Best Way To Output Sound from IMac W/O Audio Interface?

I'm looking for a cheap way to output the sound of my imac, with the best possible sound quality. I was searching ebay for cables. Looking for something with USB to Stereo RCA outputs. I found this http://www.ebay.com/itm/190535663354?ss ... 500wt_1398 but seems that this would only be to input Audio/video, anybody know if it would work both ways as inputs or outputs? Or any other suggestions on cables, would be appreciated.

if you want quality, without an interface, you would be better off exporting the file and transferring it that way. You don't mention what you are trying to do with the sound.

Are you trying to feed an MPC or other hw sampler?

Are you trying to feed your monitors/speakers just for listening or mixing?

Are you trying to burn a CD from a project made in a DAW?

You need to be more specific as to what you want. There are a ton of things to do with audio, and a ton of ways to get each one done.

1/8 to rca or 1/4 cable should do it depending on the socket type you got on receiving end...unlike pcs apple computers got decent builtin sound card.

Doesn't your iMac have built in digital I/O?

cozy wrote:if you want quality, without an interface, you would be better off exporting the file and transferring it that way. You don't mention what you are trying to do with the sound.

Are you trying to feed an MPC or other hw sampler?

Are you trying to feed your monitors/speakers just for listening or mixing?

Are you trying to burn a CD from a project made in a DAW?

You need to be more specific as to what you want. There are a ton of things to do with audio, and a ton of ways to get each one done.

I will be using Native Instruments kontakt 4 as a sound module, sequenced in the mpc, connected to the imac with a USB to midi cable. I want to sample the kontak 4 sequences in to the MPC. I have a numark x5 dj mixer which master outputs connect to my mpc, with a aux/mic input which i would like to connect my IMac to.

konc3pt wrote:1/8 to rca or 1/4 cable should do it depending on the socket type you got on receiving end...unlike pcs apple computers got decent builtin sound card.

I tried this but the sound still isn't very good.

clint246clint wrote:Doesn't your iMac have built in digital I/O?

Yes it does, I think. Could I go directly into my MPC 1000 digital input? What cable would be needed?

ralphyartis' wrote:

clint246clint wrote:Doesn't your iMac have built in digital I/O?

Yes it does, I think.

Worth looking into.

1/8" to 1/4" should be the ticket. You said that it didn't sound good though. Why? Was it to quiet, or was it muffled, distorted? What kind of cable did you use (brand)? Do you have another one to try out? Maybe it's bad. I don't use s/pdif, so I can't comment on that, but the above mentioned cable should work fine.

Just get a damn interface!

DJ Hellfire wrote:Just get a damn interface!

+1

I got two words for you, OP - Pawn Shop!!!

Besides, you're not going to be able to get your music ONTO the computer without an interface; unless of course you run both the outputs of the MPC and the computer to mixer which then outputs to an external CD burner, burn your beats to CD, and then rip them back to the computer. Long process, lots of cd's laying around, and you always have to buy cd's, unless you get re-writables.

cozy wrote:1/8" to 1/4" should be the ticket. You said that it didn't sound good though. Why? Was it to quiet, or was it muffled, distorted? What kind of cable did you use (brand)? Do you have another one to try out? Maybe it's bad. I don't use s/pdif, so I can't comment on that, but the above mentioned cable should work fine.

Its a radioshack cable, it might be bad but not likely, i never heard anything decent comin out those outputs, always noisy.

DJ Hellfire wrote:Besides, you're not going to be able to get your music ONTO the computer without an interface; unless of course you run both the outputs of the MPC and the computer to mixer which then outputs to an external CD burner, burn your beats to CD, and then rip them back to the computer. Long process, lots of cd's laying around, and you always have to buy cd's, unless you get re-writables.

I had a mixer with usb but i just sold it. it was great but i need the money for bills. Anyway my plan is to mix my beats all in the mpc, songs with vocals and everything. Save to my MPC HD then transfer to computer through usb when im ready to burn cds. so thats pretty simple. so the idea is using the Computer and kontakt simply as a sound module. I only need to output the sound.

ralphyartis' wrote: Anyway my plan is to mix my beats all in the mpc, songs with vocals and everything. Save to my MPC HD then transfer to computer through usb when im ready to burn cds. so thats pretty simple. so the idea is using the Computer and kontakt simply as a sound module. I only need to output the sound.

Why? That computer is a powerful mixing tool.