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Audio Recording: Absence of Line-In

post #1 of 13
8/27/03 at 2:58pm
Thread Starter 
Just wondering if anyone out their does any audio/music production and editing on their Sager laptop. I record live voice narration, presentations and music. I have an external audio mixer that I typically connect to my current laptop's Line-In jack. However, as far as I can see the 8890 and 5620 systems do not have Line-In jacks. I'm aware that the external SB Extigy is available, however, it would be ideal to have an "audio-in" feature available on the system itself without the need for an additional peripheral.

Thanks,
Evener - Tempe, AZ
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post #2 of 13
8/27/03 at 3:29pm
Not sure if the newer ones have line in or not. Have you considered getting a used 8887. There have been several offered for sale. You would save some money and still get a great top of the line laptop. That is if having the input is important to you. I would just buy and ext. sound card anyway, much better sound quality.
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post #3 of 13
8/27/03 at 3:39pm
They do indeed have a line in. Unfortunately, this is coupled to the TV Tuner so you have to have it running to use the line in. Why? One of the great mysteries of all time. Frankly, its simply a stupid concept and a real pain in the ass. Of all things Sager could do, eliminating this would be the most priority for me. Even more than changing the enter, control and Fn keys.
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post #4 of 13
8/27/03 at 3:49pm
i thought the line in was also the rear channel out. so u could either switch it between line in or rear channel out. i didn't think it would be coupled to the tv-tuner...which is a most peculiar mystery
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post #5 of 13
8/27/03 at 4:02pm
mic/line in are usually the same sort of input, with different resistance and gain levels. plug your cord into the mic in and turn off the 20db gain, and set levels low, and you should do fine.

or do what i'm doing and buy a digidesign mbox or a motu or an ediroal audio/digital convertor.
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post #6 of 13
8/28/03 at 1:39am
There is also the Indigo I/O coming out sometime soon. It looks pretty awesome for a reasonable price and Indigo has a reputation.
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post #7 of 13
8/28/03 at 10:34am
Quote:
Originally posted by MARQUISDARQUIS
There is also the Indigo I/O coming out sometime soon. It looks pretty awesome for a reasonable price and Indigo has a reputation.
agreed! i will say, though, that if you want to do serious recording, and don't want to buy a separate mixer for your mic preamps, you'll want to get something like the mbox, or the edirol ua-700, or the m-audio firewire 410. these have xlr/1/4" connectors and built-in preamps. the breakout box idea is nice too, since you have physical control over the gain levels, high-z inputs, and the rest.

the only reason i think you wouldn't want to go this route is if you really want good quality sound on your laptop at times when you wouldn't want to bring a breakout box with you, i.e., on an airplane. in that case you'd need some kind of pcmcia solution (the extigy wouldn't work here, either), which is where the indigo rocks.
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post #8 of 13
1/7/05 at 2:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aeselvenor
the only reason i think you wouldn't want to go this route is if you really want good quality sound on your laptop at times when you wouldn't want to bring a breakout box with you, i.e., on an airplane. in that case you'd need some kind of pcmcia solution (the extigy wouldn't work here, either), which is where the indigo rocks.
so assuming that portability isn't an issue, would an interface like the m-audio 410 make a pcmcia card essentially redundant/unneccesary?

my laptop doubles as my stereo, and i also use it for recording and music creation (and yes, i'm new to recording, hence my confusion). i'm looking at the 410 and the echo indigo, but definitely do not have the money for both...it would make my life a lot easier if having one eliminated the need for the other...i would think that the 410 would eliminate the need for the indigo, but most people seem to have both...
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post #9 of 13
1/7/05 at 7:33pm
The 410 would indeed make the Indigo unnecessary, unless you wanted the better quality output of the Indigo without the box, or needed (as I do) the GSIF on the Indigo for software sampler purposes.
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post #10 of 13
1/22/05 at 12:30am
Several options exist :-

M-Audio USB Audiophile
M-Audio Firewire Audiophile
there is another higher end version (not sure of the name/model but it has a HOST of features...)
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post #11 of 13
1/22/05 at 5:15pm
PreSonus also just came out with a small firewire interface I believe. I use them for compressors doing live work and love them and would be willing to give them a chance, though I dont know the price on it, it is however likely to be a bit better than edirol or MAudio in my opinion, I have a higher opinion of Presonus than those two companies in my experience. Nothing against them they arent bad for the price at all, I just like PreSonus better

Seablade
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post #12 of 13
1/24/05 at 4:26pm
Thanks for the PreSonus reco. I am looking up their product line...
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post #13 of 13
1/24/05 at 6:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari
Thanks for the PreSonus reco. I am looking up their product line...
Well the presonus was just a recent one that came out I believe. A lot of people do make nice smaller interfaces such as Mackie with their Spike.

One I have been keeping in the corner of my eye for instance is the MOTU Traveller, since it can be powered of the laptop I believe and still provide Phantom power for condensers. Fairly nice package, I have just been assuming that most people here dont use something quite that high dollar though if anyone wants I can start trying to list the ones I remember

Seablade
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