Recording stuff on a laptop

This question is not entirely about laptops, but I think mostly people
with laptops may have pondered the sam issue.

When I record music or television on a computer, how important is that
machines hardware for audio and video?

It is obvious that that hardware is essential for the quality of
output, but not to what degree it is involved for recording.

I have several networked computers at home. One is a rather potent
desktop and that would be the one I use for playback of whatever.
The others are laptops of various ages and power.

Sometimes I use a laptop for recording a TV show through its USB
connected digital TV. At other times I would record a radio show
either through cable from a stereo amp, or through a web transmission.
Does it make any difference to the quality if I use one or the other
machine?

This question is only about hardware.

Lars
Stockholm

The inputs on laptops tend to be noisy, due to lots of high frequency
signals not well shielded packed in close proximity. My Dell's line
input is so noisy that I consider it unusable, though I love almost
everything else about the computer. I use a USB SoundBlaster for
recording. If I was seriously picky, I might step up to Edirol or
other pricier high end gear.

"Lars" <Lars@fake.com> wrote in message
news:0htg745th42lpfcu9alp42nvav2a5h291q@4ax.com...

> Sometimes I use a laptop for recording a TV show through its USB
> connected digital TV. At other times I would record a radio show
> either through cable from a stereo amp, or through a web transmission.
> Does it make any difference to the quality if I use one or the other
machine?

Short answer: if your ear and software rate the output as
the same from either source, then there is no difference in
quality. If you detect a difference, it is probably a difference
in quality.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

It is important. Laptops are not ideal for this, first, because they
don't have high quality sound cards and, second, because almost none of
them even have a "line in" port at all.

If you are recording from a USB device (USB port), the digital to
analogy conversion is being done on the external device, not the computer.



Lars wrote:
> This question is not entirely about laptops, but I think mostly people
> with laptops may have pondered the sam issue.
>
> When I record music or television on a computer, how important is that
> machines hardware for audio and video?
>
> It is obvious that that hardware is essential for the quality of
> output, but not to what degree it is involved for recording.
>
> I have several networked computers at home. One is a rather potent
> desktop and that would be the one I use for playback of whatever.
> The others are laptops of various ages and power.
>
> Sometimes I use a laptop for recording a TV show through its USB
> connected digital TV. At other times I would record a radio show
> either through cable from a stereo amp, or through a web transmission.
> Does it make any difference to the quality if I use one or the other
> machine?
>
> This question is only about hardware.
>
> Lars
> Stockholm
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

But what if I record sound that arrives at the laptop as a webstream,
does the soundcard 'convert' this stream before it is stored on the
HD?
Or is the 'stream' stored as it is and is only processed in the
soundcard when replayed?

Previously, on Usenet Barry Watzman <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote:

>It is important. Laptops are not ideal for this, first, because they
>don't have high quality sound cards and, second, because almost none of
>them even have a "line in" port at all.
>
>If you are recording from a USB device (USB port), the digital to
>analogy conversion is being done on the external device, not the computer.

So for my USB TV-device it would not matter if I record on a machine
with rather modest video power?

>> When I record music or television on a computer, how important is that
>> machines hardware for audio and video?


Lars
Stockholm

Previously, on Usenet "Don Phillipson" <e925@SPAMBLOCK.ncf.ca> wrote:

>> Does it make any difference to the quality if I use one or the other
>machine?
>
>Short answer: if your ear and software rate the output as
>the same from either source, then there is no difference in
>quality. If you detect a difference, it is probably a difference
>in quality.

Like I said in my original post
>This question is only about hardware.

Hoping that web-philosophers would stay away.

Lars
Stockholm

In news:f0hj7454dmmtll5dgci5dj6gc10js3cu84@4ax.com,
Lars typed on Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:08:04 +0200:
> But what if I record sound that arrives at the laptop as a webstream,
> does the soundcard 'convert' this stream before it is stored on the
> HD?
>
> Or is the 'stream' stored as it is and is only processed in the
> soundcard when replayed?

Good point Lars! I was waiting for somebody to bring this up in this thread.
Using a stream recorder is totally different and is totally independent of
your hardware. In fact, you don't even need a sound card to capture the
stream. And there is no loss of quality. Since it is actually the stream
itself saved as a file.

--
Bill
Asus EEE PC 4GB SSD 2GB SODIMM
Windows XP Home SP2

In news:MPG.22e2620fd8cc7c69989681@news.bright.net,
Bill S. typed on Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:41:11 -0400:
> The inputs on laptops tend to be noisy, due to lots of high frequency
> signals not well shielded packed in close proximity. My Dell's line
> input is so noisy that I consider it unusable, though I love almost
> everything else about the computer. I use a USB SoundBlaster for
> recording. If I was seriously picky, I might step up to Edirol or
> other pricier high end gear.

Weird! In the 90's most sound cards had very noisy aux inputs. But they seem
to be very good to me nowadays. My Gateway MX6124 laptops (2006) does very
fine recording from the Aux/Mic jack. I should try from this Asus EEE PC. As
that would be interesting.

--
Bill
Asus EEE PC 4GB SSD 2GB SODIMM
Windows XP Home SP2

In news:ebfcd$4878fa90$6189@news.teranews.com,
Barry Watzman typed on Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:40:10 -0400:
> It is important. Laptops are not ideal for this, first, because they
> don't have high quality sound cards and, second, because almost none
> of them even have a "line in" port at all...

I turn off the mic boost and then use the mic as an aux input. It works fine
on these Gateway MX6124s I have here. My Asus EEE PC has a Realtek ALC6628
Hi-Definition Audio 5.1 sound chip. I don't know what the specs are, but it
sounds impressive anyway. LOL

--
Bill
Asus EEE PC 4GB SSD 2GB SODIMM
Windows XP Home SP2

"BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> wrote:


>I turn off the mic boost and then use the mic as an aux input. It works fine
>on these Gateway MX6124s I have here. My Asus EEE PC has a Realtek ALC6628
>Hi-Definition Audio 5.1 sound chip. I don't know what the specs are, but it
>sounds impressive anyway. LOL

Is the eePC your only laptop?

I've given a lot of thought to going back to a full-on
desktop but with a small and cheap eePC as my
"portable".