Using a mic with 'Digital Music LX'

[redbourn]

Hi,

after spending hours and hours trying to fix the realtek mic recording problems with my HP Pavilion laptop (Vista) I have decided to buy an external sound card.

I am learning guitar and would simply like to record my progress so whatever can be suggested doesn't need to be top of the line.

The Sound Blaster 'Digital Music LX' is availably locally but I'm concerned that it only has a line-in connection and not a dedicated mic one.

Since I want to record from an external mic it's important that this would work well.

Any ideas would be appreciated,

Mike

P.S.

FYI - The realtec mic problem is widespread and it effects all kinds of laptops and not just HP ones. People have spent days uninstalling, cleaning and then reinstalling drivers etc only to find that the driver is close to useless.

 

[mike c]

the line in will need a powered mic or a mic with an amp ...

 

[redbourn]

the line in will need a powered mic or a mic with an amp ...

wow, that was fast, thanks.

I bet the girls don't say that

I was just entering in some bio info and you'd already answered.

I have an electret condenser mic that has a small battery operated power amp.

Impedance 1000 Ohm
Freq response 100 - 14,000
Output -65 +/- 3db (odb=1)

Not a 'serious' mic but neither is my present guitar playing

Mike

 

[redbourn]

I just realized that I didn't ask a question in the above.

Do you think that a combination of the above mic and the 'Digital Music LX' will provide better sound that I can get with the built in realtek card in my laptop, or do you have a better suggestion?

I did consider a recordable mp3 player as an alternative but haven't done any real investigation into that yet.

thanks,

Mike

 

[mike c]

yeah, was waiting for your question

i've never seen measurements on the LX, but it does provide a better connection via it's RCA inputs outputs as opposed to flimsy 1/8" connectors.

+ you get bonus optical audio outs

note though that everytime i install it in my pc, i lose the option to use my built in mic - and since i dont have a powered mic ... i left it off the system for now

 

[redbourn]

I will buy it then - but you're not responisible

Not expensive and must be better than the realtek one which has cost tens of thousand of people hundreds of thousands of wasted hours.

A friend gave me the guitar because I'd helped him a lot for a number of years with IT related things and never asked for anything in return and then one day I happened to mention that I'd finally decided to fulfill a childhood dream and learn to play guitar. He said 'don't rush to buy one; think about it first" etc. Then next day he arrived with a really nice guitar, books and case. Seems like he'd wanted to get me someting for a long time, but something that I really wanted.

I then bought a stand, a tuner and something to keep tempo.

Another friend rushed to buy me a microphone for my birthday and now I need to buy and external sound card.

One thing leads to another

Mike

 

[TLS Guy]

I will buy it then - but you're not responisible

Not expensive and must be better than the realtek one which has cost tens of thousand of people hundreds of thousands of wasted hours.

A friend gave me the guitar because I'd helped him a lot for a number of years with IT related things and never asked for anything in return and then one day I happened to mention that I'd finally decided to fulfill a childhood dream and learn to play guitar. He said 'don't rush to buy one; think about it first" etc. Then next day he arrived with a really nice guitar, books and case. Seems like he'd wanted to get me someting for a long time, but something that I really wanted.

I then bought a stand, a tuner and something to keep tempo.

Another friend rushed to buy me a microphone for my birthday and now I need to buy and external sound card.

One thing leads to another

Mike

A microphone that is not a toy, needs to be a 600 ohm balanced type. I don't think that sound card has balanced mic inputs. You can buy a little mixer to go between the min, to get the mic to unbalanced line level. There are some inexpensive digital audio interfaces, that have balanced inputs and phantom powering, for phantom powered condenser microphones. That is your best solution.

Here are some cost effective digital audio interfaces.

 

[redbourn]

A microphone that is not a toy, needs to be a 600 ohm balanced type. I don't think that sound card has balanced mic inputs. You can buy a little mixer to go between the min, to get the mic to unbalanced line level. There are some inexpensive digital audio interfaces, that have balanced inputs and phantom powering, for phantom powered condenser microphones. That is your best solution.QUOTE]

Thanks for the feeback.

I will post and say how the card works and also check out the 'interfaces' that you mention,


Mike

P.S. Audioholics made me remove your link ..