Absolute newbie question

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

I have an el cheapo portable CD/Tape/Radio player. I wish to record an audio
tape onto my PC and burn to CD. There are only two jacks on my portable
player:Headphones and Mic/Mixing tape, into which do I plug my lead and
where on the computer do I plug in? My PC is further complicated by having a
TV card where that lead goes from the TV card to the Sound Blaster card. I
have tried various combinations but can get no sound to play through my
speakes so that I know that the PC is receiving the input. What am I doing
wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Peter Ledden

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

"Peter Ledden" <pleddenNOSPAM@planet-web.com.au> writes:

> I have an el cheapo portable CD/Tape/Radio player. I wish to record an audio
> tape onto my PC and burn to CD. There are only two jacks on my portable
> player:Headphones and Mic/Mixing tape, into which do I plug my lead and
> where on the computer do I plug in? My PC is further complicated by having a
> TV card where that lead goes from the TV card to the Sound Blaster card. I
> have tried various combinations but can get no sound to play through my
> speakes so that I know that the PC is receiving the input. What am I doing
> wrong?

Likely the line input of your sound card it muted. Use the input that
your TV card is going into. That should be the line IN instead of the
mic in. The mic in will be too sensitive for that line level signal.

Then, play around with the options>properties in the Windows volume
control to show all the sliders for all the inputs for both playback
and for recording. I bet the playback for your lineinput is both a)
currently hidden in that volume control and/or b) muted.

For recording to work, make sure the level for recording is non-zero.

Best Regards,
--
/"\ ASCII Ribbon Campaign | Todd H
\ / | http/www.toddh.net/
X Promoting good netiquette | http/triplethreatband.com/
/ \ http/www.toddh.net/netiquette/ | "4 lines suffice."

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

"Peter Ledden" <pleddenNOSPAM@planet-web.com.au> wrote in message
news:c57nik$2mbdd1$1@ID-151119.news.uni-berlin.de...
> I have an el cheapo portable CD/Tape/Radio player. I wish to record an
audio
> tape onto my PC and burn to CD. There are only two jacks on my portable
> player:Headphones and Mic/Mixing tape, into which do I plug my lead and
> where on the computer do I plug in? My PC is further complicated by having
a
> TV card where that lead goes from the TV card to the Sound Blaster card. I
> have tried various combinations but can get no sound to play through my
> speakes so that I know that the PC is receiving the input. What am I doing
> wrong?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Peter Ledden
>
The Mic/Mixing jack is probably an input. The headphone jack is output, but
it is amplified and impedance matched for a headphone, and is not "line
level". But since you have no other choice with that equipment, try hooking
the headphone jack to the line-input of SoundBlaster card (in a PCI slot on
the back of the computer). If you care about the quality of the sound, buy a
used cassette deck with line level outputs.

You will need a recorder program. SoundBlaster cards usually come with
Creative Recorder or you can download it from the Creative web site. You can
also download the SoundBlaster instructions for your sound card if you can't
identify the line-put jack. When you select line input in the recorder
program, you should see the VU meters moving when the tape is playing.

It would have helped if you had identified which exact sound card you have
on your computer.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Thank you both for your help. I found that the 'line in' was muted and I had
to unplug the TV card input into the Creative Sound Blaster PCI and replace
with the lead from my player and it all worked.

I appreciate you both taking the time to assist.

Regards,

Peter Ledden


"Mark A" <ma@switchboard.net> wrote in message
news:cdNdc.153$fu3.141162@news.uswest.net...
> "Peter Ledden" <pleddenNOSPAM@planet-web.com.au> wrote in message
> news:c57nik$2mbdd1$1@ID-151119.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > I have an el cheapo portable CD/Tape/Radio player. I wish to record an
> audio
> > tape onto my PC and burn to CD. There are only two jacks on my portable
> > player:Headphones and Mic/Mixing tape, into which do I plug my lead and
> > where on the computer do I plug in? My PC is further complicated by
having
> a
> > TV card where that lead goes from the TV card to the Sound Blaster card.
I
> > have tried various combinations but can get no sound to play through my
> > speakes so that I know that the PC is receiving the input. What am I
doing
> > wrong?
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> > Peter Ledden
> >
> The Mic/Mixing jack is probably an input. The headphone jack is output,
but
> it is amplified and impedance matched for a headphone, and is not "line
> level". But since you have no other choice with that equipment, try
hooking
> the headphone jack to the line-input of SoundBlaster card (in a PCI slot
on
> the back of the computer). If you care about the quality of the sound, buy
a
> used cassette deck with line level outputs.
>
> You will need a recorder program. SoundBlaster cards usually come with
> Creative Recorder or you can download it from the Creative web site. You
can
> also download the SoundBlaster instructions for your sound card if you
can't
> identify the line-put jack. When you select line input in the recorder
> program, you should see the VU meters moving when the tape is playing.
>
> It would have helped if you had identified which exact sound card you have
> on your computer.
>
>