Audio Adapter to Load Recordings onto Laptop

[Bill Drake]

8/7/08
With my old desktop I could load recordings via my mixer directly onto my digital editing program (Cool Edit; later Adobe Audition). Laptops are more compact, with less options, and when I got a new laptop this summer, with Vista home premium, I discovered I could not do this. Vista support told me I needed an external audio adapter to plug into one of my computer's USB ports (using the same USB port each time I plugged the adapter in); the mixer would then plug into the adapter. I did some research and bought an adapter from DAK Industries (dak.com) for $39 + S/H. I discovered that I also needed their software - their DAK PRO 5.1b digital editing program (about $82) to get the material onto my computer. (I could not load the recording directly onto Adobe Audition just with the adapter.) For me to be able to do this was worth the cost. Their editing program, which has a good on-line manual, is actually pretty good although in some ways I like the more expensive Adobe Audition better. I play the recording via the mixer onto their software, do some editing, then save it on the computer & open it up in Adobe Audition to do further editing. Their support is excellent and they have a good trial/return policy. There are other companies that make audio adapters but you want to be sure they work with Vista and find out if you need to use their software. Hopefully this information will help others who want to transfer recordings from a CD or cassette player, or a recorder onto their vista laptop directly or - preferably - via a mixer.