Any Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 users?

[tubeswell]

I just got a Pro14 and I'm trying to learn how to use it with my mac. Any tips appreciated.

I'm trying to learn how to configure the MixControl. I had a little exercise in mind where i was going to digitise some of Mrs tubeswell's old cassette tapes for her using thee 3.5mm headphone out jack on her crappy cassette player and either run this into the SPDIF in/out jacks (if they are configurable to accept analog audio as stereo inputs? or is this a pipe-dream?), or into 2 of the TS input jacks on the Pro 14.

I have an iMac intel core i5 2.5GHz with 6GB RAM and a mid 2012 macbook pro 2.5GHZ i5 with 8GB RAM, both with OSX 10.8.4 and a firewire 400-800 cable and Saffire MixControl 3.2. I've tested the Pro14 with the iMac, and everything lights up and synchs and locks as its supposed to.

Both the macs have garbageband '11 (6.0.5) which I am familiar with and which will probably suffice for the DAW for this exercise, and I also have Ableton Live Lite 8 that came with the Pro 14 (which I am only just learning how to use).

So can the SPDIF in/out ports be configured as stereo analog inputs in the MixControl?

TIA

[PRR]

> thee 3.5mm headphone out jack on her crappy cassette player and either run this into the SPDIF in/out jacks (if they are configurable to accept analog audio as stereo inputs? or is this a pipe-dream?)

Keep smoking.

SPDIF is pure digital.

My silly PC has a Line Line jack. Headphone outputs can go right in there. Dunno if Macs have that. If not, adapt adapt the headphone out to 1/4 plug into an external sound-"card".

For this project (if I didn't have a pre-ground axe that fit my hand), I'd use Audacity. It has the basics for stereo recording and track-chopping. It's free. Get it from the home site audacity.sourceforge.net , NOT from popup-ads you may see in forums (these are loaded with "enhanced installers" which try to sell you other crapola). One possible drawback: they can't give you the MP3 encoder (it's not free). They do give you a link to a link to get an MP3 encoder of dubious legality; it does work fine IF you can get it installed right. If you are on a Mac and targeting iPod you may be able to AAC encode it which is fine.

[tubeswell]

Thanks PRR. I realised afterwards what 'SPDIF' stood for,  and then I used a 3.5mmTRS to 2 x 6mm TS cable and plugged it into the mic pre inputs. Got a reasonable rendition considering the crappy quality of the cassette deck.