Thread: Where's the line-in socket.

I'm interested in transferring my collection of audio tapes and vinyl records to CDs, and I saw your article on the subject. I have a Toshiba A100 notebook with Windows Vista Home Premium installed. There is no line-in port, but there are headphone and microphone sockets. Can you help.

You can often use the microphone socket as a line-in, although you may need to tweak your sound card settings, and instructions for this vary between manufacturers. Also, some microphone sockets will only record in mono. However, you should be able to follow the usual procedure for recording, substituting the microphone socket for the line-in, adjusting the volume level when necessary.

If you're converting records, you can't plug the turntable straight in to the computer - it needs to go through an amplifier or hi-fi first, unless it's a turntable with what's known as a pre-amp built in (these are quite rare). A cassette deck or portable tape player, on the other hand, can be plugged straight into the computer's socket.

If you find that doesn't work, there are a number of devices available that will convert tapes or records using a USB connection. The Ion USB Turntable converts records, and the same company's USB Cassette Deck can convert your tapes.