So simple it escapes me.

SoundCard

SoundCard

Member
I'm trying to simply connect a cassette deck to my PC (oh, just nevermind WHY???) and when playing, I'm not getting a proper Left/Right balance back from the computer. Checked the RCA outs in the back of the deck and it's not that. I ditched one cable (2 RCA to 1 3.5mm) and hand wired another. Still the same. Does the computer feed back stereo through the purple connector or not?
What should I check next? My 3.5 was a TRS.
Acer quad with Win 10
 
Hi,
If the input on the computer is a microphone input, it's most likely mono unbalanced. It may be mono balanced, but it won't be stereo.
I think it's pretty common to have stereo line input and microphone input, though, as separate ports.

What's the motherboard model number? If you're not sure, download the free app 'CPU-Z'. It will tell you.
 
Heyyyy,...Interesting new development. When I turn the tape transport off, the sound dissipates in an 2 second reverb effect. I, personally, think it's haunted.
 
lol. I think that must be it.
Thanks for posting back to let us know. :p

There's a number of things that could be going on in the software setup side of things, but I'm not a windows guy. Hopefully others will come. :)
 
Mic input on the PC is almost certainly MONO.

It's much easier to use a small digital recorder, like a Zoom H2, which has a stereo line input, for these kinds of tasks. Set to record 24-bit WAV, then copy the files from the recorder to the computer for splitting apart, EQ/normalize, whatever.

Or, buy a regular audio interface with line level inputs. (This is about the cheapest new one going: Behringer UMC202HD). Then you can capture directly in the PC, which is what you want to do.
 
SoundCard said:
I've got a Steinberg UR12 interface.
Click to expand...

That's a shame. Technically it's a two input interface, but one of them is Hi-Z only, and the other is mic preamp only.
Far from ideal for what you're trying to do.

To be honest, you'd be better checking that motherboard to see if it has a stereo line-in jack.
 
The meters on the cassette deck show almost equal stereo output. Maybe I went from a faulty cable to Making a faulty cable. Will recheck everything. I have the deck's output connected to the green TRS PC input.

Got rid of echo/reverb . Was the stereo mix ...thingy... in Windows.
 
Mainboard

BIOS: Brand: American Megatrends
Version: R01-A2

Chipset: Braswell Host Bridge Rev. 21
Processor: Package: Socket 1170 BGA

Nothing actually says: 'Motherboard'.
Can email txt file though.
 
Ok,
If your ports look like the attached image, blue is the one you want to connect to.
That should be a stereo line input.

Screen Shot 2017-12-14 at 03.11.59.png
 
Really, just get a UCA 202, for about $30US it is not worth faffing about. The quality is better than most PC OBSound cards and WAY better than cassette tape.

If you are in UK I will send you one as a crissie prezzie!

Dave.
 
Unprecedented generosity, sincere thanks Dave, ...but I'm on the west coast of Canada, and I couldn't accept that.

I was just trying to rip the music off of a precious cassette that I probably could not replace, ..and if it self-destructs ...would be gone.
Hey, even if the PC's plug wasn't stereo, I wouldn't mind, as mono would be just fine in this case. I would just like to have both entire channels from the original stereo and not 100% of one and 60% of the other, which is what it sounds like to me. I will try one more cable, them use a more direct route. The thing is, running it into Reaper or Audacity will work fine otherwise.
 
SoundCard said:
Unprecedented generosity, sincere thanks Dave, ...but I'm on the west coast of Canada, and I couldn't accept that.

I was just trying to rip the music off of a precious cassette that I probably could not replace, ..and if it self-destructs ...would be gone.
Hey, even if the PC's plug wasn't stereo, I wouldn't mind, as mono would be just fine in this case. I would just like to have both entire channels from the original stereo and not 100% of one and 60% of the other, which is what it sounds like to me. I will try one more cable, them use a more direct route. The thing is, running it into Reaper or Audacity will work fine otherwise.
Click to expand...

Ok, bummer. Well the UCA 202 IS $29.99 at Sweetwater so treat yourself! Note, there is a variant, the UFO 202 which can also be used to rip vinyl if you have a suitable record player (magnetic cartridge output) but if your cassette is part of a hi fi rig and you have a ttable and integrated amplifier, the UCA can interface with that.

An another advantage is that the 202 delivers rather better headphone and line output from a USB port than the OBSound card so you can use the box for Ytoob, radio etc. If you have a guitar and a pedal you can record that on the PC.

Dave.
 
If you go from the 2 x RCA outs to a stereo 3.5mm TRS plug and plug this into your computer you should be in full two channel stereo.

You said that you did a wiring job yourself, now now offense implied, BUT are you sure that when you wired the 3.5m plug end, you didn't join the left/right connectors together somehow, because this would effectively give a mono signal. I have been using a soldering iron for about 65yes and yesterday I had to wire a 3.5m plug and somehow a drop of solder from the ring connector touched the center pin (ie the tip connector) and gave me a mono connection. This could be worth a checking !!!

Now, on the PC desktop screen, if you go to the bottom RHC you should see a speaker icon. Right click on this and select "Recording Devices" (or whatever variant it is called on your PC) and then when the dialogue box comes up see what is highlighted or ticked (it should indicate something like "LINE IN Realtec Audio Device", but definitely "Line In". If "Microphone" is highlighted, then right click on this and choose "Disable" then go to the "Line In" option and right click on it and choose "Enable" and OK/Save this setting.

If you connect to the "BLUE" input and do as suggested above and you use (say) Audacity, go to "TRACKS" then select "New TracK and select the "stereo" option. Now do a quick dummy recording (no audio needed) and see if it is recording indicating that it is recording in "Stereo" and showing both tracks being recorded and that the "pan" indicator is located in the central position and NOT to one side.

Now do a test run/recording with the cassette deck connected and playing and you should see both tracks recording and hear the music played back in full/glorious stereo.

Hope the above helps a bit.

David
 
I am still not sure if we are talking lap or desktop here!

If a laptop it is VERY unlikely to have a stereo line input (Google "laptops with stereo line input") and the mic in will be mono, might take a TRS plug but the ring is a polarizing voltage.

Really the UCA 202 is the cheapest game in town. It is RCA in and out and so could be incorporated into the Tape in/out system of a hi fi rig. The USB cable could be extended by at least another 2mtrs and therefore the whole thing tucked away.

The 202 operates at -10dBV (1V rms max input) whereas hi fi kit generally runs at about 150mV or -16dBV so little danger of overload.

(David, "65 yrs soldering? Can't beat that! I am 72 and probably started at about 14? )
Dave.
 
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