Help for recording with new kit

[nicardo]

hi guys...I recently bought my self a studio condenser mic. pop filter. and a four channel mixer. well its my first time really.
and I tried to connect but can't seem to be getting them right. well I used to record with the mic of the laptop.
and recently after connecting everything, still if I try to record with the studio mic. its not picking up my voice. but the laptop does.
how I can I change this. if I am doing everything wrong. the laptop does pick up my voice though but with too much noise.
I am using HP-laptop with windows 8.

please help out.

Moderator note: Please do not piggy-back on an existing and unrelated thread (that way lies confusion). I have split this off for you into its own thread.

[Trebor]

... still if I try to record with the studio mic. its not picking up my voice. but the laptop does.
how I can I change this.

See Windows "recording devices" to disable the built-in mic ...

... right-click on the Speakers icon in your Notification Area and select Recording Devices ...

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-en ... indows-7&8

[nicardo]

when I plug in the aux cable to the recording audio port on my laptop.it brings out this funny noise that I don't understand, even if the cable is not plugged on the mixer.
at first I thought it was the mixer, I thought maybe I didn't put on the right settings then I unplugged the cable from the mixer. but still the noise was just too much.
but when I unplug the cable from the recording audio port on the laptop the noise stops. does it mean that I have to get the interface for overcome this problem.
or maybe my laptop does not support this....
I am confused.

[kozikowski]

recording audio port on the laptop

Most laptops don't have a recording audio port, they have a microphone connection (Mic-In). If you plug something other than a microphone into it...

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/comp ... ophone.jpg

...then it may buzz, hum, and create many problems.

Koz

[kozikowski]

I like my UCA-202 for connecting my mixer to my laptop.

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/ ... Lenovo.jpg

It's only stereo, two channels (left and right), not four channels.

Koz

[nicardo]

so the best way is to get my self the uca202 behringer interface. right?

[steve]

You need some way to connect the mixer to the computer.
Plugging the mixer into a "mic" input on a laptop is not recommended - in most cases the sound quality will be dreadful and there may be a risk of permanently damaging the mic input. What is required is a "line level" input. Many full-size computers have a "line" input available (may not be brilliant quality, but should work OK with a mixer). Many laptop computers have only a "mic" (microphone) input, which is unsuitable.

A USB audio device that has "stereo line level" inputs is a cost effective way to add "line" inputs. The Behringer UCA 202 is one such device (and very inexpensive). I have one myself and I'm very pleased with it, but there are also many other make/models available.