Connecting a microphone to your computer If your computer has a microphone input port. You're all set. Just plug a compatible microphone into the microphone input port on your computer. What do we mean by compatible? Any microphone with a permanently attached cord that ends in a mini-plug should work.

I am trying to record music at home. I am using an Asus laptop with the combined headphone / mic jack. Which, from my research, can also be used as a 'line-in' stereo input, correct? Well anytime I plug the cable coming from my mixer/pa into the laptop it asks me what I plugged in and gives me three options.

Headphone, speaker out, or headset. Its none of those. I am trying to use the jack as an input, which it is as well as an audio out. How do I do this and why am I only getting those three options? Download java for mac jdk. Ok, so you can't use a standard 1/8' input from an auxillary device on that port. It's only compatible with a combo jack plug. You might be able to use an adapter like this one below but honestly, if you plan to record music, I'd highly recommend adding a USB soundcard like the one at the second link below or even something better like a good professional unit from someplace like www.musiciansfriend.com.

The built in audio adapter in most laptops leaves much to be desired and almost any external USB soundcard will be an improvement if it's a quality unit. Adaper: Soundcard.

I have the exact same issue (and same model of laptop) I was trying to do a simple stereo recording from my Yamaha Clavinova keyboard. I have a special cable that uses the stereo auxiliary RCA line-out of the keyboard with a 3.5mm male stereo plug on the other end that I used to plug into the mic/headphone input of the laptop. I, too, did not have the 'device plugged in' option of line-in appear.

I believe the plug on the laptop may be designed for use with only a combo headphone/mic headset using a 4- segment plug rather than the normal 3 segment kind. I may be mistaken however.

But likewise, when I plug the cable in to record (using Audacity software) the built-in microphone on the laptop is not disabled. Any ideas about using a USB 2.0 Interface 5.1 Stereo Audio Sound Card Adaptor for PC? They sell for under $5 on eBay/Amazon).

Visual studio not debugging. This would appear to bypass the mic/headphone input jack on the laptop by using the USB port instead. Then use a free sound recording program like Audacity to record it.