Line-In vs Mic Input

[FLATROCK HILL]

Hi All,
I've been attempting to transfer some backing tracks from my computer to a disk. try as I might, I've not been able to download the files to disk. I'm not at all computer savvy but I think the problem is with some anti-pirating encription etc. I own these tracks. They have been bought and paid for by me. I'm not trying to rip anyone off or steal anyone's royalties. But..in order to get the best use from these tracks, I need to have them on a CD.

My way around this problem has been to digitally record the tracks from the desk-top to my Zoom H2 recorder, then tranfer the tracks to disk. What I would like to know is this: Should I be using the 'Line' input or the 'Mic' input on the recorder? It seems to work ok both ways, but I want to understand the difference between the two inputs.
If there were a 'Line-Out' from my computer, I would naturally figure that the 'Line-In' to the recorder would be the obvious choice. However, the only audio 'output' from my computer is the 'headphone' output. I don't know if that is the same as 'Line-out' or not.

Thanks (from a tech-illiterate).

Clark

[Tom Wright]

Use the "line" input.

About those audio tracks---you probably need to render them as .wav or .mp3 files in a "mixdown" or "bounce" action. While displayed, they will of course play and you can record elsewhere as you did. But your recording software can certainly do this---if you identify it someone here can point to the menu which has that action listed. I would guess look under "File", but if you search your menus you will find it.

Before you bounce or mix, you will probably be asked what settings to use and where to send the mix. You want .wav, 44.1 Hz stereo, 16-bit. That will burn to an audio CD. Some CD players will play mp3, but not all, so I usually choose .wav, which is the standard.

[mandroid]

not much better at the tech thing..

yea microphone is input, headphone is monitor output, a record out (if available)
would not cancel the headphone monitor option ..

[Toni Schula]

Headphone out is in fact not the same as line out. Its intended use is to drive headphones with low impedance, meaning it provides the current to drive the phones. Very seldom headphone outputs can provide the voltage as expected by line inputs.

This said I propose to first try the recorder's line in and observe the recording level you can achieve. If you can get near 0 dB (but never above of course) you are done. If you by far cannot get this level, e.g. you stay below -6 dB, I would give the mic input a try. This provides much more gain. Take care, not to exceede 0 dB. It is quite easy to overload the mic input. That's why it is my second option.

I use to get noise problems, when reducing the computer's headphone output level too far. There typically is quite a noticeable noise floor. So it is better to adjust recording level at the recorder's input and run the headphone output quite hot.

In the end the result counts. So listen critically and use the input which provides better results. I would not expect noticeable differences in sound quality other than the noise level.

[Turtle]

Hi All,
I've been attempting to transfer some backing tracks from my computer to a disk. try as I might, I've not been able to download the files to disk.
Clark

If you have tracks on your computer, I'm guessing they're in .mp3 format, or maybe real audio(.ra). Either way, you'll need to convert them to .wav file format to be used in a standard CD player. However, some CD players will read and decode .mp3's.

Edit: I completely missed Toms Wrights suggestion about converting to .wav. I just basically repeated it...

[Timmando]

I have used this product for years to edit wave files, rip from cds, burn cds. http://www.blazeaudio.com/products/ripeditburn.html

The windows media player sometimes will not work for me when I want to burn wave files to a cd, this product always worked. It is also helpful to tidy up a wave file. Such as cutting off dead time before and after a song, fading into a song and fading out of a song, increasing volume, removing mic bumps, copying and pasting a good lick over a bad lick later in the song, etc, etc. These are things that the windows media player doesn't do. It is worth the price.

It is also a great home-recording software tool. Plug a radio shack lapel mic into the line in on your computer and record to a wav file using this software.

[Polecat]

Recording the tracks on a digital player and rerecording them on your hard disc is not a very elegant solution - a digital file must be converted to an audio signal and sent through a lead (with resulting noise and loss of signal quality) only to be rediditised. It's probably worth your while to spend a little time with google getting at least a little bit "tech-savvy", as you put it - its hardly rocket science, hell, even I can do it! VLC or iTunes can deal with most formats and are available as freeware. You can convert most file formats to most others online here: http://audio.online-convert.com/ . Then you should be able to burn your backing tracks without any problem.
Hope this helps.

[almeriastrings]

Headphone out is in fact not the same as line out. Its intended use is to drive headphones with low impedance, meaning it provides the current to drive the phones. Very seldom headphone outputs can provide the voltage as expected by line inputs.

Correct - however on the Zoom H2 it appears to be the self-same socket and is referred to in the manual (and on the recorder) as the "Phones-Line Out" socket. The only way to adjust the outpur level is with the 'Vol' +/- next to the socket. The output impedance is stated to be 10k and the max level -10dBm.

[FLATROCK HILL]

Thanks to all for your thoughtful replies.
As some of you mentioned, the best way to go would be to convert the files and transfer them directly. Thanks for the suggestions and links. I do have a Wave Soundpad editor (free download) that I use for most of the tasks mentioned in the above posts. As of yet, I've been unable to use it to convert some of my audio files. I'll keep working on it!

In the mean time, I'm stuck with the more cumbersome, less efficient solution that I mentioned. Just want to figure out how to get the best quality recording possible with this less-than-'elegant' method.

Thanks Again,

Clark