# Is a headphones jack the same thing as an RCA or "line in" jack? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 23, 2001, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899 "2001-11-23T15:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/1 "2001-11-23T15:42:34Z")
I’ve got a Casio CTK-671 keyboard that I want to connect directly to a cassette recorder, and I understand that I need the cassette recorder to have something called an “RCA” or “line in” or “input” jack. I have two boomboxes here, both of which have jacks marked “headphones”. Is this the same thing? If not, then what am I looking for, and how much is it likely to cost (she asked with some trepidation…) I’m not interested in “tape deck” dee-jay type stuff, just the basics. Also, what kind of “connecting wire thingie” do I need to connect the Casio to the tape recorder? It would be nice to be able to walk into Circuit City and ask for something besides “connecting wire thingie”… ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/2 "2001-11-23T15:57:30Z")
> [@](#): > > I have two boomboxes here, both of which have jacks marked “headphones”. Is this the same thing? No. A headphone jack would be an _output_, not an _input_. > [@](#): > > If not, then what am I looking for, and how much is it likely to cost (she asked with some trepidation…) I’m not interested in “tape deck” dee-jay type stuff, just the basics. You’d be looking for something labled “mic” or “line” or “line in” (sorry, _duh_). Many inexpensive boomboxes do not have these jacks. > [@](#): > > Also, what kind of “connecting wire thingie” do I need to connect the Casio to the tape recorder? It would be nice to be able to walk into Circuit City and ask for something besides “connecting wire thingie”… You want to ask for a patch cord. Don’t go to Circuit City; go to Radio Shack. You’ll need to know three things: what kind of jack you have at the keyboard end (and if it’s a “headphone” type jack, whether it’s 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch), what kind of jack you have at the recorder end (same note), and how long you need it to be. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/3 "2001-11-23T16:24:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > If not, then what am I looking for, and how much is it likely to cost (she asked with some trepidation…) I’m not interested in “tape deck” dee-jay type stuff, just the basics. > > You’d be looking for something labled “mic” or “line” or “line in” (sorry, _duh_). Many inexpensive boomboxes do not have these jacks.\*\* Line in jacks, if they exist, would most likely be found on the back. Feeding a line-level output (such as the Casio is likely to have) to a mic jack will almost definitely overload the mic inputs, and since a boombox is unlikely to have record level controls, massive distortion is a likely result. However, if you only have mic inputs, it’s probably worth a shot. There are (or used to be) adapter cables you could buy that would allow you to feed line level inputs into a mic jack, but they’re probably difficult to find. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/4 "2001-11-23T16:28:04Z")
No. The headphone jack is essentially a variable level line output source. You are looking for a jack that is specifically labeled “line in” or “aux in”. In a pinch you can purchase a line attenuator adapter plug from Radio Shack that will allow you to use the boom boxes microphone input although quality is not quite as good as with a true line in jack. An RCA jack is a style of plug that has a pin in the center and a circular metal skirt surrounding it. It is generally used to connect home audio and video components together and can be hooked to either line in or line out connections. You can purchase an inexpensive component type tape decks with RCA line in and line out connections for around $ 70+/- or so and up. If you have a reasonably nice VCR with stereo audio features you can possibly use it’s stereo audio line in and out capabilities in place of an audio only tape deck. I downloaded your CTK-671 manual as a PDF file and it says - "Audio Equipment 2 Connect the keyboard to a audio equipment using a co-mercially available connecting cord with a standard plug on one end and two PIN plugs on the other end. Note that the standard plug you connect to the keyboard must be a stereo plug, otherwise you will be able to output only one of stereo channels. In this configuration, you normally set the input selector of the audio equipment to the terminal (usually marked AUX IN or something similar) where the cord from the keyboard is connected. See the user documentation that comes with your audio equipment for full details." In the specs portion it indicates “Headphone/Output Terminal: Stereo standard jack Output Impedance: 140(omega symbol)” It sounds like all you need is a standard headphone stereo plug to dual RCA left and right plug(s) adapter. This is only a few dollars at Radio Shack. You may also want a male to female headphone extension cable as these adapters are usually only 3-6 feet in length. It doesn’t indicate the size of the “standard” headphone jack but I will assume it’s talking about a standard 1/4 inch stereo phone plug and not a 1/8 inch plug. