/// Prep your Mac

Ready your computer for the recording process

Although the process of converting vinyl to digital exists mainly between third-party software and the connected device, there is a little prep work you can carry out on your Mac to ensure that you’re ready to start. Here’s what we advise…

1 Check space

If you’re planning a lot of recording, you’ll need plenty of free storage space on your Mac to accommodate the large files. Click on the Apple menu bar item and then go to About This Mac>storage to display how much space you have to play with.

4 Authorise downloads

As we will be working with thirdparty apps that don’t come from the App Store, go to System Preferences>security & Privacy>general and select the ‘App Store and identified developers’ option at the bottom.

2 Free up storage

If storage space is at a premium, click on the ‘Manage’ button and you will be presented with a list of different ways in which you can free up space. These include moving files to icloud, optimising storage and reducing clutter.

5 Override downloads

In this feature we will be downloading a plugin that isn’t from the App Store nor an identified developer. In this instance, leave the Security & Privacy>general window open and click ‘Open Anyway’ when needed.

3 Change sound input

Now go to System Preferences> Sound and then click on the ‘Input’ tab. When you have connected your turntable, it will appear as ‘USB AUDIO CODEC’, so scroll down through the list of devices and select it. Now you’re set!

6 Get the apps

You will need to download third-party software to record vinyl. Audacity is the free option, so head to audacityteam.org and grab the latest Mac version. Paid-for alternatives are available in the Mac App Store.