New HP laptop; can not get external mic to be recognized

[Craig Maier]

I have a new HP laptop with a Realtek (sound-card) chip-set. The computer only has one analog 1/8 inch TRS jack. It works ok as an output, but does not switch over to microphone when an external one is plugged into the system. If I bring up the Realtek control panel, I can not find a way to switch the recorder over from the internal laptop microphones to the analog jack. Has anyone else seen this problem? It is running a Win10 O/s.

Craig

[Marc Hildebrant]

Craig,

I'll check my laptop when I have a chance. It's a Lenovo running Windows 10.

Marc

[Marc Hildebrant]

My Lenovo ideapad 110 claims to have the mike input available on the rear panel. But, I can't see more than one audio jack for the speakers.

Marc

[Craig Maier]

This machine makes no claim to have anything more than one analog jack. It is TRS, 1/8 inch. I previously had a Dell machine with only one jack. When I would plug something into it, it would ask me what I wanted to do - - - ie have an output, have an input, use a mic, use it as a line input, etc. This computer (a Win 10 based system) give me no external input options at all. The only inputs to the soundcard software are via the two internal microphones in the computer. So, I am at a loss how to provide a direct analog signal of any sort into the computer. At least your machine claims to have an external input.

[sus4chord]

My HP (quite old now) has two different choices depending upon the drivers I'm using. Mine is not a RealTek, however.

First of all, I would open the "Sound" selection in Control panel. Then right click on the both the Playback and Recording tabs and make sure you have checked "Show Disabled Devices" and "Show Disconnected Devices".

The images show what I see on my HP laptop (it's running Windows 7 Pro, but the screen is similar in Windows 10).

I do know for "Playback", if I'm running an ASIO driver, I have to select "Speakers and Headphones" for just speakers and "Independent Headphones" for the driver to recognize headphones plugged in. If I'm running MME drivers, I can just select "Speakers and Headphones", and it will playback either through the speakers or the headphones (if plugged in).

For the recording side, as with most laptops in the last 10 years, they do not come with a line in connection (don't know why, because the desktops do). I can choose from either the "External Mic" if a microphone is plugged in, or the Mic Array (built into the computer body), or Stereo Mix (which records whatever is playing through the soundcard).

Don't know if this helps any.

I also have an external USB audio device, which is not plugged in right now, so doesn't show on the screen shots.

[Craig Maier]

I think that part of the issue with this computer is that it only has one analog port. That one jack would have to serve either as an input or an output; it could never be both at the same time. And, I can only get it to be an output. I have not been able to find anything on the soundcard control panel that allows it to become an input. So, I am perplexed. It could be that the new computer only allows recording through the built in microphones and nothing else. But, I am open to suggestions.

Craig