Using the mic input on a Prime Note Galleria Laptop for recording

[The Legendary Zoltan]

Is there ANY way to do it?

I think the name of my computer is Prime Note Galleria MV 05. It's a laptop.

It doesn't have a line in jack, but a microphone jack. I've tried recording through it several times and no matter what I do the volume fluctuates and there's some static-like sounds that occur as well. It's like it's telling me that the jack is only for a microphone and can't be used as a direct line input but I thought that people record through their microphone jacks all the time.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

[Fishy]

Mic inputs expect an extremely low input that they then boost up to line level. If you're inputting line level signals its probably going crazy boosting it up to line level whilst also trying to limit it.

If you're putting mic level signals into it and its still being weird, its probably just a shit audio card, as most laptops have. Could also be impedance matching issues if you're trying to plug a guitar straight into it.

[The Legendary Zoltan]

Mic inputs expect an extremely low input that they then boost up to line level. If you're inputting line level signals its probably going crazy boosting it up to line level whilst also trying to limit it.

If you're putting mic level signals into it and its still being weird, its probably just a shit audio card, as most laptops have. Could also be impedance matching issues if you're trying to plug a guitar straight into it.

Thanks for the input, Fishy. Upon reading your first line of advice, I tried recording at a really low volume, thinking that would eliminate the limiting while boosting problem. But it didn't.

I also get those sounds if I sing too loudly into the mic. But at a normal level, there is no problem with it.

Could a USB sound card take care of this kind of problem. Do those USB sound cards have their own inputs? I thought that they did.

[Fishy]

Perhaps your mic just can't handle that much volume. All mics have a cutoff point where they can't handle.

A decent USB sound card would probably get around lots of problems because they're built for proper recording, whereas mic inputs on laptops assume you just want to use skype or whatever. If you're serious about recording, it's well worth getting a decent sound interface, and probably a decent mic too.

(Note: I would consider firewire over USB if you can, they're generally a lot more stable in real time recording then USB)

[The Legendary Zoltan]

Perhaps your mic just can't handle that much volume. All mics have a cutoff point where they can't handle.

A decent USB sound card would probably get around lots of problems because they're built for proper recording, whereas mic inputs on laptops assume you just want to use skype or whatever. If you're serious about recording, it's well worth getting a decent sound interface, and probably a decent mic too.

(Note: I would consider firewire over USB if you can, they're generally a lot more stable in real time recording then USB)

Thanks again. I have to have a firewire jack to use a firewire sound interface, right? Don't have any on this computer so I guess I'll have to go USB. Are there any particular features I should look out for when buying a USB sound card?