Newbie Question

[sallyshredder]

Hello there,

I browsed around trying to figure out how to transfer audio from my minidisc player to my laptop. So far I know this can only be done by recording it in real time to an audio program. I downloaded Audacity, but I don't know how to record from a MD player to Audacity. Can anyone help? I used to have access to radio studios which made life so easy, but now I'm struggling with how to do this from home.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Kristine

[sector001]

Hello there,

I browsed around trying to figure out how to transfer audio from my minidisc player to my laptop. So far I know this can only be done by recording it in real time to an audio program. I downloaded Audacity, but I don't know how to record from a MD player to Audacity. Can anyone help? I used to have access to radio studios which made life so easy, but now I'm struggling with how to do this from home.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Kristine

the only way to transfer audio from your minidisc player to your laptop is from real time only. u can't upload them unfortunately, but some HiMD units like the new RH1 allows u to upload. real time recording is all u can do with your R700.

[A440]

Kristine, you need to find a line-in (probably white) or, if it doesn't have one, the mic-in input (probably red) on your computer. And you need a cord to connect from the headphone output of your recorder to the computer input--a stereo plug like your headphone plug on both ends.

Then right-click to your volume control on your computer--probably a little speaker-like icon in the taskbar on the lower right, or Start/Programs/Accesssories/Entertainment/Volume Control--to show all the inputs into your soundcard. Make sure Line-in or Mic Volume is up pretty high and not muted. You can mute MIDI and anything else that looks irrelevant, so you get the cleanest possible input.

Open Audacity and look for a microphone icon, probably under the red Record button. (If you don't see it go to Edit/Preferences/Interface and check Enable Mixer Toolbar.) On the right of the microphone is a volume slider--that's your input volume. To the right of that is a drop-down menu that should have Mic-In, Line-In, Stereo Mix, etc. Choose the input you're using: Line-in or Mic-in.

Connect the MD, click the red Record button on Audacity, push Play and look at the display. If it's barely visible, raise the input volume or the volume coming out of the MD; if it's getting flattened on top and bottom, lower the input volume, etc.

That should do it, but if I've forgotten something or something's not working, feel free to ask again.

[smkranz]

For the cable, try a Radio Shack or similar electronics store. I think I've even seen cables like this at Wal-Mart. It might be labeled "stereo headphone extension cable" or something similar.

If your laptop does not have an "audio in" or "mic in" jack (like my kid's iBook laptop), you can go with an external USB sound card like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Technology-E...d/dp/B00006BALQ

[sallyshredder]

Thanks for your help everyone. I was finally able to record from my MD to Audacity; however, there's a hissing noise in the background that wasn't there when the audio was played on the MD. I guess that's another problem I'll have to tackle.

[A440]

First, check to see that you're not recording anything but what you want to record. If you're recording through Line-in, then check Mute on mic-in, Midi, .wav, CD player, screaming neighbor, whatever else is listed under audio inputs.

If that doesn't help it may be a hardware problem. A lot of computers, especially laptops, skimp on soundcards and have noisy input jacks. And if you're going through Mic-in because you don't have Line-in, then the mic-in preamp could also be adding noise. The Griffin iMic, mentioned above, would give you a cleaner input for about $35.