No levels showing when I use L and R ext in

[Cath]

Hi, I have managed this many times in the past and now suddenly it won't work. I am trying to record from an external device (laptop), have set red mode to dual / L and R in. Ext in / line on side of the recorder. Connections L and R correct (red to right yes?) and set line out on laptop when I get the prompt.
Do test by pressing record so it flashes, no input levels at all showing. Have turned up the input levels on the side of the device and volume on the speaker. Nothing at all. Cables and device both less than a year old. When I do a normal recording the levels are showing fine so there clearly is no signal going into the recorder. Have spent the last 2 hours trying to figure it out. Thanks for any help Cath

 

[-mjk-]

From your description, I think you are using the headphone jack on the laptop. Do you hear sound when you plug in a pair of wired earbuds?

 

[BazzBass]

flip the input cables around, ie L & R, if you have the right output going into the left input you'll get zero as it's panned hard right ? I'm just guessing here....

 

[Cath]

Will try flipping thank you.
Yes it is the headphone socket on the laptop. It comes up with prompts as to what you plugged in (headphones, mic, line on, line out,) when it's worked fine before I have used line out. In fact I wrote all the settings down and am repeating them which us why it's so weird. I did try the headphones as option just to try but that didn't work
Thanks for your time in replying. It may be a setting on the laptop but I gavent changed anything knowingly! Its windows 10

 

[-mjk-]

If there is no sound in the headphones, it looks like there is no sound coming out of the jack.

 

[Cath]

Flipping the cables seems to have worked! Thanks all. Am pleased but also keen to understand why - all good learning process for me. I put the red to the right last time and had no problem, same yesterday and it didn't work and then this morning tried flipping and there is sound and input. thanks again, much appreciated Cath

 

[Arjan P]

Laptops these days usually have a combined connector for mic in and stereo out, a so caled 3,5 mm TRRS plug must be used. That could easily cause issues like this.. An adapter would be the best solution here, like this:

 

[BazzBass]

glad it worked !

windows 10 causes all sorts of problems for me. Laptop running fine til a windoze update slowed it right down, like a minute to open Edge. And sometimes there is no switch in settings to turn bluetooth on, I have to go thru a whole lot of steps and restart to get it back.

you can buy little USB sound sticks that work well. it's a usb stick with headphone and mic sockets built in. Around $20.Mine is by Audio Technica