auacity doesn't register my audio

[gweres]

Okay so want to record a cassette tape to my computer. I got the right cable and put it in the line in jack and pressed play on my cassette player and can hear the tape playing though my speakers. Great. I opened audacity, changed it to stereo recording. tried to record and nothing registered in the file. no sound recorded though I could hear it in my speakers. I went to my windows audio devices. and to the audio i/o in the preferences of audacity. and the devices are all realtek ac97 audio ( my sound card). I looked up many different guides and they say that I should have my devices set at line in - however I can't choose line in in either windows or audacity b/c it isn't a choice. Line in isn't on my drop down menu. is that my problem is there a way to add line in rather than just my sound card appearing?

[kozikowski]

The assumption running through your whole post is that you have a Line-In. If you're on a Windows laptop, there's a huge chance you don't.

Most laptops have a Mic-In which is mono and is expecting a tiny, delicate, wispy microphone signal, not the massive, powerful stereo sound signal coming out of your Tape Machine.

Did I hit it? Most people either use tape machines or record players that already have USB, or buy a simple USB Line-In adapter which we reviewed a bit ago.

http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=9477

Koz

[gweres]

I'm on a desktop. that has a line in plug ( separate from my mic plug) where my 1/8th inch dubbing cable is plugged in. so I have a line in plug. and the audio from my tape is playing in my speaker. so the input is there. I just don't seem to be able to choose line in on my windows recording default or the audacity one.

[steve]

If you're on Windows Vista, Line In must be enabled in the Windows Control Panel http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php? ... ng_devices