Mini input coming in extremely loud and saturated!

[John Hermes]

You may be feeding a line level signal into a mic level input. If you can’t adjust the input level, you may want to use a line/mic attenuating adapter to get the signal down to the correct level.

[Rafi Bagramian]

Thanks, that may be it.

I put in “line/mic attenuating adapter” in Google and in B&H but didn’t get anything (To buy) can you give me some guidance? Is it called someting else?

Thanks again.

[Terry Esslinger]

Just go to Radio Shack and ask for one. They are cheap.

Terry Esslinger

[Rob James]

Rafi, you are connecting a line leve device to a mic level input. Either connect your cassette deck to the line level input of your audio card or buy the above mentioned attenuator, to connect to your mic line input. You must match impedance levels, or things will be out of whack, as is the case in your fore mentioned problem.

[Rafi Bagramian]

I actually used my Camera to achieve this. It worked, but the quality of the sound was poor. I knew I wasn’t going to get very good sound, but I don’t know why I’m getting such poor sound!

I’ll get this adapter and try it. I hope it will be better.

Thanks.

[Rob James]

“I used my camera to achieve this” makes no sense at all. You capture video and audio via firewire interface. An audio signal from a cassette player, is line level. If you hope to capture that audio correctly, it must be connected to the proper input level. (line level in the case of a cassette player). I truly hope this makes sense to you? Do you not have a line level input in your audio card? If not, you will need the attenuator. This is all, providing you want to add sound to your already captured clips? Either way, once you have the correct connections, test the audio quality in Vegas using the record button, on an audio track. You should get pristine sound from an audio cassette deck in this manner, providing the source sounds are good, to begin with.

[Rafi Bagramian]

My Camera has a XLR line input. I connected the Tape Deck output to that, then took the RCA output from the Camera and sent it to Computer, which worked. But perhaps the reason it worked was not that it was a Mic output, but that I was able to control the volume level. (I couldn

[Ted Snow]

You could also check the settings of your sound card. Just double click on the speaker icon in the lower right hand of the monitor…down by the clock. If there’s not an icon there then you’ll have to run your audio settings software…probably under the start menu somewhere. You can lower the line level coming into your sound card and probably accomplish what you need. Just be sure to adjust the OUT signal not the IN…there’s usually a tab to switch between record and playback levels. Although the other guys are correct, you really need the levels to be matched but this would get you by in a pinch.

[Mike Kujbida]

What’s the make/model of your camcorder and sound card?
That may help us to help you.

Mike

[Doug Graham]

The RCA audio outputs from your camcorder are line level, same as the outputs of your cassette deck.

There are three levels of audio signal in most systems:
1. Mic level. This signal is a few millivolts, and typically comes from a microphone (hence the name).
2. Line level. This signal is used to move audio from one device to another, and has a level of one volt.
3. Speaker level. This is the signal that comes out of your amp and is connected to your speakers (unpowered speakers, that is).

Feeding the wrong level of signal to an input that’s expecting something else can result in a very low/no signal (mic level into a line level input), or a very high level signal with terrible distortion (as in your case). It can also burn out the preamp circuits in your gear.

(There are also differences in the levels that are considered standard for consumer and professional equipment, but they do not cause the problems that mixing mic and line levels do.)

You’ll find all sorts of audio connectors used for either mic or line level signals, but typically mic level signals will be on an XLR, a 1/4″ phone plug, or a miniplug. Typically line level signals will have RCA connectors, on consumer equipment. But this is no guarantee…either signal could be found with any type of audio connector.

Your computer sound card will usually have both a Mic In and a Line In jack. Try using a 2-RCA – to – stereo miniplug adapter to hook up to this jack.

If you MUST use the Mic In jack of your sound card, then the item you need is an audio attenuator, sometimes also called a “pad”. Radio Shack sells these in a couple of forms, as an audio adapter or as an adapter cable, both with the attenuation built in. You can also find them at https://www.markertek.com

Regards,
Doug Graham