Has anyone bought a new laptop and gotten good quality audio recently?

[Janiece Young]

Hey, all,

It looks like my backup laptop is going bad.  I think the screen is going out.  I'd like to get a new computer that has great audio recording ability at jobs.  If you have purchased one recently that you have had success in this area, would you please share the brand and the model number?

Thanks,

Janiece

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I always can hear the questioner without a problem with that mic but it's just not quite as clear as when you face it toward the witness.

Also, I tried to connect that mic through a USB hub and it wouldn't work; couldn't hear anything.  The directions say it has to be connected directly to the laptop.  How did you get it to work with a hub?  Is it a super powerful one?  Do tell!!

I always need extra USB ports.

[Michele Savoy Parente]

I justed listed my Martel microphone in the classified if anyone is interested....

http://www.martelelectronics.com/1277.html

 

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Sorry, Michelle, but Martel sucks.  I will never buy another microphone from them for as long as I live;  very dishonest company.

[Michele Savoy Parente]

Sorry to hear that, Kelli.  I read about your Martel troubles.

The microphone worked great.  The problem with my particular Toshiba Satellite was it would revert on its own to the laptop soundcard and I would never know when that would happen.  It was usually on an extremely difficult expert witness.  I would get home and the recording would be full of static and unusable.   I bought a Mira and the Dell after about the third time it happened and I was in a panic transcribing a difficutl witness.  I will never, ever totaly trust the audio to back me up because of that experience. 

I've tried to use a USB hub on my laptop to use other usb connections, like a thumbnail drive, and it didn't work at all.  I've tried two different ones.

[Janet]

 

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.as...

 

Kelli, you plug the USB hub in.  It doesn't have to be powered by the laptop like a standard USB port or hub.  Standard USB ports share power and there's a limit.  I bought this hub through Tiger Direct.  There hasn't been a single issue with my software key, the writer, and the mic.   They all work great.

 

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Thanks, Janet.  I just bought the Belkin.  The Belkin I have is not strong enough and doesn't work.  Hopefully this one will.  We'll see.   I just love this part of the website that we can learn from each other.  So wonderful!!  You're the best!!

[Quyen]

I have this same USB hub, Janet. I love it. It's so light and compact. I've plugged my wireless mouse, cell phone charger and Eclipse key into it, and they've all worked fine with no problems. Haven't tried plugging my writer into it, but I bet it would work fine also.

[Rosalie DeLeonardis]

Janiece, you know how I feel about my Dell laptop, but I do have a great sound card/program on it.  You can get into the program and adjust everything, but I have to do it before each depo to make sure it's set the way I like it, but it's call IDT HD Source, which is the name on my desktop/shortcut, or under control panel it's called IDT Audio Control Panel. 

 

[Janiece Young]

Thanks, Rosalie.  I'm glad you are getting great audio w/ your Dell.  I'll keep that in mind.

[Alice Clark]

I just wanted to say that I just got a portable Logitech speaker from Amazon that attaches by USB and can make your laptop internal mic output loud enough without headphones if you usually have to listen to audiosync with headphones.  It's great if you're like me and don't like to wear headphones.  I know there is a setting somewhere on my laptop that should be able to be changed because I used to have good audio from my internal mic, but sometime, somehow something got changed and it became pretty much inaudible without headphones.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043TB7OC/ref=pe_175190_21431760_cs_sce_d...

[Roberta-Anne Schmitt]

I had a Dell that was excellent - no external mic needed at all!  I have since switched to a Sony Vaio and au contraire - it's HORRIBLE!  I now use a super cheap and super terrific $7 clamshell external mic plugged into my Diamante and I'm fine.  Although, I am contemplating purchasing another Dell b/c I just don't like having the mic as part of my "stuff" - you know, all the "stuff" we have to carry around, the wires, etc...just another damn wire in the mix!

BTW, sadly, you can't get those $7 mics anymore...

[Michele Savoy Parente]

Awww, that stinks, Roberta-Anne.  I had a Sony Vaio with great recording quality, unfortuantely, the laptop itself crashed after only a year's worth of use.

I'm getting ready to order another Dell, too, as a backup laptop. :D