Question regarding sound cards.

[ArnoldLLerch]

I have a Sound Blaster 16 Audio card. Is this considered a "full duplex" sound card?
How do I tell the difference between a "full duplex" and any other?

ARNi LEE
Waiting for FMD

[Jeff7]

I'm pretty sure that a sound card that can play a WAV file, and at the same time, record that same WAV file, not using the microphone, then it is full duplex. Basically, if you can record and play a WAV file at the same time, it's full duplex.

[JayMan]

In my old comp i have a SB16, i'm almost 100% sure its full duplex as i used to play and record at the same time. Wont be the same quality as a SB LIVE hehe but should work alright in full duplex.

JayMan

[ArnoldLLerch]

Thanks guys. Now all I gotta do is learn how to record stuff!

ARNi LEE
Waiting for FMD

[daverme]

Your sound card will have a stereo input jack (as well as a microphone jack) that will accept a 1/8 inch stereo plug. You need to find a "Y" cable (Radio Shack has them) that has a 1/8 inch stereo plug at one end and two RCA plugs at the other end. Insert the 1/8 inch plug into your sound card and the RCA plugs into a tape deck or CD player then crank up MS Sound Recorder and go to town. You should end up with a .wav file that you can play back, edit, what have you.

That's just for starters. There are lots of other software packages you can use and you can record in other formats as well.

[ArnoldLLerch]

Okay. Next question: Where do I find MS Sound Recorder? (Somewhat later) Okay, found that. Now; I've got the Optimus SCT-86 Stereo Cassette Tape Deck connected to the "line in" on my sound card and the tape deck playing through it's "line out" and I push the red "record" button on the "MS Sound Recorder TM" and nothing happens to the sillyscope line at all and I hear nothing. ?????????????

ARNi LEE
Waiting for FMD

ARNi LEE
Waiting for FMD

[This message has been edited by ArnoldLLerch (edited 02-01-2001).]

[daverme]

I tried this on a machine I'm building for my wife that has a SB Live! card. That particular card echos back whatever is coming in and I can hear the input sound being echoed back to the speakers. Like you though, nothing else happens. Lemme crank up my A/V machine and I'll get back to you.

[daverme]

OK. My A/V machine has a Sound Blaster 16 Value PnP, model CT4180. This one works as it should. I hear the sound echoed through the speakers (I guess they all do that) and the meter shows signs of live and I got a file I can play back.

Now, the fact that you HEARD nothing might be a clue. It suggests that there is no signal getting to the sound card ... or it is to weak to be heard. I have a small amplifier and a small audio mixer between my sound sources and the PC. You need something to allow you to control the signal level into the PC; that's why I have them. However, I vaguely recall that, before I added those, I also had trouble getting the PC to hear anything.

(BTW, there is nothing wrong with my SB Live! card. It comes with a software package that does all the things that Sound Recorder does, and more. I CAN record sound with the Creative software; I have one in a PC at my church and it definitely works.)