iMac G4 built in microphone

ibrowseibrowse
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
The other night I got home to my girlfriend's sister using my computer, talking to people on iChat, listening to music in iTunes, etc. She left right after I got home, and I remember her saying something about the iMac getting 'froze up' so she couldn't do anything. She said it was ok though, or something, I wasn't really listening to her. So just about an hour ago I start SoundStudio to record a new bass line I wrote to see how it sounds, and everything I record sounds like tinfoil being stepped on. So I open every application I have that can record audio through my built in microphone, even hit up MacUpdate.com for a few more, and it's the same everywhere. Then I glance down at my desk and see a safety pin sitting on my desk that I didn't remember being there before, glance up at the little tiny hole in the bottom left hand corner of the iMac's LCD display that has the microphone in it, and I'm not sure if I should be afraid or scared. I'm guessing that since she uses PCs 95% of the time, she figured that the tiny hole was a restart button that had to be pushed with a safety pin. I'm also guessing that my built in microphone is probably trashed now... Anybody know of anyway to find out if that's it, or to fix it with out spending loads of money somewhere? Anybody ever had trouble like this with theirs?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    Aw nobody...? Well, at least you have your microphone still...
  • Reply 2 of 9
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    No, no one has ever stuck a safety pin into the mic in my iMac.







    Wonder what that's worth to repair...
  • Reply 3 of 9
    ryaxnbryaxnb Posts: 583member
    Just get a new mic. They're cheap ($10 $15.) If you need an adapter, they're cheap too.
  • Reply 4 of 9
    macusersmacusers Posts: 840member
    ouch... ya just get a external one i guess.. this is not fixable... at least not cheap
  • Reply 5 of 9
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    Damn... I don't have any more USB ports open, and I don' want to buy anything. Ah crap, whatever. Thanks guys
  • Reply 6 of 9
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Take the iMac to an authorized Apple service center and make the wench foot the bill!



    She trashed a very expensive piece of your property. I wouldn't just stand idly by. Someone's gotta pay for it. What would you do if she, say, gouged the tires on your car with an awl?
  • Reply 7 of 9
    crazychestercrazychester Posts: 1,339member
    I don't own an iMac but they have an audio line in, don't they? If you recorded something from a CD player or tape deck using the line in and it sounded OK, wouldn't that at least add weight to your safety pin in the mic theory?



    Also, I haven't tried yet but I thought you could record musical instruments through the line in using a preamp. Is this not possible or is there some other reason you don't record that way?
  • Reply 8 of 9
    jante99jante99 Posts: 539member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by crazychester

    I don't own an iMac but they have an audio line in, don't they? If you recorded something from a CD player or tape deck using the line in and it sounded OK, wouldn't that at least add weight to your safety pin in the mic theory?



    Also, I haven't tried yet but I thought you could record musical instruments through the line in using a preamp. Is this not possible or is there some other reason you don't record that way?



    Only the 1Gzh or faster iMacs have line in.



    Get an iMic: high quality in and out for only 35 bucks.
  • Reply 9 of 9
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    I would have to get her to say she did it before I told her that it was busted. I can't really go at it all angry-like because my girlfriend's mom lets me stay in the basement/apartment virtually rent free, and my girlfriend's little sister just recently discovered how much I go out partying and I don't really want to piss her off considering there's a large quantity of empty beer cans and liquor bottles in various spots in my room. Or the fact that she saw me and a friend wandering around the yard at like 3 am on Vicodin, these are the things she's not really supposed to know about being only 15, which is another reason she couldn't fix it, she has no job and/or money. She's still Mommy's little money spender, and I don't want to make her mom pay for something that will just cause a bunch of arguments. I'm gonna look into getting it fixed more, since I want it to work because I want to sell the iMac to get more money for a PowerBook...
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