Laptop shows external sound input recognised, but no sound from speakers

Guypd · Wednesday at 1:12 PM

Hello,

Hope this is the correct forum.

I have an old Sony cassette professional Walkman I want to use to transfer audio cassette recordings to laptop and on to edit using Audacity.

The laptop has no line in, so I bought a USB adaptor ("Ugreen USB sound card") on Amazon.

The setup is: plug in adaptor to a USB port on laptop, and connect the cassette player to the adaptor using the line in (red) socket on the adaptor with the other end plugged into the the cassette player's headphone socket (or line out).

Doing this and then playing something on the Walkman, when I open up the laptop sound settings (input = Mic USB audio device, output = Realtek speakers) the input volume metre shows that the external source is recognised, ie it jumps around as a volume metre usually does.

But there is no sound.

Anyone help?

antspants · Wednesday at 7:34 PM

Guypd said:
USB audio device, output = Realtek speakers

Hi, welcome.

What is the exact model of the ASUS laptop? Should say underneath. It’s good to add the exact model to your system specs.

Is the volume up and not muted?
Does the laptop have other output options, have you tried them?
In device manager, are there any errors?
- Open “Device Manager” from the search bar, and look for devices with a yellow exclamation mark. Right-click on the affected device, (Sound related) select "Properties", and review the "Device status" area for error codes and descriptions. A possible driver error.

idgat · Wednesday at 7:46 PM

antspants said:
Does the laptop have other output options, have you tried them?

^^^ This. Not the first time I've connected a different audio device and had to click the SysTray speaker icon > Select a sound output (icon at RH end of volume slider) > and then point Windows in the right direction

antspants · Wednesday at 7:59 PM

idgat said:
^^^ This. Not the first time I've connected a different audio device and had to click the SysTray speaker icon > Select a sound output (icon at RH end of volume slider) > and then point Windows in the right direction

Same.

altae · Thursday at 11:57 AM

Is the device an external sound card? You cannot input something to the external sound card and output the sound through the motherboard audio device. At least that's my understanding. Select your external sound card as playback device in Windows and connect the speakers to the external sound card. Like this it should work.

Guypd · Thursday at 1:34 PM

I've uploaded three screenshots which might help:

First is sound settings, playing a YouTube video through the speakers - sound is fine, and you can see the master volume level registering, it's jumping around normally in real time, of which this is a screen capture at the lower end.

Second is sound settings, mic external input - playing a cassette through the USB device connected to the laptop, you can see the sound level registering same as the volume is registering in the first one. However, in the second there is no sound. Clearly the sound IS being picked up, but it's not coming out.

Third is the setup - external device connected (via headset output) to the line in of the USB audio capture device which is connected to the laptop by USB.

Does this clarify the problem?

altae · Thursday at 3:21 PM

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you are using a mic input. I don't know if it's possible to listen to the mic input. Has the device got a line in (aux)?

Guypd · Thursday at 3:38 PM

altae said:
Has the device got a line in (aux)?

I've marked out and in with this one.

altae · Thursday at 4:29 PM

Yes, that's clear. But the question is has your USB device got a line in (aux) or only a mic in?I don't know if it's possible to listen to the mic input on the computer to which the USB device is connected. But you should be able to record the audio with a software like Audacity even though you cannot listen to it.

Helmut · Thursday at 5:24 PM

All Laptops have a Line input it is the same as the Mic input.

Aside from that.

This is from memory as it has been sometime since using Audacity.

Audio Setup Toolbar - Audacity Manual

manual.audacityteam.org

Set that up for your USB audio device.
In Audacity go to Preferences > Recording > Over dub or Audible input monitoring. Tick what you require.

In Windows make sure Audacity has permission.
Settings > Privacy and security > Microphone access > On
Below that On for whatever Apps you require, Obviously Audacity.

idgat · Thursday at 5:26 PM

Posts #2 and #3

Screenshot?

Guypd · Thursday at 5:26 PM

altae said:
Yes, that's clear. But the question is has your USB device got a line in (aux) or only a mic in? I don't know if it's possible to listen to the mic input on the computer to which the USB device is connected. But you should be able to record the audio with a software like Audacity even though you cannot listen to it.

There are two, the line in I'm plugged into is red, the other side is line out (green) - see photo.

I've tried recording with Audacity in that fashion, no good.

