Routing from line-in to line-out

2005-12-18 20:39:57

On my PC I have an Aureon 7,1 space.

Let's say I want to record some LPs so I connect the output of the phono preamp to the line-in of the soundcard.
I also connect an headphones ampli to the soundcard line-out.

Let's say I use Cool Edit Pro to record the music.

Now, before I start recording, I'd like to check if what comes into the line-in is OK.
Having the headphones connected to the line-out, I'm unable to listen to what comes to the line-in, not even when I use the "check recording level" in Cool edit and I can see the meters go up and down. I set the Windows mixer as follows:

- recording section:    line-in level so to avoid clipping
- playback section:    line-in at max

Now the questions:

1 - is it possible and I am doing something wrong?

2 - is it not possible with my sound card and I have to look for another one?

3 - is it not possible whichever card I use?

In short, what I'm looking after is the ability to directly route the audio signal from line-in to line-out, of course with some mixing capabilities.

Thanks.

Routing from line-in to line-out

Reply #1 – 2005-12-18 21:24:50

I've been doing a lot of recording from vinyl lately and you should be able to do it.


It does sound like you know about the Windows mixer ("Master Volume") but am going to repeat it anyway just to make sure we are talking about the same controls.


In the Master Volume control GUI for Windows there are two views... the playback and the recording.

First be sure that in the recording view (to get to this, in the Master Volume Control GUI (you get there either by right clicking the grey speaker icon for the volume control if it is in your sys tray OR Start>Settings>Control Panel. Dbl click the "Sounds and Audio Devices". Then click "Advanced".)

It opens by default to the "playback" controls. Most likely, in this panel the "line out" is either muted or the volume slider is at the bottom.

Now, to change to the "recording" controls, in that Master Volume Control GUI, go to Options>Properties. Click the button for "recording and click "okay". This will now show you your recording volume for "line in", microphone, etc...  Make sure that it isn't muted and that the volume is somewhere near the middle or so.

That is all that you should need. When you are talking about using the "line out" from the sound card you do mean the "speaker out" don't you? Or do you mean a separate "line out"? I do know that some sound cards that are configured for "surround sound" that the outputs can have different functions if being used for surround. Maybe that is the case here? Can you try a different output, like the one for the "front speakers"? I'm just guessing here since I don't have that card. But I do know that the onboard Soundstorm on my motherboard is like that. If I change a jumper on the motherboard it changes the functions of a couple of the outputs.

Btw, I used to used CoolEdit and switched to "Wave Repair"  instead. Wave Repair is shareware/freeware and I found the functions to be easier to use. Especially how it "monitors" recording levels prior to actual recording and I like how it puts a nice big green line in the wave form when there IS clipping.

Routing from line-in to line-out

Reply #2 – 2005-12-19 07:20:50

Thanks for your answer.

Yes, I have that settings:  playback  = line-in slider at max
                                      recording = line-in slider to 3 out of ten

Of course I said "line-out" but it is "front speakers".

What bothers me is that I'm actually able to record but I can't hear what I'm recording until I finish and playback it.
I mean, I would like to be able to mix down the line in signal and the mic-in one and get the mixed signal through the speaker out but it doesn't work.

As I said, probably I'm having some settings wrong.

Now I'm going to ask this to Terratec support (if any...).