Hello everyone, im back once again. This time i had a idea and would love to bring it to life.. I want to make a USB device (simple) which will take a AUDIO source as input and i can hear it through my PC. (HARD) .. Like basically a LINE IN but via USB... The main goal of this is. I have a MP3 Player which i carry around with me but dont want to unplug my speakers for PC everytime.. so i want to be able to take the audio from the player and use it on my PC
So i dont know where to start for this?
Im sure i will need some type of ADC to convert the Analog Audio to Digital Data correct? Should i use a External ADC ? or internal? How fast? How many bits? You see where im getting lost at right?
I know nothing of Audio but i do know a bit on the USB stuff.
Hello everyone, im back once again. This time i had a idea and would love to bring it to life.. I want to make a USB device (simple) which will take a AUDIO source as input and i can hear it through my PC. (HARD) .. Like basically a LINE IN but via USB... The main goal of this is. I have a MP3 Player which i carry around with me but dont want to unplug my speakers for PC everytime.. so i want to be able to take the audio from the player and use it on my PC
So i dont know where to start for this?
Im sure i will need some type of ADC to convert the Analog Audio to Digital Data correct? Should i use a External ADC ? or internal? How fast? How many bits? You see where im getting lost at right?
I know nothing of Audio but i do know a bit on the USB stuff.
Just buy one - it's called a USB sound card, I use a Behringer one, which also has switched phono-preamps inside - but there are many different makes, probably all based around the same chipsets?.
Why reinvent the wheel?, you probably can't source the chips used, and if you could it's probably more expensive than buying it complete.
Don't forget, Windows supports the chipsets used - if you design your own (far more expensive) circuit, then you will have to write all the Windows USB drivers etc.
Mine's a Behringer UF0202 with switched turntable inputs, my daughter's (which is older) is a different make, and has digital audio in/out as well. The Behrigner came with loads of free software.
Like I said, I suspect they are the same chipset and seem to work equally well (my daughter has used her's for recording some gigs she engineered, on an old Toshiba laptop).
Nigel reinventing the wheel is a good thing also... dont forget... How many different cell phones are out there? and they all do the same thing (most of them)
Hi Jason and Nigel
Could you just use a DPDT switch to switch from one input jack to the other? Also I've seen 4066 analog switches used as an input selector for stereo systems and boom boxes.
The 4066 will allow you to switch inputs using a digital signal without converting the audio to digital. If you just need to control where the audio goes and not manipulate the audio itself it may be something to look into. Converting the audio back and forth from analog to digital will degrade it. If you do need to manipulate the audio, then consider doing it with software on the PC.
I'll attach the datasheet. Even if you choose not to use it on this project, they are pretty handy to have. I found 6 of them in a stereo system I rescued from the trash. Since then I discovered two of the boom boxes I have contain 2 each. Should be pretty easy to get a couple for free.