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This page helps you to connect your sound source to your PC so you can start using the
PolderbitS Sound Recorder and Editor and get your sound to CD or MP3.
You can use our software to digitize music on LP's, cassettes, tapes, minidisks or
other sound carriers, being played back on a regular home audio set, cassette player,
minidisk player or tape deck for example.
To record from either one of these sound carriers, you have to connect the audio output of
the player to the audio input of the computer.
 Cables with the right plugs on
each end are sold at any appliance store for a couple of bucks.
This page covers the following topics:
The audio input on your
computer
You can look at your computer being a cassette or tape deck on which you want to
record. You have probably done that before.
- Desktop computers
The audio input on a desktop computer is usually a 1/8" mini-jack on the back panel,
labeled Line-In or Aux, close to where the speakers will
be connected to a similar type of jack.
The Line-In input is sometimes marked with the symbol  which is not
to be confused with the speaker output marked with the symbol  where the arrow points to the
outside.
To record from the connected player, in the Sound Recorder window you typically select the
sound source named Line-In or Auxiliary:
- Laptop or notebook computers
Most laptop or notebook computers only have one 1/8" mini-jack input, marked Mic
or Microphone, close to where a headphone can be connected to a similar
type of jack.
To record from the connected player, in the Sound Recorder window you typically select the
sound source named Mic or Microphone:
If your laptop or notebook (or its
docking station) has a Line-In or Aux input jack as
well, then it is preferable to connect the player to that input. In that case you
typically select the sound source named Line-In or Auxiliary
in the Sound Recorder window.
The plug that goes into the input of the computer, has to be a stereo
1/8" mini-plug, similar to the one for the computer speakers:
 Note that this stereo
mini-plug has two plastic rings at the tip and this is not to be confused
with a mono plug that has only one plastic ring at the tip:
Using a mono plug to connect the player to the computer, typically results in sound coming
in on the left channel only.
The audio output on the
player
What the audio output connection type on the player is, depends on the kind and model
of the player.
It is usually marked Play-Out, Line-Out, Audio-Out
or something in similar wording:
- DIN connectors
This type of connector is usually found on older European-made audio equipment, like on
this Uher tape deck:
 
- RCA connectors
This type of connector is most times found on modern audio equipment, like on this JVC
cassette deck:
 
- Mini-jack connectors
This type of connector is most times found on portable players, like on this Sony minidisk
player:
Connecting a turntable
(vinyl record player)
To record from vinyl records, you will need a (pre-)amplifier connected in between the
turntable and the computer.
The signal strength of the turntable output is most times too weak to be connected to the
computer directly.
This is the same as when you record LP's to tape on a tape or cassette deck for example.
Your home audio set will have a pre-amp built-in, if it has a Phono input
and a Rec-Out output, like on this Kenwood receiver/amplifier with a
Technics turntable connected to it:
 
Do not forget to also connect the ground-wire
from the turntable to the amplifier. This wire eliminates hum (low-frequency noise),
picked up by the sensitive pick-up element on the turntable.
If your audio set does not have a pre-amp built-in, or if it has no Rec-Out, Line-Out
or Audio-Out output, then you can buy a separate turntable pre-amplifier. These are sold
for approximately 50$ at any well-equipped appliance store.
What if I only have
headphones or speaker outputs?
Some audio sets like boomboxes don't have audio output connectors other than for
headphones or speakers.
The signal strength of these outputs is most times higher than desired for the input on
your computer and their signal strengths depend on the volume control setting for that
output.
Special care is therefore required to connect such outputs to your computer.
Before you connect the headphones
or speaker output to the computer, make sure to set the volume control on the player at
zero first!
- Headphones output
If your audio set has a headphone output connector, then it is preferred to use that one
as opposed to the speaker output.
You will have to experiment with the volume control level for the headphones output, to
see which level results in the best recording quality. The headphones volume control, in
combination with the recording volume control in the Sound Recorder, determine the
end-result.
As a rule of thumb we can say that the recording level peak meters in the Sound Recorder
window should hover in the yellow zone during the loudest fragments.
To achieve this, set the volume control in the Sound Recorder window at approximately 75%
of the full scale. Then slowly and carefully increase the volume control of the headphones
output, until the recording level peak meters reach the yellow zone.
Setting the headphones output volume too high will result in distorted sound no matter how
low you set the volume control in the Sound Recorder window.
- Speaker output
If your audio set has speaker outputs only, then you need to take very very
special care when connecting this to your computer.
Pre-manufactured cables for this type of connection are not for sale and if you want to
connect this way anyhow, then you will need to create some wiring yourself.
Speaker outputs are designed to drive the speakers with relatively high signal voltage
levels. These signal levels can be too high for the input on the computer, if the speaker
volume is set too high.
These high signal levels might even
damage the audio input of your computer!
For best sound quality results, the same rule of thumb applies as with connecting to the
headphones output.
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