My laptop has two audio ports – microphone in and line out. I use the line out to go through my stereo and use those speakers. I tried routing the stereo through the mic in jack and adjusting the microphone level down very low, but the resulting sound is … well, bad.
Are there cheap FM receivers out there for PCs? ie: USB or FireWire interface hardware w/ antenna that comes with software that will allow me to tune to an FM station and listen through my laptop, thus enabling me to record a clearer signal from the radio?
I have an Hauppauge WinTV-Radio card. While not what you’re looking for, as it is both a TV card and an FM radio card, it’s just an example that such things are made. However, I’m not sure that you’ll be able to easily find a card that will do just FM radio. Most of the googling I’ve done is popping up TV-FM cards. Also, I have to attach the FM antenna to the card, so the antenna is not internal, but more like a higher-quality reciever.
In any case, with a laptop, you probably won’t be able to add an internal card, which I see you took into account in the OP. Hauppauge does make at least one product similar to what you’re looking for, the WinTV-USB-FM. Note that this still has a built-in TV tuner, which will only work if you hook it up to an antenna or cable/satellite. While I know it’s more product than you want, it might be the closest thing that fits. Also, you don’t get stereo sound for the TV, but you do get stereo for the FM. Plus, the USB is $100, which is what I paid for my internal card with more features.
Might I suggest possibly just buying a cheap portable radio and a good set of headphones?
Your soundcard may have a mic jack only, but look around in the soundcard hardware settings to see if it has a 20-dB switch. Some soundcards with only one jack have this feature so that you can use the same jack for a mic or line-in input. You turn the 20-dB boost ON if you have a mic hooked up, and turn it OFF if you want to use the jack as a line-in.
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Oh, and the D-Link receiver… it has a USB cable, and an audio cable. Am I correct in assuming that this wouldn’t be of use to me, considering I have no aux in to begin with?
Right click on the speaker in the system tray (or go to the control panel and find your volume control). Under the microphone setting, there’s a button (on my computer at least), that says “advanced.” It’s a checkbox in that dialogue box.l