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/5 "2001-11-23T16:33:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Running with Scissors \* > Feeding a line-level output (such as the Casio is likely to have) to a mic jack will almost definitely overload the mic inputs, and since a boombox is unlikely to have record level controls, massive distortion is a likely result. I stand corrected. Thanks, **Running with Scissors**! ---
**Author:** ![FortMarcy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9de053/32.png) [@FortMarcy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FortMarcy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/6 "2001-11-23T16:43:13Z")
Finding a boombox with line in jack is tough. If you have a stereo system with s cassette player, it should have one. I don’t know what your application is, but if the media doesn’t have to be a cassette, you might check the back of your computer. Many sound cards have a auxillary input that allow you to record using your PC. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/7 "2001-11-23T17:29:57Z")
:eek: Now I’m even more confused. One of the boomboxes is a Sony CFS W303. It’s got a tiny little hole thingie on top that says “mic”. Never tried taping with it before–I’ve had this thing for years and I always just assumed that “mic” was where you’d plug a mike in, if you had one that fit, and I just never got around to taking the beast down to the store and finding a mike. So, I was just at Radio Shack on Tuesday, looking for a microphone for this thing. I brought it with me, and the Radio Shack guy said, pointing, “That’s your microphone right there, ma’am.” “What, that little tiny hole, that says ‘mic’?” “Yes.” He was very nice about it. “That little tiny hole there is the actual microphone?” “Yes.” “It’s not a jack for a microphone?” “No.” “So that explains why none of the other microphones I have around the house will fit in that itty-bitty hole, because it’s not really a jack for a microphone?” “Yes.” I went home and tried taping something and it taped just fine, without having a microphone plugged into it. So–“mic” doesn’t mean “microphone”? It’s actually the “line in” jack I’m looking for? 😕 **And** –I don’t necessarily need a “boombox” as such. I just wanna be able to put the song that I just created with my nifty new 6-track sequencer onto a cassette tape. Any kind of cassette recorder will do. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/8 "2001-11-23T19:06:36Z")
Some boomboxes and other portable recorders have both 1/8 inch “mic in” jacks (some microphone jack inputs are stereo and some are monophonic) and small built in microphones. Some have one or the other but not both. It varies. Depending on the quality you want to wind up with the line level cable to cable connection will be of considerably higher fidelity that using the boomboxes built in microphone. I you are interested in making recordings of decent fidelity I would forget about the boom box and get an inexpensive stereo cassette recorder from Circuit City or on the net. Here’s one from J&R [http://www.jandr.com](http://www.jandr.com) TEAC W-518R Double auto-reverse cassette deck Auto-reverse playback with direction key High/Normal-speed Dubbing Double-deck continuous playback Dolby B NR 2-color LED peak Program level meter One-touch Recording Full auto-stop 3-position tape selector - Normal/CrO2/Metal Auto tape selector Tape index counter with counter reset button High-speed dub LED indicator $69.99 TEA W518R Shipping Information: Shipping and Handling Charges ( Continental USA, PR, & APO/FPO ) Standard UPS/PP \*$6.75 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/9 "2001-11-23T19:57:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > Now I’m even more confused. > > [snip] > > So–“mic” doesn’t mean “microphone”? It’s actually the “line in” jack I’m looking for? I’ll take the blame for that, I guess, **Duck Duck Goose** , since I’m the one who told you to be “looking for something labled ‘mic.’” What I meant to say (though of course I’ve since been corrected) was that you would be looking for a _jack_ labeled “mic,” as opposed to an actual built-in microphone. :rolleyes: at myself. In