external sound card?

[Naola "Sam" Vaughn]

I have a small Sony digital recorder that I use at jobs as an extra audio backup, as well as my steno machine audio and my laptop audio.  I've had two fail at once, so always want to have extra.  Anyway, I notice that my digital recorder audio on playback is AWESOME compared to my laptop audio, and I'm thinking since those little digital recorders are so little, surely I can get the same quality in a synched audio file by replacing my laptop's sound card, but I'm not having a lot of luck finding a replacement internal sound card, so I thought I'd look at an external device.   My digital recorder doesn't seem to pick up the white noise like my laptop and steno machine do and the sound is so much louder on the digital.  In fact, my digital recorder picks up better than the videographer's audio and he's got everyone individually miked.  I've traded microphones between the digital recorder and laptop to see if the mike makes any difference, and it doesn't.   Anyone have any suggestions.  I was actually looking at something like this: http://www.amazon.com/70SB049000000-Creative-Technology-External-ex..., although I would have to replace my microphones or just buy the mono to stereo adaptors for them.  Someone suggested the Andrea sound card like SG sells, but I had a less expensive model and it was worthless.  My computer sound card without an external mike sounded better!

[Janiece Young]

Sam,

I tried the Andrea and it was a total waste of money.  I could never get it to work.

[Kerry F]

Janiece,

Well, that's good to know!

So how does one improve the quality of "recording" on the laptops of today besides a good mic?

[Martha R]

I had a laptop with horrible sound and I used the Andrea sound card and it was much better.  When that laptop died I got a Samsung and the audio is pretty good (not great) but I never put the Andrea on it, but I would be interested to see if it would improve it.  I use the Martel mic because I've found it's the best out there, although they only last a couple years.

 It would be nice if some techie could figure out how to change the sound card in the laptop to the same quality as the Sony digital recorder.   If someone could do that, the reporters would be lining up to get the improvement.   

[Kyung]

What digital recorder do you use?

[Naola "Sam" Vaughn]

Here's the one I have: 

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Digital-Flash-Recorder-ICD-PX312/dp/B004...

[Rhonda Hall Breuwet, RDR CRR CLR]

My digital recorder is awesome.  Crystal clear.  I use an Andrea soundcard and then put a cable between my digital recorder and the Andrea and use the digital recorder as a mic.  The audiosync is still not as clear as the digital recording alone, but it provides a better recording than a regular mic via the Andrea.

[Kerry F]

Rhonda,

What kind of cable goes between the Andrea and the recorder?

[Kyung]

Can you plug it in with an electrical cord or is it battery only?   My recorder is eating through the batteries.

[Rhonda Hall Breuwet, RDR CRR CLR]

Kyung, my digital recorder came with an adapter, but it can also be used on batteries.  I use it plugged in 99% of the time.

[Kyung]

Which one do you have?

[Rhonda Hall Breuwet, RDR CRR CLR]

This Martel.  Best sound ever.  Not cheap but worth it.

http://www.martelelectronics.com/1491.html

[Janiece Young]

I agree 100 percent!!!!