Help with using amps in my MacBook!

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Hello,

I'm a fairly ignorant Mac user so forgive me if this post is a silly question.

I want to record on my shiny new MacBook and want to plug in my Trace Acoustic TA 100R amp to do so. I've a makeshift XLR (out from the amp) to little jack (into the Mac) but am afraid that it may in some way harm my MacBook! I'm assuming it can handle it, since the point of having garageband is to record but really, really, don't want to kill my laptop.

Can anyone tell me if this is a dangerous/perfectly normal idea?

Thanks x
 
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MacMini 14.3, 8.1 & 4.1, OS 13.5, 10.14, & 10.11 & 10.6; Macbook Pro 8.2, OS 10.12.
That is a super-heavyweight amp for your Macbook. You should proceed with the utmost caution, with output level from the amp so low as to be barely audible through monitor headphones. Once you've established the input level (via G'band) or via the block meter in System Preferences > Sound > Input, then you can tweak the output from your amp to the Macbook.
This advice is given on the basis of Proceed At Your Own Risk.
 
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Ah, thank you. I thought it would be a case of 'at my own risk'. I tried doing a bit of recording last night and so far so good, though, at a ridiculously cautious level. (This was on the reasoning that I've plugged the amp into a MiniDisc to record and a CD player with an auxiliary channel to record and there have been no explosions!) With no money to buy safer equipment I may have to go on in this fashion, I've been advised that as long as I keep the levels low it shouldn't do any harm!

I'm praying that it does not. So if anyone has any horror stories/absolute knowledge please give me a warning!

Thanks x
 

J_K


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I couldn't get anything to come out of my macbook when I plugged my guitar straight into it..
 
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I couldn't get anything to come out of my macbook when I plugged my guitar straight into it..

That's because unless your guitar has active electronics, it's not putting out a signal that can be picked up by your mbp.
 

J_K


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It's a fully active Takamine G series.

I only tried for 5 minutes. I'll have to get my pa/desk out and try using a pre-out from that.
It's just 5 times the size and weight of the macbook lol.
 

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