Connecting a Kaossilator to a Macintosh.

Orangepeel · Post by **Orangepeel** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:38 pm

This is a really basic question, and has probably been answered, but I couldn't find anything on the forums already.

How can I connect the Kaossilator to my MacBook Pro? What kind of cable, etc. Once it's connected, how do I record my sounds? Do I need any new software, or can I use the basic free things the computer already has (GarageBand, etc.)?

ricky recordo · Post by **ricky recordo** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 7:10 pm

Kaossilator has an 1/8" stereo audio out jack beneath the KAOSS pad. This is the only connection you have. The easiest way into your MacBook Pro is through a cable which has 1/8" stereo male plugs on each end. One end goes into the Kaossilator, the other into your Mac's 1/8" audio input jack.

Fire up GarageBand, create a new audio track, enable record and you're set to go. You won't have sync capabilites as such, but if you multitrack your Kaossilator in GB using the same tempo on your KO-1 for each trach, you can nudge your tracks into sync by moving them around in GarageBand.

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 11:26 pm

The Kaossilator does not have a 1/8" stereo audio out jack beneath the pad. That is the headphone jack. I can be used for audio out, but that's not its purpose. The Kaossilator has a pair of RCA output jacks in back. Those are the stereo audio line output jacks.

Orangepeel · Post by **Orangepeel** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 11:29 pm

OK, thanks. I'm pretty clueless–what kind of cable could connect those Line Out jacks to my computer?

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:37 am

There's a lot of different options because this is such a common kind of connection these days. The RCA jacks on the Kaossilator are exactly the same as you'll find on any consumer stereo system, with the red and white plugs. The input to the Mac will be the same as any portable stereo audio device like an iPod or PC - a 1/8" TRS (tip-ring-sleave) mini jack. If you go to any store with electronics, they should be able to find cheap chords or adapters that will work fine. You might even have some adapters already at home.

Orangepeel · Post by **Orangepeel** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:28 pm

Ok, so my friend lent me a cable that has the red and white jacks to go into the Kaossilator, and the headphone type jack to go into the slot next to the headphone jack (the one with the two triangles and the circle, which I guess is the audio line-in input jack.) I put it in there, went to System Preferences and Sound and set the input sound to the line-in jack, then went to GarageBand and selected "Real Instrument" for the new track, like the GarageBand help page said to. Nothing worked.

However, I think the computer recognized the Kaossilator, because on the sound volume thing that displayed when I selected the audio input line-in method, the level went up and down when I touched the pad on the Kaossilator.

Also, in GarageBand, when I selected Monitor and changed it to On, a high pitched screeching sound came from my computer. I don't know if that's related.

Any ideas? I thought it might just be that the jack of the cable doesn't go into the computer enough, but it seemed that the computer could recognize the sound levels from the Kaossilator, even though I couldn't actually heard it through the computer.

salamanderanagram · Post by **salamanderanagram** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:32 pm

the high screeching sound is 99% likely to be a feedback loop created by your speakers/microphone (ie, the microphone picks up whatever background noise, send it to speakers, which then goes back to the microphone, back to the speakers, etc.

you probably have the kaossilator plugged into the wrong port or something is set up wrong in garageband.

the cable you mentioned is also likely to be the culprit, if it's sticking out...

DjFluorescent · Post by **DjFluorescent** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:20 pm

get something called a Light Snake... it is a instument cable with a USB for one end.... i run that from my mixer to my computer.... its not stereo but it is a pure signal..... i hate the static that results from direct connection using 1/8 jacks