Hi!
I am trying to save to my computer a concert, which has been recorded on minidisc. It's the first time I am using Audacity. The first attempts aren't good at all. The quality of the sound is horrible, very distorted.
I have a Windows 8.1 64 laptop. I have a cable with 3.5 jack, which I introduce into the headphones zone for the minidisc recorder and into the microphone jack into the laptop.
Any suggestions how I might get this right?
THank you
MINIDISC recording help required
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This forum is for Audacity on Windows.
Please state which version of Windows you are using,
and the exact three-section version number of Audacity from "Help menu > About Audacity".
Audacity 1.2.x and 1.3.x are obsolete and no longer supported. If you still have those versions, please upgrade at https://www.audacityteam.org/download/.
The old forums for those versions are now closed, but you can still read the archives of the 1.2.x and 1.3.x forums.
This forum is for Audacity on Windows.Please state which version of Windows you are using,
and the exact three-section version number of Audacity from "Help menu > About Audacity".
Audacity 1.2.x and 1.3.x are obsolete and no longer supported. If you still have those versions, please upgrade at https://www.audacityteam.org/download/.
The old forums for those versions are now closed, but you can still read the archives of the 1.2.x and 1.3.x forums.
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kozikowski
- Forum Staff
- Posts: 68902
- Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 5:57 pm
- Operating System: macOS 10.13 High Sierra
Re: MINIDISC recording help required
The Microphone connection on the laptop is only to connect microphones.
http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/comp ... ophone.jpg
Chances are good your computer has no stereo Line-In. Many laptops don't.
I have been able to use a Behringer UCA202 to adapt stereo connections to my laptop.
http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/ ... Lenovo.jpg
Some USB Audio adapters like the Startech ICUSBAUDIO can not be used because they just duplicate the wrong connections you already have. So you do have to pay attention.
http://www.startech.com/Cards-Adapters/ ... ICUSBAUDIO
Koz
http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/comp ... ophone.jpg
Chances are good your computer has no stereo Line-In. Many laptops don't.
I have been able to use a Behringer UCA202 to adapt stereo connections to my laptop.
http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/ ... Lenovo.jpg
Some USB Audio adapters like the Startech ICUSBAUDIO can not be used because they just duplicate the wrong connections you already have. So you do have to pay attention.
http://www.startech.com/Cards-Adapters/ ... ICUSBAUDIO
Koz
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allegro1650
- Posts: 36
- Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2012 8:53 pm
- Operating System: Please select
Re: MINIDISC recording help required
My experience corroborates kozikowski's answer... the mic preamp on your laptop may be overdriven by the minidisc headphone out.
I use a Tascam US-144 for inputs to my laptop. A patch cord with 3.5mm stereo jack to RCA L&R jack will help here, but you'll need a pair of RCA-to-1/4" to convert to the inputs.
After that, a USB 2.0 cable will get you the rest of the way.
There's an updated version, the US-144mkII. For about $130 US street price, it's a handy gadget to have.
The US-144:
http://tascam.com/content/images/univer ... 44_top.jpg
The US-144mkII:
http://tascam.com/content/images/univer ... 4mk2_1.jpg
I use a Tascam US-144 for inputs to my laptop. A patch cord with 3.5mm stereo jack to RCA L&R jack will help here, but you'll need a pair of RCA-to-1/4" to convert to the inputs.
After that, a USB 2.0 cable will get you the rest of the way.
There's an updated version, the US-144mkII. For about $130 US street price, it's a handy gadget to have.
The US-144:
http://tascam.com/content/images/univer ... 44_top.jpg
The US-144mkII:
http://tascam.com/content/images/univer ... 4mk2_1.jpg
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waxcylinder
- Forum Staff
- Posts: 14573
- Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:03 am
- Operating System: Windows 10
Re: MINIDISC recording help required
There are some USB soundcards that will accept a digital input (thus avoiding the need to go from Digital => Analog => Digital with possible data losses).
My old Edirol UA-1EX does that, that's one of the reasons I bought it for my MiniDisc transfers - unfortunately it is no longer manufactured, though there are still some available if you search t'interweb.
WC
My old Edirol UA-1EX does that, that's one of the reasons I bought it for my MiniDisc transfers - unfortunately it is no longer manufactured, though there are still some available if you search t'interweb.
WC
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