Line In Jack only records in Mono

[skyler]

The sound card is an Avance AC97 on board. Will only show one channel when recording audio from a tape deck or turn table. Does anyone have info on why? When capturing the audio only one speaker plays.
Thanks,
Skyler

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Line in should be stereo and the plug should be too. Make sure they are plugged in all the way and that the balance is set to middle in Sound Properties. Just ideas but have you checked the cables and tape deck for problems? Try swapping one side for the other to see if it changes which side that plays.

I had an ASUS mobo that stopped recording sound entirely. I'm in the RMA process now.

For my camcorder I needed a mono rca female to 1/8 miniature stereo plug that I bought at Radio Shack.

Sounds to me like you may need one of these (http://www.radioshack.com/images/ProductCatalog/ProductImage/274/m274-883.jpg)
Whereas for my camcorder I needed this (http://www.radioshack.com/images/ProductCatalog/ProductImage/274/m274-378.jpg).

[skyler]

Have the right stereo jack. Have the cables in as far as they will go. When using Audacity only one channel shows up and only one speaker is working.
Skyler

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Please explain the whole setup. Are you going from turntable through a receiver using record out/line out? Have you confirmed stereo signal all the way to the pc? You could confirm your cables by playing something on your pc and recording it with your cassette player from line or speaker out - to line in or record on the cassette. If that works both channels, you know the cables are ok.

Try Sound Recorder in Windows for a 60 second test using mono, then try with a stereo input. Set it to line in and try the cassette player directly to that. You need to do a process of elimination to be able to narrow it down to just one item. Try the cassette on another pc if possible with Sound Recorder.

My thoughts are something similar is going on that did to me and that was the motherboard circuitry went bad in the audio input circuit. I had no trouble playing cd's and WMP10 but I could not receive a signal and retain it. I could 'pass through' the sound from line in and send it to my speakers but even when the recording appeared to work, there was no sound on playback. My new mobo cured that.

[skyler]

I'm running an emachines T2042. After taking it apart tonight, all the imputs, outputs are one integrated unit, so there's no separate sound card. According to an analysis I did, I appear to have an Avance AC97 audio driver.

If I do nothing more than plugging the tape deck or record changer straight into the line in jack, I get sound on the left channel only. I have the proper 1/8th stereo jack and am not running anything thru an amp. I'm going straight from the tape deck and record changer with RCA cables and using the Radio Shack adapter that was previously mentioned for the line in. Both systems work perfectly when using my stereo amp. When I use Audacity to record, I get left channel only. Ditto when trying Musicmatch 7.5. I can pull the stereo jack out a little and then get sound on both channels but it is still in mono. With Audacity, you get to see the actual sound amplified on screen and both are identical.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Skyler

[Fruss Tray Ted]

With Audacity, you get to see the actual sound amplified on screen and both are identical.1: Is that with the plug halfway out (is the glass half full or semi empty :rolleyes: )?
2: Try just one side of the connector 'WYE' adapter at a time trying to 'capture' or record audio. Then try the other side. What happens?
3: When in capture mode, are you listening to the capture? Do both sides play in that mode?
I'm going straight from the tape deck and record changer with RCA cables4: Are these individual components, or an 'all in one' stereo with only speaker outs? Sorry, I needed to ask. :o
Both systems work perfectly when using my stereo amp
5: What 'system'? And what 'Amp' was that? Fender? Ampeg? Maarrrsshhalll... :cool:

[Paleo Pete]

I can pull the stereo jack out a little and then get sound on both channels but it is still in mono

This sounds like you're not using a stereo jack for the splitter. Take a look at the photo attaached, that's a 1/4' stereo headphone adapter, a lot bigger than your 1/8" sound card input, but gives better visibility for our purposes. You'll see TWO black insulator rings (red pointers). That's one for each channel, left and right. If your splitter (or "Y" adapter) only has one, it's a mono jack, not stereo. Pulling it out partway will allow it to work better because one side is shorted when plugged in all the way, it's contacting both channels with one peice of metal, creating a direct short. Not trying to treat you like you're stupid, but we don't know what you're looking at till we set it up so we're both looking at the same thing and can say "Yeah, that's it"...

Somewhere around here I have a cable for this purpose, purchased at Radio Shack, with a pair of RCA jacks on one end and a stereo 1/8" mini jack on the other. I got it to run from cassette player to computer, since I have a few older albums on tape that have never been remastered on CD. You can use a similar adapter cable, but I'm not sure if a "Y" adapter is available that would give you true stereo.

Is your adapter maybe a headphone splitter? Several types of adapters are available, but the correct cable is the best way to go since it puts only one connection in the picture on each end, rather than cables and adapters adding more connections for more noise and more possibilities to get the wrong type at one point or other.

[skyler]

Plug is halfway out to get both sides, again only one channel is recording. I've tried one side at a time and switched plugs on the adapter and still only get the left side. I'm using individual components, a Panasonic record changer and an RCA dual tape deck. The amp is a combo AM-FM, tape player with aux in. Yep, I do have a stereo adapter (Radio Shack, no less). By the way, I also tried a mono adapter just to see what would happen and I get the same results - left side only

[skyler]

Problem solved. Believe it or not, my trusted Radio Shack adapter was bad. I just bought a new one and it works perfectly.

To all those who made suggestions and tried to help, I really appreciate your time and concern.

Thanks again

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Classic example of why any pc 'tinkerer' should HAVE to have a multimeter at the very LEAST in order to save a bit of hair pulling! (Edit)But TRUSTED Radio Shack adapter??? :confused: (/edit)

This sure beats a bad mobo circuit and a lot less time involved without the need of an RMA either.