Audio application that allows users to easily record their collection of old vinyl records using just the Griffin iMic and their turntable. Previously users wishing to record their old record collection had to hook up their entire stereo system just to power their turntable. Now users can connect the record player directly to their iMic, and using Final Vinyl record and save all their old albums. They can then make them into CDs, MP3s etc. Final Vinyl does more than just record old albums; it is a fully functional general audio recording application as well. It can be used to record instruments, microphones and reel-to-reel tapes plugged into the iMic. It includes a 10-band Equalizer that is capable of significantly altering and enhancing a user's sound input. For example, inexpensive microphones could be improved by tweaking the bass response. Old worn records can be fine tuned and tonally corrected. All this and more can be done using the completely free Final Vinyl combined with the Griffin iMic.
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Works well, but some issues:
-Experienced several crashes, but it recovers well without losing the captured music. One crash was on launch. One moving the gain slider.
-The waveform is often inaccurate, with silent parts showing high volume, and rebuilding didn't help.
-It is nearly intuitive to use, but the "connected to turntable" radio button on the EQ > Effects menu is placed at the bottom where it is initially invisible until you scroll or expand the window, so you can easily miss it. It should be at the top next to the other "Typical Connection" button. Go figure. This is the one you'll need if you are importing vinyl (remember the name of the program...), so it's odd that it isn't the default, and that you have to hunt for it.
Note that applied effects can't be undone.
Overall, a nicely done program that is a welcome addition to Griffin's iMic.
WASTE OF EFFORT
franknfurterhotmale
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />This is total rubbish. Doesn't work on either Tiger (Power PC 700MHz 784MB) or Leopard (MacBook 2 MHz, 1GB). The "Manual" Has been written without reference to the product and it's totally unusable. E.g. try to cut the crappy start of your LP out of the music file: the cut option is greyed out until you "select all" and when you do select all and cut it crashes. Naturally the instructions neither have usable instructions about how to do it, nor do they suggest it might be too much for the program. Don't buy it, try freeware or if you have a PC get one that actually works- I use version 6 of Magix Audio Cleaning Lab. It's now about five years out of date and works fine.
Warning against a real con!
osulmon
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Final Vinyl is a very disappointing product: I have an iMac + Mac OS 10.4.9 ; as on the former version, he application keeps quitting without warning, or stops recording for no reason. Unfortunately I don't know of any other appl which could work with my iMic... The only thing to do is to list all products made by this Griffin company and refrain from buying them... I dropped them a mail to explain but they haven't replied...
iMic is just another 50 euros spent for nothing.
It works fine
Tofi
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I had no trouble. installed easily. worked without a hinch.
better sound, better interface. easy recording, and better preview.
D.O.A.
Wm. Cerniuk
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />What more can one say. Double click, teaser-launch (zoom rectangle, that's it)
Really like the iMic, no complaints. Would like to see an iBoard (1,2,3 of each S/PDF, XLR, 1/4", 1/8" in and out in a small form factor preferably USB powered from a Powerbook with meters). Right now spending money on USBPre as it saved the day at a live venue a week ago.
Were I Griffin, I would be embarrassed by this software. Not up to your standards boys and girls. :-(
Worst software I've ever used
jasonwoolfe_dotmac
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />This is the worst, most unstable software I've ever run, on any machine, ever. At best it'll work for 10 minutes before crashing, putting cues in the wrong place. Oh, and did anyone mention the appalling sound quality? My expensive stereo sounds like a dalek through this thing...
The most unstable program I've ever used
tribbles--2008
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />This software crashed from the first time I tried to use it on a brand new (i.e. clean installation) MacMini with an iMic. Uninstalling, cleaning the associated files, repairing disk permissions, restarting and reinstalling did nothing about it. If it doesn't crash on startup, it crashes after max. use of 10 minutes. No data is retrievable either. Not recommended IMO.
Buggy
John Dee--2008
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />It's a very fine experience and comfortable feeling, if you first spend one hour to understand the strange interface and functions of this software, creating test recordings and downloading updates. And then you think you got it and you spend anonther hour listening and recording a tape, click the cue+ Button exactly between every track and then look at the result Final Vinyl creates: a bunch of tracks cutted somewhere randomly. Nice. First track begins after 20 seconds and ends after 15 seconds of the second track and so on. I put everything into trash, including Final Vinyl. (By the way this is not the only bug I found, but I stop now saving time for searching for an other solution.)
OK, the software itself is free, but I paid for the Griffin iMic adaptor it ships with. And I paid money for a working solution.
Great Value
SteveOnly123
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />The software with the CD didn't work but the latest download version did. Set-up wasn't intuitive but with only a few options you're going to get it right relatively quickly. Found that my set-up worked best with the turntable using a power source different from my Mac and that really good grounding was essential. Now I get really good results. Have to watch input levels and I use basic cut cueing for editing when possible. Some editing attempts have brought grief and I haven't figured out why. If this cost real money I'd be more critical but for $35, iMic is amazing when combined Final Vinyl.
T here are bugs all over me.
Mark Farner
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This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I installed the program directly from the disc that came with my Imic. I mainly use it to digitize cassette tapes.
Sometimes it works perfectly. The next time it won't let me edit the imported file into different tracks. Other times it just crashes for no reason.
It makes me quite angry as you can imagine. At least if it sucked all the time I wouldn't bother using it. The problem is it does do the trick some of the time and it is great not to have to use an amp between the deck and the mac.
Oh yeah, and the users manual PDF is very hippy dippy lame.