looking over the other replies you’ve gotten, I have to say that if I were in your shoes and could not readily identify the line in jacks on my recording equipment and I was still highly motivated to do some recording, I would just head on out and buy a good quality tape deck, boom box, or whatever, equipped with the necessary connections. More possibly confusing terminology for you: sometimes these connections are labeled “aux” for auxiliary (here I again risk being corrected as regards amplification). Oh, and I just had another thought. If you’re not completely married to the idea of using _audio_ cassettes **and** you have a _hi-fi_ VCR with input jacks (almost always three RCA type jacks, one each in red, white, and yellow, normally used for connecting a camcorder to it, and usually on the front), you can make some fine recordings using that. Just get a patch cord with whatever jack(s) you need on the keyboard side with 2 mono RCA connectors (usually color-coded red and white), plug them into your VCR (just ignore the yellow video jack), and kick it. Don’t bother if your VCR isn’t hi-fi. You won’t be happy with what you get. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/10 "2001-11-23T21:48:22Z")
oh gawd you guys. I am SO lost. ☹ Okay. Look. Over _here_ we have a Casio CTK-671 keyboard with a 6-track “song memory” sequencer. I want to record some songs, Christmas carols and things, so we can sing along with them at home. I’m not making a demo tape for a record producer, I’m not making an audition tape for a “gig”. I just wanna have La Principessa learn the alto part to “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and other carols, and putting the alto line on a track by itself as an “Oboe” turns out to be fabulous–she can HEAR the alto line over the other voices. I don’t _care_ about “sound quality”, as long as it’s better than what you get from standing there and physically holding the CFS-W303 boombox with its tiny “mic” hole over the Casio while it’s playing–I’ve tried this and it picks up a TON of engine noise from the Sony. So, over _here_ we have two cassette recorders. They happen to be of the model colloquially known as “boomboxes”. One of them is a Sony CFS W303 AM-FM radio/cassette recorder. It has no jacks or outlets that say anything like “aux” or “line in”. Just the headphones jack and the “mic” hole. The other one is a Sony CFD-S22 radio/CD player/cassette recorder. It, too, has nothing that says “aux” or “line in”, just the headphones jack. The back of the Casio has 5 places for jacks. Reading from left to right: MIDI “Out” and “In” (I think I’ve grasped those), then “Sustain/Assignable Jack”, then “Phones/Output”, then the power jack (which purpose I have also grasped, even with my electronics-challenged brain). So, how do I get the music FROM the Casio sequencer TO a cassette? Is the Casio “Phones/Output” what I’d be looking to connect to a tape recorder somehow? So I’d need a “patch cord” to connect “Casio Phones/Output” to a tape recorder’s “RCA” or “line in” or “aux”? What kind of tape recorder do I ask for? What kind of “patch cord” do I ask for? **IS** there a words-of-one-syllable answer for this, or is it like some arcane study, alchemy maybe, or behavioral psychology? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/11 "2001-11-23T21:57:33Z")
And yes, I have grasped that I’m going to have to buy another tape recorder–the question is, what kind? And what will the proper kind of “jack thingie” say on the back of it? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/12 "2001-11-23T22:11:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > So I’d need a “patch cord” to connect “Casio Phones/Output” to a tape recorder’s … “line in” or “aux”? > > What kind of tape recorder do I ask for? What kind of “patch cord” do I ask for? Best solution I can think of: take the Casio with you to Radio Shack. Show the salesperson there the “Phones/Output” jack and explain that you want to buy a simple tape recorder you can connect to this with a patch cord. A recorder like their model 14-1117 (I tried to link, but it won’t work, go to [http://www.radioshack.com](http://www.radioshack.com) and look it up) should do the trick, and it’s pretty cheap at US$30. According to the features listed, it has an “auxiliary input jack,” which should be just what you need. The patch cord will probably run you US$5-10, depending upon how long you need it (3 feet to 6 feet will probably do you). ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/13 "2001-11-23T22:32:26Z")
