Audacity Forum

Hello ladies and gentlemen
I recently downloaded audacity onto my laptop, but I used it before on my desktop and it was great! But on this laptop, the only input options that I get are "Wave Out Mix", "Microphone", and "CD Audio". I haven't tried the CD Audio input yet, but Wave Out Mix works fine, Microphone doesn't work, but most importantly, there is no "Line In" option, which I really need. I was wondering if anyone could show me how to get "Line In" to appear, or will CD Audio work the same as Line In?
Any help at all would be seriously appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

*Update*
Hey guys
Actually, I got the Microphone Input to work, but I still don't have a Line In option, so any help on just that would be great.
Thanks

If you're wanting the "line in" to be able to record from something you're plugging into your computer (what I'd be using it for), then "microphone" should work. When I plug something in (in my case, usually from my sound mixer), it goes to my Microphone input on the computer, so that's what Audacity needs to read from. Unless your sound card has additional inputs, you'd be good to go.

Otherwise, I've just entirely misunderstood your question.


-Gerry Seymour

<<<"microphone" should work. >>>

Or not. Windows Laptops typically have connections for a communications headset. That's earphone output and microphone input. The Microphone connection typically puts battery voltage on one of the wires and it's looking for a really tiny microphone signal on the other. So the best you can do is distorted mono with the risk of the battery voltage damaging your equipment.

Stereo Music Line Level sound and Microphone connections do not readily mix.

Some computers can switch between them. Consult your instructions.

This came up so often I created a page for it...

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audioconnecto ... ctors.html

Koz

Curious. I can see from the page you created that this _should_ be a problem. But I've been using laptop mic jacks to bring in signal for recording from my mixer for 3 years, with no problems. I simply take the Rec Out from the mixer (–10 dBV nominal, +10 dBV max) to the Mic input on the PC (using an RCA-to-1/8" converter). Sound probably isn't great, but I'd never notice, since I'm really only recording spoken word (motivational and training seminars), where it's tougher to notice problems with fidelity. But I've never had a problem with levels being too high/low, or any problems with the voltage being sent out (I'm assuming you're talking about it sending out phantom power for a condenser mic, or is it just the tiny amount required for a passive mic?).

All of the computers in question were laptops, all PC's (no Mac's, yet). Perhaps I was just dumb and lucky enough for it to work, but from your page I'd have expected levels to be a real issue. Any idea why they haven't been?