How to Connect an Audio Device

Connecting an outdated audio device to a computer bridges the technological gap of the musical media.

Streaming audio from an external device into your computer's sound card only takes a few simple connections. By use of your computer's audio input jack, you can record audio for later editing and storage. Making the right connections between devices is essential for getting the highest-quality recordings possible. Once you know how to hook up an external audio device to your sound card, you can easily accomplish tasks such as revamping a dated music collection.

Things You'll Need

• 1/8 inch line cable
• External audio device
• Computer

Instructions

1. 

   The 1/8 inch cable makes the connection between your audio device and the computer.

   Plug one end of the 1/8 inch cable into your computer's "Line Input" on the sound card. There are usually three separate jacks: line input, microphone and output. Since you are attempting to stream audio into the computer, the "Line Input" is the only one that you will connect at this point.

2. Connect the other end of the 1/8 inch cable to the external audio device's "Headphone" jack. The jack may also be labeled as "Output," depending on the type of device you are attempting to connect.

3. Begin playback on the external audio device to start streaming audio to your computer. You will have to use an application (a software program) if you want to be able to record the audio, but the proper connections are now in place.

Tips & Warnings

• Give yourself a moderate amount of volume within your external audio device to get the best audio results possible. You do not want to have to go back in with remastering software when it's avoidable.

• If you are using external speakers and amplification on your computer, turn the volume down before making any connections. Signal noise can damage speaker cones at high decibels.

References

• Microsoft: Connecting Audio Device