EarBud's mic in. So, all things being equal, the iRig2 should be connected to the headphones out on your iMac, not the input jack.

But, you've already said you've tried that, so something else must be the issue.

[troyp42]

Yeah I did try the headphone connection and it didn’t work either. I do get a loud buzzing sound out from the amp when I connect to the Mac.

It does work if I switch to Thru. I can hear the guitar in the amp but obviously without any effects.

I checked my system properties and I don’t have intel high definition audio listed anywhere.

Perhaps I will test the headphone port with some earbuds and see if the port works as it should. Problem is what am I supposed to set garage bands input as? Same as when I use the other audio input? Input 1??

[troyp42]

To use your iRig, make sure to connect it to the Headphone Jack on the iMac (not the line input). In your Audio software settings, make sure to select "Built-in Microphone" (not "Line Input"), for the iMac to recognize the iRig as an input device connected to the headphone jack

I just found this info in another post. One thing I don’t think I did was select built in microphone. So maybe that’s why it didn’t work. I don’t recall even seeing an option to choose built in microphone but I’ll check tonight when I get home.

Thanks for your help with this problem. Much appreciated.

[troyp42]

Well it works with the headphone jack and built in microphone selected but the buzzing and noise is shocking even with the noise gate turned right up. I’m thinking I should have saved the money and got the Irig2 HD but it’s $199 compared to $65 for the irig 2.

[garfy]

Well it works with the headphone jack and built in microphone selected but the buzzing and noise is shocking even with the noise gate turned right up.

Ok, well at least we're getting somewhere.

So, is the buzzing/noise coming from your guitar amp, once the signal has made the round trip through the iMac and software? Are you using the AmpliTube app or Garageband?

It may be useful to take your guitar amp out of the equation for the moment and check to see what's going on inside the software by listening to the output of the iMac using headphones. Now you have got the iRig being handled as a microphone input by the iMac, you have got a number of different places where gain is being added and so it might be a case of going to each one in turn and finding out what is adding the noise.

As far as I can tell, you've got the gain control on the iRig itself, in System Preferences you have an Input Volume Level for the 'mic' and then you have an input level on the AmpliTube app. All of these will have an effect even before you get the signal into your virtual amp where more gain (and noise) could be being added depending on the setup used and then the signal gets back out to your guitar amp, where even more gain can be added. I'm afraid it'll be a little bit of trial and error, but proper gain staging will hopefully minimise the noise.

[troyp42]

Well the noise isn't as bad through headphones as it is on my tube amp. I tried turning the gain down and the noise gate up but Ive noticed that every time I pluck a string the noise is there in the background.

Its also not as bad on my Line 6 Spider3 amp either but is still there. Sometimes it just makes random noises like its picking up Alien chatter.

Today I started amplitube to register it after I finally managed to get a serial number from support and it would randomly go into a feedback squeal.

Do yothink the Irig2 HD would solve all these issues? If so maybe I should fork out the bikkies and get it.