Problem with new laptop and audio recording from mic/line in port??

J

Jay Djaydnb

New member
Hello everyone,

New to the forum and didnt know where else to post but i am having a real problem with my new laptop and recording audio for mixes.

Right the problem i am having is when i plug my audio cable, which is connected to my mixers master channels RCA input (Pioneer DJM700S), to my laptops mic/line in port the only audio that is recording into Audacity is from the mic input instead of the line in channel, i will leave a zippy link where you can preview the audio to hear what i am trying to explain(the link is a soundcloud player so no need to download)

Zippyshare.com - g.mp3

My laptop does not have a dedicated line in port, just a mic/headphone jack port together, the thing is my old laptop was the same it only had a mic input and a separate headphone jack but i watched a youtube tutorial on how to make your mic input act as line in for recording audio and it worked as dedicated line in from then on, the link to the youtube video is listed below for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7i6LJs3b6E

The thing is i have set the settings on my new laptop the same way as explained in the video and my old laptop but the only recording i am getting is from my laptops mic input instead of the audio coming from my mixer? I have the exact same audacity settings in my new laptop and i am honestly stumped, i have searched so many different ways to fix it and i just cant figure out why it worked on my old laptop perfectly but it just wont work on my new laptop.

I am maybe wondering if there is a really obvious setting i am forgetting or something but for the life of me i can not remember if there was anything i did differently on my old laptop to what i am doing now, i remember watching the youtube video and it just worked.

If anyone here has any suggestions or knows of workarounds it would be really greatly appreciated...

My new Laptop is an ASUS X550C is that helps at all
Old laptop was a Samsung notebook i5 processor, 4gb RAM

Here is an example of perfect audio recorded on my old laptop from my soundcloud.

https://soundcloud.com/djaydnb

Thanks for any help in advance guys
Jay
 
Jay Djaydnb said:
the only audio that is recording into Audacity is from the mic input instead of the line in channel, i will leave a zippy link where you can preview the audio to hear what i am trying to explain(the link is a soundcloud player so no need to download)
Click to expand...

Do you mean audacity is recording from a built in microphone?
You should be able to choose between built in microphone and the mic/line socket as your main input in audacity's settings.
Have you had a look in there?

I'm not super familiar with it, but it should be called device settings or preferences, or something like that.
 
If you are remotely serious about recording quality, the forget all about the built in mic sockets and buy a simple proper audio interface that has proper line and microphone inputs - the mic inputs on laptops are designed for headset gamers, not recording quality. Once you have a proper interface, all your audio ins and outs will be so much better quality. Sure - you can make an attenuator to feed line level into the mic level socket - but why would you want to compromise audio quality even further by applying extra gain?
 
Steenamaroo said:
Do you mean audacity is recording from a built in microphone?
You should be able to choose between built in microphone and the mic/line socket as your main input in audacity's settings.
Have you had a look in there?

I'm not super familiar with it, but it should be called device settings or preferences, or something like that.
Click to expand...

I have an RCA cable to headphone jack and i have the red/white end connected to the master from my mixer and the jack side connected to my port in my laptop. Like i said above i just followed the youtube tutorial for my old laptop and plugged in the cable and it worked.

I have been into Audacity>>Preferences>>Devices and the only difference i can see from both laptops is on the recording device my old laptop has Microphone(2-High Definition) and my new laptop Microphone (Realtek High definition)..

There is no option to switch between line and mic in my old laptop or new.. I have included pictures of the preferences in Audacity below.

Old Laptop:

WvG2kfz.png


New laptop

87zW60L.png
 
rob aylestone said:
If you are remotely serious about recording quality, the forget all about the built in mic sockets and buy a simple proper audio interface that has proper line and microphone inputs - the mic inputs on laptops are designed for headset gamers, not recording quality. Once you have a proper interface, all your audio ins and outs will be so much better quality. Sure - you can make an attenuator to feed line level into the mic level socket - but why would you want to compromise audio quality even further by applying extra gain?
Click to expand...

