Listening to the microphone.

[Endless]

This is something that has been getting on my nerves for a while, since I couldn't find any good way to do this. Let's say I have something whose output connection is plugged into the input port of my soundcard, such as an old vinyl player, a radio, a minidisc player, whatever. What I want is to be able to listen to what the device outputs directly on my computer (in this case, a laptop, so no external speakers cheating).

Additional points if I can also record while I'm listening.

[rubah]

You mean sorta how the article slashdot linked to recently showed you how to with records?

When recording some of my phonographs, my dad and I found a set of two of those plugs that were the same as the speakers to the stereo. We also found one of those plugs like go to headphones and such and would fit in the line-in port ont he computer.

We cut them apart and just used electrical tape to keep the connections together (they were scraps in the first place. Just cut back the wire and wrap them so they touch really well, then use the tape to hold them like that. I guess you could solder them if you were into that stuff xD)

Plug the big end into the stereo, the little end into the linein port, set your microphone to 'line in' and record.

I forgot how it was to get the best quality recording xD Either you turn your stereo volume down and your line in volume up or vice versa.



Starting at the red one (which I used because you can't see the black one in the scan.) This goes from your speaker output in your stereo.

The little weird clip thing is just a little weird clip thing. It doesn't have anything to do with this.

Then you run into the electrical tape, (why did I write wire? I do not know) and it goes around to the little plug.

We didn't have to buy a single thing for this xD

Of course, if you're using a cd player, you'll need two of the exact same kind of plugs, two of the little kinds. But the one on the end will always be the little one, so you just have to change whatever the bigger one was.

Then, to listen, all you do is, well. Play. That's all I tell my computer to do xD Recording, like I already said, just needs you to set your
microphone to line in device.
(of course, if you only use one plug, you're only going to get sound out of one speakerxD)

[Endless]

The problem isn't plugging, it's listening as it's playing. I don't want to record it xD
More specifically, I have a video capture device, which can stream the video just fine, but the program which does that doesn't stream the sound. If I wanted to record video+sound, I could do it. The problem is to hear the audio while watching the video without having to record it first.

[Samuraid]

The windows volume control has both a recording and playback menu. If you select a source on the recording menu, you should be able to unmute it on the playback window as well to monitor what is being recorded.

In the windows sound control, go to Options->Properties and select the "Recording" radio button to access the recording controls.

[Endless]

It only works if I choose to record it (with any program), which I *don't* want. That said, I tried using the mic plug of the laptop instead of the sound-in plug of the video capture device and it works.

[rubah]

Strange. I dunno if it's because you're using a video and audio input or something, but mine always just started playing the audio in real time with the source xD

[crono_logical]

Tried unmuting the microphone/line-in for Playback rather than Recording?

[Endless]

The fact that there is no playback menu for the capture device might explain why I can't listen to it without being recording.