recording without audio interface??

[toypony]

i know it is possible but trying to do so with my current recording rig hasn't provided any promising results...
idk if the soundcard on my laptop is sufficient for recording but it seems to be somewhat usable thus far.
what is a signal chain that is relatively easy to set up and manage without an audio interface that has usb connectivity, i would like to use my mic in but laptaps are usually used for using the crappy comp mics for recording speech.

the equipment i hope to use is as follows:
laptop
analog mixer with headphone out, line out, tape out, and monitor outs.
dynamic mic(not a shure but the quality is so so)
half stack and a small practice amp(which is better for recording guitar?)
electronic drum kit.

ill usually mic a cabinet or my voice and plug that into the mixer.
or ill plug my drums into the mixer from a line out or headphone out.

is this correct or am i missing something?
do i need a preamp when not using an audio interface?
is there an out i should be using for recording on my mixer?

[kozikowski]

Unless your laptop is a Mac, you're stuck with an Audio Interface. You were fine and very well designed until you tried to connect your powerful, high level, Stereo mixer signal into the laptop expecting a tiny, delicate, wispy, mono microphone signal.

Make all your guitars into fuzz guitars -- and you can't stop it.

Most people use something simple like a UCA200 or UCA202. Highly recommended. I have a Mac with a built-in high-level stereo interface and don't need one.

Some very rare Windows laptops have Stereo Line-In, or the very rare ability to switch one input between the two. Consult your instructions.

Koz

[steve]

Some very rare Windows laptops have Stereo Line-In, or the very rare ability to switch one input between the two.

It's not actually that rare - probably not far off 50/50, but what IS rare is a PC laptop with a decent quality audio input of any kind - that's as rare as rocking-horse muck.

[toypony]

thanks, looks like im getting audio interface then...

[kozikowski]

A rocking.....what?

Koz

[whomper]

muck sounds like british for straw
usage eg - muck out the stables :
clean out the old straw the horses used to sleep on

but i guess one could make a case for horse**** too

[waxcylinder]

He's trying to be polite - "as rare as rocking horse sh*t" is the more normal form used ...

How many wooden horses have you seen defaecating?

@whomper - when a Brit "mucks out a stable" they are actually removing the droppings from the horse, plus of course any contaminated straw - believe me, I've had to do it for my wife's horse.

WC