(audacity 2.4.0)I have spent the last 2 days trying to simply record from a handheld portable cassette player to 2 different HP laptops, one running Windows 7, the other windows 10. I am using a cable with rca plugs on each end. both laptops have only one place for input which is the headphone out/mic in jack.
I have tried every possible setting on audacity - nothing. i have gone to the laptop control panel, and it does not seem to recognize the rca cable as an input, even when i say ‘enable it’.
What am i missing here?
I thought this was going to be plug and play - it has turned into a frustrating and wasted 2 days…
HELP!
both laptops have only one place for input which is the headphone out/mic in jack.
A line-level (or headphone level) signal should go into a line-input. If you have a desktop/tower computer with a regular soundcard you can use the line input.
Otherwise, you can get a USB audio interface with a line input. The Behringer UCA202 is popular and inexpensive, or there are higher-end options. Do NOT buy a regular “USB soundcard” because they are like laptops with only mic-in and headphone-out.
The microphone input will “work” but you’ll need a [u]4-conductor TRRS adapter[/u]to make the microphone connection but but it’s mono and you won’t get good quality.
Are you sure the laptops have only ONE input for both the headphones and the microphone?
Take another look all around the laptops and see if there isn’t a separate Microphone input.
(I had had my laptop for years without realizing that it had a switch to turn off the internet. Found out the hard way… )