Recording without a mic

[eMpTy-1]

Played at a party over the weekend, I had my laptop with m-audio firewire sound card, 4in 10 out and a x-session midi controler. While my friends band was playing I opened Peak and started recording the band. The signal was hot so I turned down the gain on the front of the sound card where a crappy mic was plugged in to one of the Neutek connectors. So I turn down the gain and nothing happens, the signal is still clipping. So then I unplug the mic and Peak is still recording a hot signal, wtf! So I unplug everything from the sound card except the firewire cable to my mac laptop and cover the built in speakers with my hands but it is still recording a hot siginal.

I called over a few people to take a look at what was going on and everyone was stumped as to why it was still recording. I am fairly sure the laptop doesn't have a built in mic as it has never exihibited this behavior before.

Anyone got any ideas as to why it was recording without a mic?

 

[norty303]

What laptop is it? You checked the spec sheets? Was the signal recorded a good one or just noise?

 

[JPsychodelicacy]

All Macs I've ever seen have a built-in mic somewhere (usually on the monitor).

Should be there in your audio panel somewhere...

J.

 

[eMpTy-1]

Yeah, it was an internal mic, didn't realise it had one.

Thing is I know it wasn't setup to use built in audio though.

Oh well, mystery solved, i am an idiot :P

 

[JPsychodelicacy]

Oh well, mystery solved, i am an idiot :P

No you're not - not any worse than me anyway - I remember panicking that my amp had blown on one occasion after installing new soundcard drivers, only to find that it had reset the 'Mute speakers when headphone jack inserted' option.

D'oh! :rolleyes:

J.

 

[eMpTy-1]

No, no, I beg to differ.

I am more stupid.

When I first started playing with a synth I thought the wet/dry knob made liquid sounds like on Gamma Goblins.

beat that! :P