I’m trying to use Audacity 3.7.3 to record audio using the line in on my Dell XPS 16 laptop but no matter what combinations of host and recording device I try I get either a -9999 or -9996 error either invalid host or recording device not recognised. When I plug the line in device in to the port on the laptop I get a popup asking what device I just plugged in so I select line in and then start up Audacity. Even after selecting ‘rescan audio devices’ in the Transport menu I get the error as soon as I click on the record button. This is driving me mad especially when on my old Dell XPS 15 it just works. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Details of audio devices on the laptop are listed below
Audio
Sound Cards
Intel Smart Sound Technology for Bluetooth Audio
Intel Smart Sound Technology for USB Audio
Playback Device
Speakers (SoundWire Speakers)
Recording Device
Microphone Array (6- Cirrus Logic XU)
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Although it gives line-in as an option, it may not actually have line-in. I found this on Dell’s website:
The combo jack normally works with regular stereo headphones but it requires a 4-conductor TRRS Plug to make the mono microphone connection.
Try Listen To This Device to make sure Windows is getting a signal. Audacity gets the audio from Windows so if Windows isn’t getting a signal, Audacity won’t either.
Line-in is unusual on a laptop. Normally there’s only mic-in and headphone-out and the newer standard is a combo jack.
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Thanks for the reply. So it seems like this new laptop is a step backwards from my old Dell XPS 15 in that with the old one I just plugged in a 3.5mm line in and Audacity was able to record through it with no fuss.
Would something like this audio adapter do the job to allow recording or do I need something different?
Just a bit more on this, it sure looks like this laptop has a line in
That’s what I see when I plug the jack in and I select Line In
I then start Audacity and rescan audio devices and it looks like it has recognised a line in input
Windows seems to think there is a line in
The allow/don’t allow toggle is confusing, but when it says Don’t allow clicking the button turns the input off
Maybe I’m just barking up the wrong tree but if this laptop doesn’t have a line in it is making a good job of pretending that it does
If the line-in device is working you would see the bar vu meter in mmsys.cpl show activity when you played in to it. If that appears to work then it should also work in Audacity. The properties for the device may also have different level settings.
It also occurs to me that " on Soundwire device" may not refer to the jack socket that you think it does.
No. This is only for connecting a (rather old) headset with 2 plugs. The input is a microphone input, mono only.
Something like this would be more appropriate. It only has a USB-A connector, but there are other models with USB-C as well, I think. Or you can get an adapter from USB-A to USB-C.
The laptop only has one 3.5mm port and the ‘line in on soundwire device’ only appears when I plug the cable in to the port so I have no idea what is going on. Anyway, I’ve taken @romontschun 's advice and ordered the Behringer UCA202 so hopefully that will sort the problem out.
Hi,
Could this have any bearing on your error?
Error 9999
Mark B
Check your Windows Permissions/Privacy Settings to make sure Audacity is allowed to use the line input.
Did Listen To This Device work?
…Unrelated, but if you can get rid of the error Audacity’s recording level slider is now “hidden” under the recording meters.
That’s a review on the product page here so perhaps this is a Windows 11 on Dell laptops issue. It is GBP 11 on Amazon UK so I’ve ordered one as it is cheap enough and easy to return if it doesn’t do the job. Thanks for the help
Audacity isn’t in the list, but I don’t see a way of adding it to the permissions list.
As for listen to this device, that option either didn’t work or was greyed out (can’t remember which)
The “apps” should do it but you probably have to set-up line-in separately from the actual microphone.
You will have to plug-in and select line-in first. Like I said, if Windows isn’t getting a signal, Audacity won’t either.
The Behringer UCA202 arrived today but when I plugged it all in and rescanned audio devices in Audacity as soon as I hit the record button I instantly got a -9996 invalid device error with the new recording device selected. To test if the Behringer was faulty or not I installed Audacity on my partner’s Dell Inspiron laptop and recording worked properly at the first time of asking.
This is starting to drive me mad!
Did you grant access for Audacity in your security / privacy settings? It needs to be in the list of the allowed applications.
Audacity isn’t showing in the list of applications so I can’t toggle access. I even tried uninstalling Audacity and running the installer as an administrator but that made no difference. If I could see Audacity in the list of apps I’d grant access.
I’d try to go through and compare all of the Windows & Audacity settings on both computers.
At least you know it CAN work and you know the Behringer works.
This won’t help much but the error codes are on the bottom of this page
I’d be thinking about doing “evil things” to the computer! (But you said it’s new.)
…I don’t really destroy things when they don’t work right but sometimes I FEEL like it.
Well I am officially a muppet! After comparing my laptop with my partner’s I found no real difference between her setup and mine. I then thought I’d try recording just with the built in microphone and that failed with a -9996 error as well. This got me thinking and it dawned on me to check the internet security suite on my laptop and bingo, it was blocking all apps from using both the webcam and the microphone. I switched that off and re-started the laptop and Audacity now records just fine. I used the Behringer to test it but I suspect the line in will work too. I’ll probably stick with the Behringer though as first impression is that the recordings with that sound better than the line in (better RCA cables) and it was a cheap purchase. Thanks again for all the help and suggestions everybody.
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Good to hear!!! That’s another one to add to my mental list.
There’s one potential limitation with the Behringer. It doesn’t have a recording level control. If you overload its analog-to-digital converter you’ll get clipping (distortion) and lowering the recording volume in Windows or Audacity (if that does anything at all) won’t remove the distortion. If whatever you are recording form has a volume control, of course that doesn’t matter.
And just having another device around is always helpful for troubleshooting. I bought a cheapo USB soundcard just for that purpose,
Yes, even when the Behringer was around £20, it was a bargain. At £11 it’s a steal. If you plan to digitise LPs or cassettes it will be ideal for that job
Mark B
Yeah that new security feature is another Windows “improvement” that is a real pain. 
