Hi everybody thank you for reading. I bougt an M-audio 2496 card. It did pretty well on
listening music but today when I was trying to record sound with audacity I got a little trouble.

I found I could not here anything from the wav file I recorded. I used AP 1/2 or Multi devices
both but none of them worked. I even could not see any changing of the wave map in audacity
(sorry for my poor English I am from China) I wish I had explained it clearly, the map
was just a straight line to indicate it received NO input signal, the same as if I do not plug
anything to the sound card.



I used a RCA adapter<--> 1/8 jack to connect my small microphone into it. In fact I
should not say it is a microphone since it is just a small piece of a headset which was
sold as part of my webCamera. I think I am almost sure there is no Amplifier in it.

So my question is do I HAVE TO use a pre-amplified microphone for my card? I read
from the manual it was recommended, but I do not know if I have to buy one.

Thank you very much:)

I think the M-Audio 2496 only has line-level inputs, so you need an external microphone preamp. A small mixer (with mic preamps) might cost less than a separate preamp.

Also, condenser type microphones need DC power. "Computer microphones" often get power from the computer's microphone jack, and they only work with a standard soundcard. These computer mics don't work with PA systems. or mixers. (I don't know what type of microphone your headset uses... It may not need power...)

The least expensive option would be to get a "regular" inexpensive soundcard. (The M-Audio is a high quality soundcard, but I assume you want an inexpensive solution since you are using a cheap microphone.)

Regular microphones (microphones used for public address, singing, or recording) are usually dynamic, which need no power, or they can be condenser microphones which either have a battery inside the mic, or they get "phantom power" from the mixer. This phantom power is higher voltage than what's used for computer microphones, and phantom-powered microphones are usually expensive "studio mics".

I own an AP 2496 and I can tell you for sure that there is no microphone input on it of any kind. Its only inputs are line-level inputs.



Absolutely.


I've recorded from regular professional microphones with my AP2496, but I did so using microphone preamps such as the Rolls MP-13 and Rane MS-1.

Thank you guys for suggestion I am really a rookie on this card... thank you thank you!