Forum Home
Press F1
 
Thread ID: 29556 2003-01-24 08:58:00 Hi-Fi to Laptop recordings Floyd (3065) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
116300 2003-01-24 08:58:00 I want to record music in vinyl format to disc. How can the audio outputs of a hi-fi be connected to the laptop? Cheers. Floyd (3065)
116301 2003-01-24 09:08:00 The "Line Output" sockets of the Stereo should connect to the "Line Input" on the PC. Problem may be that the laptop may not have "Line Input"?

Microphone input will be too sensitive, and mono.

When you say "record to disk" I assume you mean CD? So the laptop needs a CD burner (external or internal). A floppy disk would only hold a short part of one track.

The magazine Silicon Chip (http://www.siliconchip.com.au) January 2001 published a project to on this with a preamplifier dedicated to the job.

There is software around that processes the pops and clicks out of the recording.
godfather (25)
116302 2003-01-24 09:19:00 I have done this with some success, every pop and crackle also get recorded in hifi. In the end I found it better to download MP3 versions of the records I owned, however the process is quite easy, there was an article in a previous PC World issue. Search on recording vynal. To do it you require a turntable with a preamp built in or a hifi system with a turntable and a line/audio out socket. This should then be connected to the line in socket of your sound card, mic in if thats all you've got but the levels may be too high. Thats all the hardware, next you need some software that can record from an audio source, this sometimes comes with your cd burning software or you should be able to find something in shareware (Download.com etc). And away you go, you'll have to do some editing to separate the tracks all in all solution 1 is easier, faster and better and is really very little different to making a personal copy of records you already own in terms of copy rights. I had no problem with my concience anyway. Ross Swain (2918)
116303 2003-01-24 09:30:00 Thanks for your reply. The problem I have is that unlike a pc tower, with having a laptop I do not have a sound card, is there another way around this? Floyd (3065)
116304 2003-01-24 09:41:00 'Fraid not no sound card no sound unless there is an external card like the audigy that can plug into a usb port. Got any PC owning friends with nothing to do for a rainy weekend - go for the MP3s Ross Swain (2918)
116305 2003-01-27 00:09:00 You can get cheap(ish) USB sound cables, which is basically a USB plug at one end, and a line-in at the other, with a "sound card" built into a dongle like thing somewhere along the line. I think i've seen one before for less than $100 at Dick Smith Electronics. somebody (208)
116306 2003-01-27 00:17:00 Floyd, most laptops have in-built sound facilities.

Have you not got a headphone socket (sound output) and a microphone socket (sound input) as a minimum?

Problem is, the microphone input is a poor match and could introduce severe distortion, you really need a "line input".
godfather (25)
116307 2003-01-28 01:00:00 We sell a USB device which bypasses the soundcard, but It's output only unfortunately.

You can check it out here: www.aquilatech.co.nz

However, you might be able to find a similar device that allows for input via USB. I'll have a look around and post again if I can find anything.
aquilatech (2838)
116308 2003-01-28 01:33:00 if u do not have sound card, u prob woh have a USB port.
u can try to search for a PCMCIA sound card such as, one called wave-jammer.

R
rayonline (2134)
116309 2003-01-28 01:44:00 There's an illustrated how-to piece on copying vinyl to PC on page 60 of the latest issue of >>FFWD, on newsstands now. An email address for the (local) author is at the end of the article if you have any follow-up Qs. Big Ed (1774)
1