Topic: newbie with questions about using Dell Inspiron 1525 for recording

[DeadheadTree]

I've got a Dell inspiron 1525 that I would love to use to tape some shows with.  Just wondering if anyone has had any experience using this type of laptop to record with and what the best set up would be.  I'm just getting started so any help would be greatly appreciated.   Running Windows Vista.  Processor is Intel Celeron 550@ 2.00 ghz, ram 1gb, 60g hd. 

[rhinowing]

tried it once or twice. didn't like the results at all. I hate to tell you this, but its much better to save up for any kind of standalone unit.

[acidjack]

To add to what rhinowing said, a new, small recorder will be much more reliable than lugging a laptop, and a new small recorder can be had for about $150 or less.  That is pretty cheap compared to the cost of replacing a laptop after someone spills a beer on it, you drop it, it gets kicked, etc...

[eman]

It kind of depends on what you want to do. You probably don't want to show up in a serious tapers section with it and ask to patch in, it is a little too bulky for that, likewise stealth is totally out of the question. That being said, it may be a useful tool for some purposes. Go get some 1/4" to RCA adapters, an RCA to mini (1/8") cable, and first plug it into your stereo line outs. Download Audacity and see if you can't get it running off. If that works out and you don't hear too much noise from your computer (they tend to give off copious amounts of stray RF) then maybe you'll want to haul it down to the local saloon or coffee house and plug it into the board (use the 1/4" adapters or the RCA's into the Tape Out) of someone that you know. Start small, work up. If you want to try microphone recording, see if it has mic in, which would work for some small battery powered mics like the AT822 or some Sony consumer mics. Then look into an outboard USB preamp and some better microphones because the audio electronics on a laptop are not very good.

For better answers, you may want to be specific about what you are trying to accomplish.

[goodcooker]

After I abandoned mini disc I tried using my laptop a few times. I used Studio Projects C4 mics into USB bus powered Tascam US122 interface and recorded into Adobe Audition. The recordings came out just fine but it was way too much stuff to haul into a show. Battery power was also an issue and I ended up buying a rather expensive 12 cell laptop battery that would run for hours before finally abandoning the idea and buying a regular deck (a Marantz PMD670).

[rjp]

One other thing to think about - namely, the built-in inputs in a laptop are likely to introduce plenty of noise from the internal circuitry. You would really need to add an external interface (like the US-122 mentioned above, or a FireWire interface if you have the necessary port) if you want good results. IMO, it's better to use a dedicated recording deck (and external preamp or battery box for mics).

[rhinowing]

One other thing to think about - namely, the built-in inputs in a laptop are likely to introduce plenty of noise from the internal circuitry. You would really need to add an external interface (like the US-122 mentioned above, or a FireWire interface if you have the necessary port) if you want good results. IMO, it's better to use a dedicated recording deck (and external preamp or battery box for mics).

I used to use the Inspiron for FM captures (straight to Audacity via the line-in) and was actually pretty pleased with it