[Cin] offtopic: Digitize and record Audio via Line-In Jack or via USB adapter?

[Terje J. Hanssen]

My background info:
I have not only an archive of analog tape video records, but also a 
bunch of 30 years archived analog music audio to digitize. To mime, my 
audio records mainly started when I bought my first reel tape recorder, 
Tandberg 1200X about 1970 (my first own earned money), in parallell with 
some vinyl LPs.
https://www.audio-high-store.com/tandberg-1200x/
Later on followed also the popular music compact casette deck period for 
home and in cars.


So far I have just ripped audio music tracs from audio CD and DVD discs 
to mp3 files on my Linux workstation, using K3b or other suited 
applications.
Indeed, I have just started to look at how to digitize and record analog 
audio from external connected tape and vinyl players.


Analog PC connections
Analog AUX ports (3,5 mm Jacks or RCA phono connections) labeled "Line 
IN" (usual on previous internal sound cards), are  have more or less 
left out on modern workstations and laptops with digital USB ports. 
However, my most relevant workstation with a MSI Z170A Pro maiboard 
includes an AUX "Line IN" jack (Light Blue color code) on its backpanel, 
see attached image if allowed.
I am in doubt and have not yet been able to verify or test with analog 
players if this (Blank: empty?) Jack Line-IN works at all. I think I 
read on a forum another user had issues with similar. While Audacity 
didn't find it, possibly the Pulse Audio Volum control (pavucontrol) 
could enable the Jack Line-IN.

If Jack-IN on the mobo back panel won't work, the other option is to 
find and buy an analog to USB audio interface adapter that works well 
with Linux.

Meanwhile, possibly experience and suggestion to test procedure for this 
will be welcome ?!


-----------------

Some related output from my workstation:
inxi -Fxz

System:
   Kernel: 5.3.18-59.19-default x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 7.5.0
   Desktop: Gnome 3.34.5 Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.3
Machine:
   Type: Desktop System: MSI product: MS-7971 v: 1.0 serial: N/A
   Mobo: MSI model: Z170-A PRO (MS-7971) v: 1.0 serial: <filter>
   UEFI: American Megatrends v: 1.K0 date: 07/10/2018

Audio:
   Device-1: Intel 100 Series/C230 Series Family HD Audio
   vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3
   Device-2: NVIDIA GK208 HDMI/DP Audio vendor: ASUSTeK driver: 
snd_hda_intel
   v: kernel bus ID: 01:00.1
   Device-3: Microdia Camera type: USB driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo
   bus ID: 1-11:3
   Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.3.18-59.19-default
Drives:
   Local Storage: total: 5.19 TiB used: 2.87 TiB (55.4%)
   ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Samsung model: MZVPV512HDGL-00000
   size: 476.94 GiB
   ID-2: /dev/sda vendor: Intel model: SSDSA2CW160G3 size: 149.05 GiB
   ID-3: /dev/sdb vendor: Seagate model: ST3500418AS size: 465.76 GiB
   ID-4: /dev/sdc vendor: Seagate model: ST3500418AS size: 465.76 GiB
   ID-5: /dev/sdd type: USB vendor: Seagate model: Expansion size: 3.64 TiB
   ID-6: /dev/sdj type: USB vendor: SanDisk model: Ultra size: 28.97 GiB


Selected references:
https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2018/206/Digitizing-Analog-Music-Media
https://ro-che.info/articles/2017-07-21-record-audio-linux
https://kimbriggs.com/computer/record-digitize-cassette-ubuntu-linux
https://opensource.com/life/14/10/how-clean-digital-recordings-using-audacity


Thanks,
Terje




-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: MSI_Z170A_Pro_Audio-Ports.png
Type: image/png
Size: 112552 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://lists.cinelerra-gg.org/pipermail/cin/attachments/20210922/65eeef67/attachment-0001.png>