Guypd · Thursday at 5:36 PM

idgat said:
Posts #2 and #3

Screenshot?

Total of five in posts above.

altae · Thursday at 5:49 PM

Guypd said:
I've tried recording with Audacity in that fashion, no good.

And you are sure you selected the right recording device in Audacity?

antspants · Thursday at 8:09 PM

This is all I could find. But I know the Audacity settings can be a pain in the butt sometimes.

Connect the Walkman:
- Use a loopback cable with 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) stereo connectors at each end.
- Connect one end to the Walkman's headphone jack (which acts as a line-out) and the other end to your laptop's line-in input (blue jack).
- Note: If you're using a USB audio interface, connect the Walkman's line-out to the interface's input, then connect the interface to your laptop via USB, says Audacity < Link
- Open Audacity and go to Edit > Preferences > Devices.
- Choose the Input Device: Select "Line-in" (or the appropriate input from your audio interface) as the recording device in Audacity.
- Note: If your device isn't listed, restart Audacity or check your operating system's audio settings to ensure it's selected, says Audacity < Link

Troubleshooting:

No sound: Ensure the volume on your Walkman and your laptop's audio input is turned up.
Interrupted audio: Try a different USB port or a different USB cable.
Mono sound: Ensure you're connecting to the line-in input (blue) and not the microphone input (red).
Device not listed: Ensure your computer recognizes the Walkman's audio output.

Guypd · 2025-05-02T19:00:28-0400

antspants said:
This is all I could find. But I know the Audacity settings can be a pain in the butt sometimes.

Connect the Walkman

Open Audacity and go to Edit > Preferences > Devices.

Choose the Input Device: Select "Line-in" (or the appropriate input from your audio interface) as the recording device in Audacity.

Well, this did it - I set the recording input in Audacity to my USB device as opposed to the laptop's mic, and lo and behold, the sound finally came out the speakers.

Now I reckon there must be a way to make it sound through the speakers without using Audacity, but this is what I needed.

Thanks very much for this valuable input.

antspants · 2025-05-02T19:25:17-0400

Guypd said:
Now I reckon there must be a way to make it sound through the speakers without using Audacity, but this is what I needed.

Good to read

As far as I understand it, you would need third party software. OR this information might be helpful.

To play sound through a Walkman connected to a Windows 11 laptop, you'll need to either use the Walkman as a standalone device for playback or transfer audio content to the Walkman and play it there. Additionally, you can try connecting the Walkman as a USB audio device to your laptop, potentially allowing you to use it as an external audio output.

1. Playback from the Walkman itself:

Standalone Playback:
If you have music or audio content stored on the Walkman itself, you can simply connect it to your laptop (if you have a USB cable that can transfer data) and the Walkman should be able to play its own stored content.
External Audio Output:
Some newer Walkmans can be connected as a USB audio device, meaning you can play audio directly from your laptop and have it output through the Walkman's speakers or headphones.

2. Transferring Content to the Walkman:

Using Content Transfer (if applicable):
Some Walkman models come with a "Content Transfer" application (or a similar one) that allows you to easily drag and drop files from your computer to the Walkman.
Windows Media Player (older models):
Older Walkman models might be supported by Windows Media Player, allowing you to sync music from your computer to the player.
Music Center for PC (Sony):
Sony's Music Center for PC app can be used to manage and transfer music to compatible Walkman models.

3. Connecting the Walkman as a USB Audio Device:

Check Device Manager:
If the Walkman is not being recognized as a USB audio device, you might need to check the Device Manager in Windows to ensure the correct driver is installed and the device is recognized.
Change Default Audio Output:
If the Walkman is recognized as an audio device, you can change the default audio output in Windows to select the Walkman as the output device.

Troubleshooting:

USB Connection Mode:
Make sure the Walkman's USB connection mode is set to the appropriate setting (e.g., "File Transfer" or "Media Device").

XxXxX · 2025-05-02T23:58:53-0400

this maybe of help its a music player from Sony to play their Walkman.

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/MC4PC020001

best of luck, Steve ..

Scott · 2025-05-03T02:10:55-0400

A lot of good info above, but a lot of it does not apply to a old-school cassette player Walkman.

Guypd said:
I want to use to transfer audio cassette recordings to laptop

antspants · 2025-05-03T02:42:28-0400

Except it was solved using some of the info above, Scott?

Laptop shows external sound input recognised, but no sound from speakers

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