Heh, maybe I will end up watching all of Carlito's Way after all. This is what happens when I take a Sunday afternoon nap that lasts 'till 9:00. Anyway, tossing and and turning upstairs, I tried listening to some jazz. That didn't do the trick. So I turned the movie back on for background noise. That didn't do the trick, either, and my mind got back to my recording set-up. The iMic is a pretty simple piece of equipment to use and I thought I was doing everything fine, but I decided to poke around on the 'Net some more to see if I could find some advice.

There are four possible configurations for using the iMic -- the interface consists of two inputs and a two-position switch. I'm pretty sure I've experimented with all of the combinations, but I figured I'd surf around the 'Net and see if I could find a definitive answer as to what the proper set-up *should* be. That's when I found this nugget on Griffin's website:

I'm using (your favorite recording program) to record on my iBook, and I keep getting pops and clicks in the recording.

We are aware of this issue and it appears to correspond to disk activity. Apparently there is some power feedback coming through the USB channel that is picked up by the iMic (and other USB Audio devices) as a clicking/popping sound. The only current workaround is to connect the iMic through a self-powered USB Hub. We now offer the Griffin USB Audio Hub, which has helped in many cases. Some people have had success just by upgrading to OS 9.2.2, but none of the above solutions works in every case. This is a situation we’re hopeful Apple will resolve in the near future.

Hrm.... "Pops and clicks in the recording." That sounds like my issue. So, now I'll try running the iMic through my Belkin powered USB hub instead of straight into the laptop. Of course, Griffin offers their own hub solution specifically geared to USB audio, which I suppose I can also try if it doesn't work going through my Belkin.

Sure, I'm kinda grasping at straws at this point, but if either my existing USB hub or a new USB hub can solve my problem, that solution is a whole lot more attractive than requiring a new computer or other device to capture the audio.