Cable Requirements

To connect a turntable or cassette deck to your computer, purchase a cable consisting of two male RCA plugs on one end and a stereo miniplug (1/8-inch male plug) on the other end. The cables shown below each have different colored RCA connectors; the colors on the outside of the cable don't change how it works, so if the colors don't match the colors of the jacks in the back of your stereo, don't worry, they will still work.

Many laptops don't offer a Line-In or microphone jack. To get around this limitation, a USB device like Griffin Technology's iMic will do the trick. iMic has two ports and a switch. The input port doubles as both a microphone and line-in connection. The switch is used to level the line, depending on how you use it.

Check Your Connections

To verify your connection works properly, play a record on the turntable, with both your amplifier and computer turned on, after all the connections have been made. Assuming all cables were connected properly, the record will play through your computer speakers.

Troubleshooting

If you don't hear anything: First, make sure your speakers are turned on. Next, check each cable, making sure all connections are fitted to their appropriate jacks. Finally, double-click the speaker icon in the Windows system tray. Check to make sure the volume control for your PC is not muted, with the slider somewhere above the bottom (volume 0) position. Check the Line In slider verifying the Mute checkbox is unchecked with the slider above the bottom position.

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