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Is the Line-in Jack On the Verge of Extinction?

Posted by timothy on from the erasing-the-analog-hole dept.

SlashD0tter writes "Many older sound cards were shipped with line-out, microphone-in, and a line-in jacks. For years I've used such a line-in jack on an old Windows 2000 dinosaur desktop that I bought in 2000 (600 Mhz PIII) to capture the stereo audio signal from an old Technics receiver. I've used this arrangement to recover the audio from a slew of old vinyl LPs and even a few cassettes using some simple audio manipulating software from a small shop in Australia. I've noticed only recently, unfortunately, that all of the four laptops I've bought since then have omitted a line-in jack, forcing me to continue keeping this old desktop on life support. I've looked around for USB sound cards that include a line-in jack, but I haven't been too impressed by the selection. Is the line-in jack doomed to extinction, possibly due to lobbying from vested interests, or are there better thinking-outside-the-box alternatives available?"

11 of 411 comments (clear)

  1. How am I going to... by willwinter · · Score: 2, Funny

    load the cassette tapes into my Apple ][+ if you take away my line-in port?

  2. Re:There Is Hope! by owlstead · · Score: 5, Funny

    No-no-no. You need a 50 dollar gold plated monster transistor for it to sound reasonably ok. All my 5 cent transistors are solid gold.

  3. Re:Why do you need one? by musicalmicah · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microphone jacks have gain. Gain leads to clipping. And clipping leads to the dark side.

  4. Re:Yes, it's dying by yelvington · · Score: 5, Funny

    This "musical instrument" cancer MUST BE STOPPED. When unlicensed amateurs are permitted to record anything they want, they devalue the musical landscape for legitimate musicians who are under corporate contracts. Do you want Miley Cyrus to starve, and Lady Gaga to go naked? Major recording studios stand to lose MILLIONS of dollars. We need legislation to control the unlicensed spread of microphones and pickup jacks. Anything capable of capturing sound should be subjected to a 60% surtax, the proceeds of which should be delivered directly to the Harry Fox Agency.

  5. Re:Why do you need one? by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 2, Funny

    And clipping leads to the dark side.

    Agreed. Hearing an overdriven amp for the first time tends to turn these into this.

  6. Re:Yes, it's dying by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ironically, if you wanted to record the sound from an acoustic instrument, you would use a microphone and the mic-in socket.

    Only if you hate your ears and believe they should be punished.

    --
    Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
  7. Re:Yes, it's dying by ArtemaOne · · Score: 2, Funny

    Do you want Miley Cyrus to starve, and Lady Gaga to go naked?

    Yes and yes.

  8. Re:I Don't Know What You're Talking About by rcw-home · · Score: 4, Funny

    The only downside is that stereo phono jacks have more noise than separate RCA jacks, since the L and R signals are not isolated from each other in the cable and can have crosstalk.

    It gets worse - most installations put the L and R speaker outputs in the same room!

  9. Re:I Don't Know What You're Talking About by rcw-home · · Score: 4, Funny

    Actually I'm not so hot on the whole idea of installation of speakers in rooms. The walls cause horrible multipath.

  10. Re:Almost always the rule when correcting others. by Anonymous+Cowpat · · Score: 2, Funny

    A half inch jack wouldn't make any sense in practice.

    You'd think, but a little-known fact about the 1/2" jack is that it can, in a pinch, substitute for .50cal ammunition.

    --
    FGD 135
  11. Re:Almost always the rule when correcting others. by somersault · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's what she said

    --
    which is totally what she said