Thats really not the issue, audacity is quick and easy to use for mixes that most people listen to on their computers or ipod, plus i do some radio shows now and again from home and need the line in for broadcasting audio, not really too fussed about audio quality when its coming out at 198kbps on radio
 
Could you clarify what happens if you record right now.
Is there a built in microphone in the laptop, and is audacity recording from that?

IE..without plugging anything in,can you record your voice into audacity right now?



Do no other options show under Recording -> Devices?
If not, I'd guess that the switch between socket and built in mic is handled by windows system.
Maybe there's an option in your sound preferences somewhere?
 
Steenamaroo said:
Could you clarify what happens if you record right now.
Is there a built in microphone in the laptop, and is audacity recording from that?

IE..without plugging anything in,can you record your voice into audacity right now?



Do no other options show under Recording -> Devices?
If not, I'd guess that the switch between socket and built in mic is handled by windows system.
Maybe there's an option in your sound preferences somewhere?
Click to expand...

Funnily enough i can hear myself, not very loudly though, i am wondering if this is just recording from the port and not an external microphone on the laptop somewhere ? Im looking at settings and can only see one option for one recording device which is the mic/line in... I will keep looking through preferences now

EDIT: Yeah i can only see one recording device, which is the port and according to the video i posted above and my old laptop i can make it act as line in for recording audio, but at the moment i can't get it to switch from mic to line for recording the audio coming straight from my mixer :/

Maybe you are right that windows somehow takes control of the device and it can only act as mic input when the jack is plugged in?

I have included pictures of my sound manager options too...

cScKKFs.png


rXRykAT.png


ZQzMeXj.png
 
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That model, ASUS X550C, has a built in microphone and speakers, according to Asus.
I guess it defaults to built in microphone unless something's plugged into the jack.

I also notice that the 3.5mm jack is a combo jack covering headphones/speakers/microphones.

"This port allows you to connect your Notebook PC to amplified speakers or headphones. You can also use this port to connect your Notebook PC to an external microphone."

I suspect you have to tell the computer whether you've just plugged in headphones/speakers/mic or whatever.
Either that or it's meant to auto sense and it's failing to do so.

Don't worry about mic/line signal levels for now....Let's just try to get the physical connections working.

In your first screen shot, click microphone then click configure. See if there are any options there.
On the playback tab, does the output change from speakers to headphones when you plug your jack in?

Did you show disabled/hidden devices as the guy suggested in his video?
 
Jay Djaydnb said:
Thats really not the issue, audacity is quick and easy to use for mixes that most people listen to on their computers or ipod, plus i do some radio shows now and again from home and need the line in for broadcasting audio, not really too fussed about audio quality when its coming out at 198kbps on radio
Click to expand...

Actually, it is exactly the issue, and has nothing to do with Audacity.

Yep . . . Audacity is fine for what you want to do.

But if your inputs are not working the way they should, you would benefit immensely from getting an interface.

Just getting a very simple USB interface, such as the Behringer in the link below, to go between mixer and laptop would work.

Behringer: U-CONTROL UCA202
 
Steenamaroo said:
That model, ASUS X550C, has a built in microphone and speakers, according to Asus.
I guess it defaults to built in microphone unless something's plugged into the jack.

I also notice that the 3.5mm jack is a combo jack covering headphones/speakers/microphones.

"This port allows you to connect your Notebook PC to amplified speakers or headphones. You can also use this port to connect your Notebook PC to an external microphone."

I suspect you have to tell the computer whether you've just plugged in headphones/speakers/mic or whatever.
Either that or it's meant to auto sense and it's failing to do so.

Don't worry about mic/line signal levels for now....Let's just try to get the physical connections working.

In your first screen shot, click microphone then click configure. See if there are any options there.
On the playback tab, does the output change from speakers to headphones when you plug your jack in?

Did you show disabled/hidden devices as the guy suggested in his video?
Click to expand...


This is the menu that is displayed when i click on the recording tab and then configure, i have tried to click on the configure mic option but it just displays a page asking me to speak into the mic..

bmQMi8l.png


I have also displayed disabled drivers and hidden options but cant see anything that would be interfering with it come up.. I do notice that when the cable is plugged into the mic port that the sound settings are taken over and i cant hear anything from the laptop at all until i take out the cable which wasnt the case when it was plugged into my old laptop

I have just noticed this though, i was looking at my old laptops sound settings an i appear to have an extra disabled sound device under recording, i imagine this to be the mic recording the device and the other one to be my line? I have noticed its all muted and i think this must be the issue...

