Recording from Tape Deck

[dyet]

Hi

Having problems trying to record cassette tapes to my Personal computer using DC6.

I have a portable cassette player with the basic; Volume control, Headphone and Mic 1/8" jacks.

I plugged a cord from the Headphone jack (Cassette player) to my computer Mic jack.

I attached what my Windows recording control looks like...


I pressed record to see if there is a signal coming through and there is no signal...not sure what I am doing wrong??....

thanks for the help.

p.s. I have recorded streams and that seem to work ok.

[Walter]

I notice you have line in checked but are plugged in to mik input

[dyet]

Thanks Walter....that did the trick!.....

[Craig Maier]

I should point out that the cassette headphone output is not going to be compatible with the mic input. The signal comming out of the headphone jack is too hot for the mic input of your sound card. That will cause two problems for you:

1. Too much gain resulting in too much distortion.

2. Too much gain resulting in too much noise.

Furthermore, most 1/8th inch mic inputs on soundcards are monophonic and not stereo, so you will only get one channel to transfer.

You should plug the headphone output from the Cassette deck into the Line input of your soundcard to obtain optimal results.

[Audyossey]

...The signal comming out of the headphone jack is too hot for the mic input of your sound card.

I generally concur with the remarks. However, with some sound cards the mic input is the only choice. Usually, however, the setup dialog box will have a check box to allow it to be used as a line input. That doesn't seem to be the case here.

By juggling the output level of the output device (which would be possible here since he's using a headphone output) and the sensitivity level of the input, you can get by. Whether the mic input is stereo or not is the other question. As you say, it's "usually" mono but takes a stereo plug. If it's the only input, there's probably some provision for stereo input. I hate those connections.

HB

[Craig Maier]

The "stereo" nature of those mic input configurations are not usually to provide for a stereo input*. These 1/8th inch TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) connections usually work this way:

1. Tip = Audio Signal

2. Ring = Phantom DC Power for the J-FET in the Electret mic {Open Circuit Voltage ~ 3 to 4 VDC, Short Circuit Current ~ 750 to 1000 uA}

3. Sleeve = Common Signal and DC return line and shield

Also, if you are going to use a Mic input on a Line level signal, you really need to "PAD" it down first, else you will encounter the problems that I described. Remember that the power amplifier driving the headphone output only has its gain control on the input side of that device. So, the noise floor of the system will be determined by a power amplifier in the cassette deck. {In other words, the volume control is on the Cassette Decks input and not its output} Power Amplifiers (although only 100 mWatt) are not designed to produce low noise floors.

See the Diamond Cut users guide for T Pad attenuator design values. You need about 20 to 30 dB of attenution in this circumstance to provide a good match between the line output of the cassette deck and the mic input of a sound card.

*Note: As per Audyossey's intimation, some systems do allow the functionality of the Mic input to be changed from Mic input with Phantom power to that of a true Stereophonic Line Input. Check with the manufacturer of your machine to see if this is the case.