Using A Laptop For Recording

[Nigel]

Hi everyone,

I did a lot of recording some years ago and am just getting back into it again. This time the only computer I have available to me is a laptop, its a resonably good spec so no problems there.

The problem I do have though is that from what I can remember when I did recording before is that I always used the line-in connection and not the mike.

On my laptop there is no line-in, only a mike connection!

Is this going to cause me any problems with my recordings? If so, is there anyway of getting over the problem or improving the quality?

Any answers would be welcomed.

Many thanks

Nigel

[Steve]

The mic input is not going to give you very good results, although it is possible to get audio into the computer this way. The best solution is something like this. I'm sure there are cheaper options than this, but it's the kind of interface you need for a decent result!

[john]

Hey

I agree with Steve.

There are a number of audio interfaces you can get for laptops: firewire, usb, pcmcia & cardbus (and variants of).

Each has different pros and cons depending on the way you record, what you want to do with it. I'm happy to help, but sorting out an audio interface for your lap top isn't difficult but it not necessarily quick!

To be honest to advise you we 'd need to know some more about your laptop, for example how many ports do you have on your laptop? Firewire? USB? cardbus? etc

Cheers

John

[Nigel]

Hi Fellers,

Thanks for that advice, it more or less confirms what I thought about recording through the mike connection.

I will have to have a look at my laptop and let you know, at the moment I am in our shop so can´t take a look. Or, perhaps even, see if I can utilise an older desktop we don´t use anymore.

Anyway, thanks for the advice.

Nigel