IqnkGel.png


Maybe i have to download different sound drivers or my new laptop just cant support a line connection? Just find it strange as the tutorial video says that it should work but im only getting a recording from mic input with no other options
 
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gecko zzed said:
Actually, it is exactly the issue, and has nothing to do with Audacity.

Yep . . . Audacity is fine for what you want to do.

But if your inputs are not working the way they should, you would benefit immensely from getting an interface.

Just getting a very simple USB interface, such as the Behringer in the link below, to go between mixer and laptop would work.

Behringer: U-CONTROL UCA202
Click to expand...

I already have serato SL4 which has a record feature but for some reason the recordings come out cleaner using audacity than using Serato, maybe its just all in my head.. But regardless i will still need the line in input for broadcasting on the radio as i need the line input for audio and i only have 2 USB ports available one for serato and the other for dicers so a separate usb interface is not really an option
 
Jay Djaydnb said:
I already have serato SL4 which has a record feature but for some reason the recordings come out cleaner using audacity than using Serato, maybe its just all in my head.. But regardless i will still need the line in input for broadcasting on the radio as i need the line input for audio and i only have 2 USB ports available one for serato and the other for dicers so a separate usb interface is not really an option
Click to expand...

The SL4 has four stereo inputs. You could go from the DJM700 output into the SL4, then via USB into Audacity.
 
gecko zzed said:
The SL4 has four stereo inputs. You could go from the DJM700 output into the SL4, then via USB into Audacity.
Click to expand...

Hrmmm, could you explain how you could achieve this? I use 3 decks so i have a do have a fourth input for the 4th channel available and obviously the AUX input that is used for recording with Serato... I have just never been able to get Audacity to read Serato when it is playing except the way i have mentioned above which isnt working atm
 
Last edited:
Jay Djaydnb said:
This is the menu that is displayed when i click on the recording tab and then configure, i have tried to click on the configure mic option but it just displays a page asking me to speak into the mic..

bmQMi8l.png


I have also displayed disabled drivers and hidden options but cant see anything that would be interfering with it come up.. I do notice that when the cable is plugged into the mic port that the sound settings are taken over and i cant hear anything from the laptop at all until i take out the cable which wasnt the case when it was plugged into my old laptop

I have just noticed this though, i was looking at my old laptops sound settings an i appear to have an extra disabled sound device under recording, i imagine this to be the mic recording the device and the other one to be my line? I have noticed its all muted and i think this must be the issue...

IqnkGel.png


Maybe i have to download different sound drivers or my new laptop just cant support a line connection? Just find it strange as the tutorial video says that it should work but im only getting a recording from mic input with no other options
Click to expand...

The auto sensing isn't working then. When you plug something in the laptop decides if it is an output device or input device.
When you are plugging in your cable, the laptop is assuming you've plugged in headphones/speakers. This is why you no longer hear anything.

I'm not entirely sure why that would happen, but there you go.
 
Steenamaroo said:
The auto sensing isn't working then. When you plug something in the laptop decides if it is an output device or input device.
When you are plugging in your cable, the laptop is assuming you've plugged in headphones/speakers. This is why you no longer hear anything.

I'm not entirely sure why that would happen, but there you go.
Click to expand...

Well i figured out why that was happening, i had mute all other sounds set in communications but i checked do nothing and im still encountering the same issue, i think i mite have to get in touch with ASUS and find out if i have to download new sound settings, they mite be able to tell me if the laptop just cant do it or a way round it.
 
Try to get your hands on a simple microphone. Anything with a 3.5mm jack...whether a headset or a handheld.
I suspect there's auto sensing taking place based on impedance and that, possibly, connecting a mixer is confusing your laptop.

If a simple mic works straight away, you'll know that's likely to be the answer, and if that happens you'll maybe want to look at USB mixers or USB audio interfaces.
 
Basic rule of thumb: ALL built-in audio sucks for music production.

Get yourself a low-latency real asio USB audio interface. Period.
 
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