What’s a good way to get audio into a computer?

One of your clients has asked for an audio input into their laptop computer for recording voice memos. What is the best audio input jack to use for casual voice applications?

A) 3.5mm jack

B) Parallel port

C) Serial port

D) S/PDIF

The answer: A) 3.5mm jack

Many casual computer microphones have 3.5mm audio connectors, and most computer devices already have 3.5mm input jacks. A more contemporary answer might also include USB, since many new headphones and webcams include a USB interface.

The incorrect answers:

B) Parallel port
Parallel ports are almost exclusively used for printer connections.

C) Serial port
Serial ports are primarily associated with communication devices, although many devices used serial connections before USB existed.

D) S/PDIF
The Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format is a standard digital interface used primarily for audio. S/PDIF ports are normally only seen on higher-end audio equipment and computers.

Want to know more? Watch “Installing, Configuring, and Upgrading Audio.” The use of audio in personal computers has evolved dramatically through the years, and the current assortment of audio hardware devices and software is varied enough to keep even the most knowledgeable technicians guessing. In this video, we’ll show you common audio input and output methods, discuss the details of sample rates, examine the differences between audio bit depths, and perform some audio configurations in Windows XP.