Record line output into notebook pc mic input

DavidMcKnight wrote on 6/15/2005, 1:36 PM
ARRG this is kind of an emergency, not mission critical though. I have a minidisc line output that I wanted to dump into my notebook soundcard input before I leave work today - and I just discovered there is only a mic in, not a line in. Any suggestions on limiting the input from within vegas? No matter how I set it, the input volume is maxed out.

Comments

BrianStanding wrote on 6/15/2005, 1:44 PM
You could use a pad to knock it down from line level to mike level. Not ideal, but should be readily available from a music store or Radio Shack.

Another option would be getting an M-Audio Transit or Griffin IMic and using that as an alternative to the laptop inputs. I use an IMic for this purpose, and it works well enough for dialog. A bit noisy for music.

I've always been frustrated that no laptop manufacturer puts line-in inputs on their units.
BrianStanding wrote on 6/15/2005, 1:56 PM
Another option: do you have a firewire port on your laptop? Do you have, or can you borrow, a DV camera that will do pass through from analog-ins to firewire?

If so, you could route the minijack output through the DV cam and capture over firewire using Vegas Vid Cap.
DavidMcKnight wrote on 6/15/2005, 2:01 PM
great ideas; I was really hoping to be able to do it w/o any other tools - I don't have any here.

I incorrectly assumed there were three jacks for audio - headphones, mic, and line. My own fault for not having the audio already captured. It'll just take a couple of extra hours tonight. Thanks for the quick responses!
johnmeyer wrote on 6/15/2005, 3:14 PM
The mic in is a great idea for a quick workaround. For the long term, you should definitely get an attenuating pad at Radio Shack the next time you are there. You can get them in a variety of form factors. I simply purchased a cable that has the pad embedded. It has sub-miniature jack on one end (for you laptop) and two RCA connectors on the other end.

If you need to do a lot of this, you should know that you can buy devices from Edirol and others that let you connect to your laptop through the USB port rather than line in or mic input. This is a much more expensive solution, but provides higher quality input.