If you have a device like this, you may be able to plug your device straight into your computer and start recording. These days, some microphones and other music cables come with a USB attachment that already has an audio interface built-in. Whether or not you need a digital audio interface for recording depends on what equipment you currently have.
Do I Need An Audio Interface for Recording? That is if the line out connector of your recording course is RCA. Special cables with 2 RCA jacks to mini jack are the ones to use. However, if you record from the mic in/line in jack of a line out of say a mic preamp, channel mixer deck, CD/DVD/TV etc., then this has to be a stereo mini jack. But if you use a dedicated studio type recording mic, then you need a dedicated preamp, and if it is a condenser as apposed to a dynamic mic, the preamp needs to supply what's known as "phantom power" through the input jack where the mic is plugged into. One band is signal, one is earth, and the other is +5 Volts to drive the condenser. These are the same as regular earphone jacks.
External sound card for laptop home recording windows 7#
If you don't have a dedicated digital audio recording program, and if you have windows 7 or vista, you can record long sessions with the default Microsoft recording program. Of course these steps depend on the digital audio recording program you're using. Choose that and then "arm" the track for recording Next click "record" to begin recording. Audacity, you can choose the INTEGRATED MIC ARRAY in the recording options. Now when you open your preferred digital audio program e.g. This helps to eliminate fan noise and other background noise in your recording. for these will produce a not so nice sound. Next, click the "Processing" tab below the settings tab, and choose "Reduce noise". While you/re there, it's a good idea to mute the "External mic", and mute any other recording device that you do not need. Click "Settings" just bellow, slide the bar to "10db boost" on the right, and slide the recording level bar about midway up. In your case choose "Integrated Microphone Array" on the top left. Here choose the input you want to record with. Chosing the Stereo Mix as the recroding source will record playback from media player and any sound from the mic in recorded to a single track in Audacity e.g.ĭid this first make sure that in the IDT HD Sound properties, and choose "Open Audio control panel". you want to record karaoke, where you have a music track playing in say media player, and a microphone plugged in the mic/line in jack. Where as chosing "line in" only, records from the line in jack. The latter will record "all" sound passing through the sound card to the output. You can then choose that input from the IDT Mixer and in a Digital Audio Recording program such as Audacity.īTW you should have 2 options to record from, just the line in, or from the "Stereo Mix". Once line in from a line out source is plugged in, the sound card automatically detects whether it is a microphone or a line in source. The left hand side jacks closest to the screen should be "mic in" and "line in" jack. I think your model is similar to mine, in regards to input/output jacks for the sound card.