Inspiron 1501 Sound Question

The 1501 is a new model that I haven't heard much about, but this might work:

There is an LG driver for the Sigmatel 92xx that has stereo mix. To get it follow this path:

LG Service Site


1. Click on 'Product Support'
2. Click on 'Device Driver'
3. Select 'Notebook' from the dropdown list under 'Product'
4. Select 'Windows XP' under 'Operating System'
5. Type 'Sigmatel' into the subject box.
6. Click 'search.'

The driver to choose is labeled Ver 5.10.04866 XNOTE(LE50)

(This driver is known to work on at least some of the Inspirons with the 92xx chip. This driver was discovered by dhkang002.) If it doesn't work you can use 'rollback driver' to get rid of it.

Jim

Lauren,

go to Start/Control panel and see if there is a 'Sigmatel Audio'. Open it and if you find an option to enable the pop-up box make sure it's checked.

If that doesn't help then here is something else you can try. You can add 'stereo mix' to the original Dell version of the Sigmatel 92xx driver by altering its .inf files. I didn't mention this before because the instructions are complicated and I don't know if they will work with your inf files.

This solution is discussed in a thread at notebookforums.com, but the thread itself is quite long and confusing. One of our forum members, New Hope editor, has written a set of instructions and a link for implementing the .inf file replacement.

New Hope editor's inf file replacement instructions

New Hope editor's instructions are in Reply #23 in that thread but those with an E1505 should also look at Reply #31.

I am doubtful that this will work for you because those Inspirons mentioned (E1505 and E1705) have a Sigmatel driver that is different from yours and not compatible with the 1501. If you have questions about this, the one who might be able to answer is New Hope editor.

Jim

Lauren,

My answer assumed that you had been getting line-in with the original Dell Sigmatel driver. If that assumption is true, then I still suggest that you try to modify that driver to add stereo-mix to it by modifying the .inf files.

If you weren't already getting line-in, I don't know of a way to enable it except by adding an external usb soundcard.

Jim

If the original configuration didn't seem to be working correctly maybe you should roll back to that driver and try to get it working.

After you failed to get a recording from your stereo did you try anything else, a microphone or other device? Have you ever been able to get your laptop to record at all?

Jim

The computer is brand new. I can only get a recording from the internet after I followed your previous suggestion for adding the sound mixer option. However, I can't get a recording with the line in option, and hadn't been able to since I got this computer.

Lauren

Jim,

In one of your previous posts, it shows a picture of the Sigmatel Audio Control Panel. I have a feeling I could fix my problem if I could access it. How/where do I find it?

Lauren

Lauren,

I'm sorry but I don't know where that picture is. I didn't put in the thread, another poster did and the labels were all in German, and I can't remember if it was a control panel for your 92xx or for the other Sigmatel, the 975x which has different controls, but it was a playback control panel anyway, not the recording control.

Here is a test you can try. It doesn't matter if you plug in a mic or an ipod or whatever, just to see if you can get a signal from the mic/line jack into the computer.

> Open 'Sounds & Audio Devices Properties' (right click on the volume icon on the taskbar and click 'Adjust Audio Properties', or go to the Control Panel and click 'Sounds & Audio Devices Properties').

> Select the Audio tab. Click on 'Volume' under 'Sound Recording' (not Sound Playback).

> Click in the 'Select' box underneath whatever 'Input' control shows up there.

> Drag the volume slider all the way up.

Npen Windows Sound Recorder under Start/Programs/Accessories/Entertainment. Click on the red Record button and then speak into the mic or play the ipod or stereo. If the green line moves then the jack is working and the signal is getting into the system.

If the green line moves then there is no problem even though you probably won't be able to hear the signal until you playback the recording, because Dell ships the Inspirons with the 'input monitoring' function disabled. I have a seperate set of instructions for enable monitoring if you need to do that, but it isn't necessary for recording.

If the green line doesn't move then no signal is getting through and that would explain why you haven't been able to make a recording.

Jim

hi again Jim

I performed the test on my Volume Control's sound recorder as you suggested above. I got a recording using a cable from the stereo to the computer, as I always had using Polderbits Sound recorder software. Polderbits claims it is not a software issue, and a friend confirmed that when he told me that the program works the same on his computer as it always had on my previous computer. He does not have a Dell computer, btw. What should my next step be in attempting to solve this problem?

Thanks,

Lauren

Jim,

I was able to record for a few minutes, before the same problem started up all over again. If it worked for a few minutes, why would it go back to not working? This is weird and frustrating!

Lauren

Lauren, I don't have an understanding of what the problem is.

"I performed the test on my Volume Control's sound recorder as you suggested above. I got a recording using a cable from the stereo to the computer, as I always had using Polderbits Sound recorder software. Polderbits claims it is not a software issue, and a friend confirmed that when he told me that the program works the same on his computer as it always had on my previous computer. He does not have a Dell computer, btw. What should my next step be in attempting to solve this problem?"

What problem? Sorry to be dense but you seem to be saying that it recorded all right: "I got a recording using a cable from the stereo to the computer..." If you were able to get a recording what is the problem? Sorry but I'm not following this.

"was able to record for a few minutes, before the same problem started up all over again. If it worked for a few minutes, why would it go back to not working? This is weird and frustrating!"

If you were using Windows Sound Recorder, it only records for 60 seconds.

Jim

Obviously you didn't read all the posts in their entirety or you would have realized I was NOT referring to Sound Recorder when I said I finally got a recording. I specifically said I was using Polderbits Sound Recorder which records up to 6 hours at a time.

Lauren

To clarify, last evening I was able to obtain a recording from the stereo using Polderbits Sound Recorder NOT the Sound Recorder under Volume Control. However, when I tried again, I was unsuccessful again as I had been since I got the computer last week.

Lauren