PROBLEM:
I am trying to hook up an iRig Pre to a 2014 Mac Mini so I can record into Garageband from a Shure SM48 microphone plugged into the iRig. The Mac Mini has two 3.5mm ports one marked for Headphones the other Line In.
SCENARIO 1:
If I plug the iRig into the Line In port of the Mac Mini and open up System Preferences Sound I will get an acknowledgement of “Audio Line In”. However I will not get any meter reading in the Input Level of the System Preferences window. If I open Garageband I will not get any signal either, and no sound from the SM48 will go through my speakers plugged into the Mac Mini’s Headphone port. Also no sound will go through the iRig’s 3.5mm Headphone port if I plug the same speakers into that. This is regardless if I turn on the +48v phantom power or not. However when I unplug the iRig Garageband tells me an audio device has been removed.
SCENARIO 2:
If I plug the iRig into the Headphone port of the Mac Mini and open up System Preferences Sound I will get an acknowledgement of “External Microphone”. However I will not get any meter reading in the Input Level of the System Preferences window. If I open Garageband I will not get any signal either. HOWEVER, if I plug my speakers into the Headphone port of the iRig while its output is plugged into the Headphone port of the Mac Mini I will be able to hear the SM48 through the speakers. If I unplug the iRig from the Mac Mini Headphone port the speakers plugged into the iRig Headphone port will go dead.
SCENARIO 3:
If I plug in my generic Earbuds with Microphone into the Headphone port of the Mac Mini and open up system preferences I will get an acknowledgment of “External Microphone” and I will get meter readings in the Input Level of the System Preferences window. If I open up Garageband I will get a signal and be able to record off the microphone in the headphones. If I try to do the same with generic microphone headphones in the Line In port of the Mac Mini I get the same results as SCENARIO 1.
Any help is much appreciated.