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Line-in vs Mic-in for digital recording

post #1 of 8
8/16/03 at 6:51pm
Thread Starter 
I've been researching new laptops for about a month now and finaly decided on the Sager 4060 as it fit my price range with the most options. My question concerns the general lack of a Line-in port on most laptops. I plan on using my new laptop to digitally archive my old vinyl albums using CoolEdit Pro. Will the mic-in port function the same as the Line-in port on my old desktop PC, or will I need some other type of connection such as a FireWire line? I've used my old PII 450 quite successfully to re-master my old albums, but it can be quite slow using some of teh filters and effects.
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post #2 of 8
11/1/04 at 10:39pm
i'm very much a novice but i will say that i used cooledit to transfer minidisc files to my computer as mp3's. it worked perfectly well with the line in. i intend to do the same with my vinyl soon. any idea where to get a free/trial version of cooledit, or something similar? --marcus
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post #3 of 8
11/1/04 at 11:20pm
Thread Starter 
Hey prometheussd!

I posted that message over a year ago! Adobe purchased CoolEdit from Syntrillium Software just about a year ago, so CoolEdit no longer exists. Adobe has re-named it 'Audition', but the interface looks and feels identical. I downloaded an upgrade from CoolEdit Pro to Adobe Audition at that time, as Adobe was offering a free upgrade to CoolEdit users. I just checked the Adobe website and the do have a 30 day trial version available for download. http://www.adobe.com/products/tryado...jsp#product=92
The download is 47.6 mb, so if you don't have a broadband connection, it'll be a long download!!!

Good Luck!

Dave Madsen
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post #4 of 8
11/1/04 at 11:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmadsen
I've been researching new laptops for about a month now and finaly decided on the Sager 4060 as it fit my price range with the most options. My question concerns the general lack of a Line-in port on most laptops. I plan on using my new laptop to digitally archive my old vinyl albums using CoolEdit Pro. Will the mic-in port function the same as the Line-in port on my old desktop PC, or will I need some other type of connection such as a FireWire line? I've used my old PII 450 quite successfully to re-master my old albums, but it can be quite slow using some of teh filters and effects.
I'd check and see if there is some software control for the input port. It's common practice to use multifunction ports for I/O in laptops, (for obvious reasons). If not then just make an experimental copy and give it a listen. If your satisfied with the fidelity, great. If not, another option may be an external soundcard. There are some good USB soundcards out there that are designed specifically for what you're trying to do. Maudio Transit comes to mind as well as the Echo Indigo IO if you want to go with a PCMCIA card. Both have wonderful ratings. I own the Indigo IO and know it would handle your recordings with ease.

Shop around and you should find something that can fulfill your needs. I only mention this solution last because of the added cost of the card, but would recommend it first if quality is your highest priority.
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post #5 of 8
11/2/04 at 2:13am
Mic and line in are both input ports, however they can be mislabeled on consumer audio equipemt and built in stuff anyways. Truthfully a mic in port should have a different sensitivity than the line in which is designed for consumer level line output which I believe is a bit higher than mic level(Even on a consumer level).

So Really in terms of Professional equipment I could tell you in a heartbeat there is a difference, though in most cases in a pinch you can use a mic input and turn the gain WAY down and use it like a line input with decent results. I dont know if this is still the case in consumer audio equipment though, but I would imagine it is at least similar to the point yes you can use it. Note this is just a guess from what I know of other professional stage uadio stuff, not computer audio.

Seablade
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post #6 of 8
11/2/04 at 2:15am
PS Adobe Audition is a great tool for editing sound cues and single audio tracks, but anything multitrack I tend to use different software for, its power on that side of things(Which was fairly recent in Cool Edit's life if I remember correctly) is still lacking a bit.

However Audition all around is an exellent peice of software.

Seablade
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post #7 of 8
11/5/04 at 3:10pm
Mic input is for microphones which put out a few millivolts or about 40 db less than the line input which is about a volt.

If you use a T-Pad attenuator, which can be made from 2 resistors, you can drop down a line-level signal to mic-level so you can record it to a device that only has the mic input. I've used this to record sound from a satellite TV box to a camcorder mic-in. Also used the same method to record audio from a rock band mixer and a CD player to the camcorder mic-in. Plans for a T-Pad for this purpose are available at various electronics circuit websites.

RIAA equalization will be needed for the phono signal from vinyl record turntables. Most stereo receivers can amplify the phono signal and apply the RIAA equalization so you have a line level signal coming from the tape output from the receiver. Or you can use one of those phono signal converter boxes instead of the receiver.
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post #8 of 8
11/5/04 at 9:25pm
Audacity (freeware audio app) includes RIAA phono as one of its preset filter options. You may be able to plug your turntable directly into the Mic jack and record your vinyl using Audacity, apply the filter and save it.
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