If the headphone hole in the keyboard is 1/4 inch wide tell the Radio shack counter person (assuming reasonable counter help competence) you want: “1/4 inch stereo male phone plug to two male RCA phono plugs.” If the headphone hole in the keyboard is 1/8 inch wide . “1/8 inch stereo male phone plug to two male RCA phono plugs” like this item below. If it is not in stock there is usually a more expensive “gold” version available with identical functionality. 3’ Specialty Y-Adapter $4.49 Reg. Price Brand: RadioShack Cat.#: 42-2475 Model: 42-2475 Hook Up a Portable CD or Your Computer System to Your Home Stereo with this Adapter. Accepts 1/8" stereo phone plug Fits two phono (RCA) plugs Length 3 feet Several version of this type of “male headphone out to male RCA plugs” type cord exist at RS, some with 1/8 inch phone plugs an some with 1/4 inch phone plugs. Some as short as 18" and some (IIRC) as long as 12 feet. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/14 "2001-11-24T04:51:11Z")
Thaaaaaaank you, Knead and Astro. 🙂 🙂 🙂 [okay–printable version. NOW.] [bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt] [happy sigh] [sub]and we will sing o little town of bethlehem once in BOTH your honors[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2001, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/15 "2001-11-24T21:56:11Z")
One last thing. When you attach the cable from the keyboard to the input jacks of the tape deck start out at a fairly low volume on the keyboard so as not to overdrive the inputs of the tape deck and distort the sound. Typically (assuming the tape deck has an led bar meter for showing input levels) you want a recording that occasionally goes into the highest red level but most of the time stays centered in the mid regions. If the signal is pushing well into the red all the time you probably need to reduce the keyboard’s volume level a bit. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2001, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/16 "2001-12-01T19:39:11Z")
How’d this turn out, **Duck Duck Goose**? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/17 "2001-12-02T05:14:49Z")
Oh, it printed out just fine. Oh, you mean the project? 😃 Well, actually, I haven’t gotten around to it just yet, as we had a busy week here at Goose Central (wrestling meet, dress rehearsals for this, meetings for that). But I will. Thank you for caring. 🙂 Do you want an update when I eventually get it going? “Geez, who bumped _this_ antique and why?..Oh…” Like that? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/18 "2001-12-06T13:38:45Z")
Okay, I went down to Radio Shack, printed version in hand, and obtained the following pieces of equipment: –one (1) Optimus[sup]R[/sup] portable cassette tape recorder. –one (1) 6v power adapter, for same. –one (1) Adapt-A-Plug M, for adapting the power adapter to the tape recorder. –one (1) 6 ft. (1.82 m) shielded audio cable, with 1/8" stereo miniplug. –one (1) Radio Shack Headphone Adapter, for adapting the 1/8" stereo miniplug to fit the 1/4" Casio output jack. Total Damage, including tax: $48. The Radio Shack guy said to plug the audio cable into the “Mic” jack on the tape recorder, which I did, and which worked, so now I am more confused than ever about little holes that say “Mic”, but never mind, it isn’t important. There’s a jack that says “Aux” on the tape recorder, too, but he definitely said use the “Mic” jack. Anyway, we are now in business, and I’d like to thank everyone in this thread, and the Straight Dope Message Board, and the Chicago _Reader_, for all their help. I’d also like to point out, for all you people who are quibbling about Pay To Post, that if I hadn’t had GQ to come into and ask my question, I’d have most likely gone down to Circuit City and stood around looking helpless, and ended up spending several hundred dollars on equipment I didn’t really need. So IMO the SDMB just earned its keep, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/19 "2001-12-06T13:55:40Z")
Congrats, **Duck Duck Goose**! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899/20 "2001-12-06T13:59:05Z")
Microphone inputs are meant to take the extremely low level signals from a mike and boost them up tremendously. If this is done to the output from a head phone or AUX jack which is many, many times more powerful distortion normally occurs. Unless the 1/4" to 1/8" adapter plug or the cable is performing some sort of attentuation to the signal (they do/did sell these kind of special attenuating adapters) coming out, your clerk is well meaning but incorrect. I would suggest starting out with the aux input and seeing how that works. If you want to try the mic input make sure you start out with the volume set very, very low on the casio volume output. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-headphones-jack-the-same-thing-as-an-rca-or-line-in-jack/94899.md?page=2)