Greetings - This is my first post here after browsing for some time but not finding my specific situation. I have a few microcassettes that I'd like to transfer to my PC (and perhaps from there to a CD). These recordings are a combination of phone message recordings (for example my daughter talking to me when she was about 4), family interviews: my father (now deceased), and my Great Grand Father's first cousin - recorded when he was 101. So they are all things I don't want to lose. I have an Olympus J300 microcassette that I have tried connecting various ways none of which records or plays thru the speakers. (I can play recordings already on my hard drive with no problem.)

I am running Windows XP Multimedia Edition and have a SoundMAx Integrated Digital HD Audio card. I have tried connecting directly to the line in of the PC and also going thru a Griffin iMic. I've tried using Audacity and also Spin It Again. The walk-you-through-it tutorial of the latter seems to assume that any tape player is a tape deck with preamp even if I tell it I am connecting via the headphone jack. And it assumes I want to record songs. I don't know if recording voice presents different challenges.

No combination seems to register on any input meters or produce sound through the speakers connected to the PC. I am completely baffled and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Bruce

Hi Bruce,

I had a quick look at this web page to get some idea of what you have.

Have you ever recorded anything via the Line-In on your sound card before? If this is your first attempt then it may be something as simple as the PC mixer recording settings not being set up correctly or muted.

When you connect the J300 to the PC and play a tape can you hear it through the PC speakers? If not, make sure that your Line-In is enabled.

Hi MJB,
Thanks for the reply. Actually, I am hoping it IS something simple! I'll gracefully accept "operator error.

To answer your question, no I haven't ever recorded anything through the line-in on the sound card before. On the main Sounds and Audio Devices window mute is unchecked. On the Audio tab Sound Recording has the options of the SoundMax HD Audio 0 and Replay Radio Drive Record (Sound Playback has SoundMax HD Audio 1 and Replay Radio Drive Record).

When I was trying to use Audacity, I had its input set to Line In.

Should there be a Line In selection also under the Audio tab?

Thank you.
Bruce

Yes

By default under XP it sets the "Recording" source as Microphone which you need to change to Line In.

As MJB said, the first step is to get the Micro playing through the PC speaker(s) first. Once you have achieved that even the lowly Start > Run > sndrec32 will capture the sound to your PC.

Start with Control Panel > Sounds & Audio Devices > Volume > Advanced > Options > Properties > Recording

Hi Kremmen,
Thanks for the reply. I have had some success using my laptop's mic or Line In jack for recording these tapes. I still want to sort out the problem on the desktop though .. it's become an irritant that won't go away. I think I'll have to dig into the hardware manual that came with the PC. Maybe its a case of RTFM.

After follwing the chain you suggested (Control Panel > Sounds & Audio Devices > Volume > Advanced > Options > Properties > Recording) I discovered that 'recording' is grayed out.

At the top, Mixer Device is set to "SoundMax HD Audio 0" (the other two options from the drop down menu here are "SoundMax HD Audio 1" and ReplayRadio Driver Mixer). Next, playback is selected, recording is grayed out and then "Other" is available to be selected (the only option in that drop down menu is 'EQ'). Finally, in "Show the following volume controls:' all options except 'AUX' are checked.

Again, thank you for your suggestions.

Cheers,
Bruce

Hmmm

If recording is greyed out then something in there isn't right - this is one of those situation where it's very difficult to diagnose from a distance.