DESCRIPTION:
This is a short desktop video showing the problems I had in getting the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD THX USB audio system—that I connected to my Macbook Air—to play vinyl records from a gramophone player, and then I demonstrate an improvised method that worked for me. I hope it helps others facing the same problem.

PS: I noticed that at some point in the video, you may hear the record play while I'm saying you can't hear anything. That's just because the microphone I was talking into is so sensitive, that it even picked up the sound coming directly from the pick-up needle. So to be clear, there was in fact no sound coming from the speakers until I demonstrated the workaround. ;-)

[UPDATE] I have discovered that the option 'play input through audio device' used to exist in OS 9, but was dropped is OS X. If all you want to do is play records without recording them, then there is a program called LineIn (just google it) which is much easier to use than Audacity. Hope that helps!