I recorded [almost] every JC performance I attended, from 1987.
This evening, for the thousandth time, I pulled out my pile of antiquated recording devices with the intention of hooking one of them up to a somewhat less antiquated Mac computer that actually has ports that could facilitate transferring audio files.
Some background: my audio recordings are primarily in two caveman formats. The earliest ones are on microcassette (late 80s to late 90s). The later ones are on minidisc. The earlier ones are really bad quality. The later ones are absolutely phenomenal quality. My concern now is the later ones. They are extremely high quality digital recordings . . . but for the past 2+ decades it has been impossible to transfer them intact to another format. Thank you, Sony, and eff you.
At this point I have decided to try copying them analogue. I have my mom’s iMac that has an in-port. So this evening I thought I would give it a shot.
So I spent about two hours rounding up the audio equipment and connectors. I haven’t rounded up the actual recordings yet, but I can see them right now. I got Mom’s old iMac up and running.
But the mouse is not working. STOP. DONE.
That’s where I am now. Hunting all over my effing house trying to find a mouse that will allow me to use the ancient iMac.
I have at least half a dozen mice. Mouses. I have just spent HOURS looking for them.
I have been trying to get my minidisk recordings OFF of Sony’s “proprietary format” for more than 20 years!
I found a mouse.
I have yet to find a way to do what I want to do. What I want to do is copy audio files. (Actually, what I really want to do is duplicate digital to digital to a format NOT MINIDISC. But for now if I can make analog copies I will feel like I have accomplished something.)
Turns out the old iMac is too old for updates so there is no way to get software onto it. NEXT!
My 2021 MacBook Pro, it turns out, has a combo headphone/microphone 3.5mm port. I Plugged in my Sony MD player/recorder (the same one I used to record the performances). I got Garage Band up and running. Oh. My. Fing. Gawd! It worked! But I was in the middle of doing something else. I left everything EXACTLY as it was and finished what I was doing.
The next day I went back to continue. Guess what? It didn’t work anymore!
After many futile hours trying to make it do what it had done the day before, I found a Youtube video possibly offering a (ridiculous, really ridiculous) solution . . .
That’s where I am now. I ordered from Amazon all the (ridiculous) intermediary connectors as well as a cheapie unpowered microphone. At the time I ordered, Amazon promised all of these connectors would arrive yesterday. Ahem. I got the headphone/mic splitter yesterday. The cheapie microphone arrived today. Neither has solved my problem. I await the, er, “4-way to 3-way” or maybe “TRS to TRS” connector. It was very confusing trying to figure out exactly what hardware to order. And mind you, I have absolutely ZERO dollars for this shtuff!
I may have to add to this entry depending on what happens when/if the last connector arrives.
Meanwhile. WHY did it work and then not work??????