Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with line-in

I want to turn my DS into an FX processor. How?

lekvar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:33:58 -0800

My Nintendo DS has a mic-in and headphone jack. I want to be able to send a signal from my amp/mixer/etc. to the DS for processing in the DS audio homebrew I've downloaded and send the processed signal out to the mixer/amp/etc. Short version:
I want to turn my DS into an FX processor. How?

Long Version:
Part 1:
I've got a DS and I've got the headset. I plan on re-wiring the mic from the headset to a 1/8" or 1/4" jack so I can run a signal from my other noise toys into ProteinDS, Nitrotracker and other homebrew audio fun. I'm fairly certain that the signal from an amp, mixer or synth is going to be too hot, and I'm unwilling to burn something out by overloading the circuit. How do I calm the signal down from line-in to mic-in? Would wiring a potentiometer do the trick? If so, what kind?

Part 2:
I've wired the headphone wires from the headset to a 1/4" jack. I thought that it would be a foolproof way to send an audio signal from the DS to my mixer or amplifier but the signal is coming out very, very quiet.
Like "barely-audible" quiet. Have I done something wrong? Is my theory unsound? Any ideas how to fix it?

Any hints, tips, critiques, advice, etc. gladly accepted.

Help me find a good voice recorder

Milkman Dan — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:31:12 -0800

Please help me locate a reliable voice/audio recorder for under $150 CDN I’m desperately in need of recommendations and/or research from the Metafilter community. I need a recording device to capture a line-out feed from a sound board, and record 20 minute speeches, which will then be uploaded to the web.

The device needs to be one that...
- Records in high-quality stereo
- Saves to MP3 format
- Has an external line-in or microphone jack (mini-jack works)
- Doesn’t require software to retrieve files
- Costs less than $150 CDN
- Connects to a PC computer via USB

I purchased an Olympus VN-4100 PC for this task, but the sound quality was horrible, the software was cumbersome, and the native format is WAV. Yuck. I love the look and sound of the M-Audio Microtrack, but the price tag is a tad too high. Is there another solution?

A DVD player, a TV, composite cables, and a spark

yz — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 19:57:48 -0800

Connecting my DVD player to my TV apparently damaged the latter's composite cable ports. Now I'm wondering if this could happen to other devices. When reconnecting my DVD player (a Cyberhome CH-DVD 402) to my TV's jacks using a composite cable (those red, white, and yellow RCA jacks) I noticed a spark (possibly at the DVD-player end, actually, but I actually can't remember now); since then images from any source connected via the composite jacks are completely scrambled. The TV still works normally with standard cable-TV input and had worked normally with this and other DVD players previously (when connected with the same cables, I believe).

I'd like to connect the same DVD player to another device. I know nothing about the electrical internals of anything so: could the DVD player or the composite cables have at some point become (permanently) faulty in such a way that they are more likely to permit damage to other electronic equipment (via static electricity, say, since that's likely the cause)?

Eject the core!

The Monkey — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 22:41:57 -0800

How did I manage to blow up a computer power supply when I tried to connect audio out from a VCR to the line in on the computer soundcard. The setup is like this:
Mitsubishi TV, with 3 component in, video coming from gfx card in PC (old Celeron 400, which has been a reliable media PC for... fn ages), sound coming from soundcard line-out. New video capture card in PC with a single component line to the video out on the VCR, and 2x component to 3.5mm stereo line-in of the sound card.

I borrowed a video capture card from a friend to play with decrypting pay-tv signals - and incredibly it worked! But when I went to connect the sound from the VCR to the line-in on my soundcard (sb16 or something, I'm not using onboard sound) the tip of the stereo plug grazed the metal around the socket, made a little spark noise and the computer shut down.

I tried pushing the button, as you would, and nothing happen. Unplugged the power cable, plugged it in again and pushed the button and then there was a big flash from inside the (open sided) case. I had a look at the fuse in the power supply and it had completely blown - there was actually a hole, either blown or burned, through the glass!

Today I went and got another ATX power supply, but before I plug it in, I'd like to understand why this happened, and what I can do to avoid it in future. Is it a case problem? Am I plugging too many different devices together?

Can I boost the line-in feed on my laptop?

Brian James — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 16:17:18 -0800

PC Audio: How can I boost the audio coming in through my laptop's line-in? I'm recording classes using a single boundary microphone connected to my laptop. On playback, the speaker is audible and intelligible, but I have to max out my volume controls and questioners can't be heard.

Is there a way, on my laptop, to boost the line-in signal? I have maxed out the mic volume control, and I don't seem to have any kind of Mic Boost or AGC function on my soundcard. (A SOUNDMAX Digital Audio, if that matters)

I have a feeling the "correct" solution here is to get a microphone preamp, but those that I have seen on the interweb are pricey ($200 and up), and my classes just aren't worth it. I'm seeking a cheaper alternative.