HTPC/LibrELEC: adding material from an external non-network source

Bert Coules

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Apologies if this is a very basic question but I've searched around and can't find the answer.

I have an HTPC running LibreELEC 18.2, set up as part of a small home network. The PC has one internal hard drive and a sound card with a single HDMI socket used to connect it to my amplifier.

Also connected to the amp are a reel-to-reel tape deck and a vinyl-disc turntable; they, obviously, are not part of the network but the amp is. Is there a way of transferring audio material from these sources to the HTPC's hard drive? The computer has its own audio in/out sockets but I'm not sure if these are still active or have been disabled by the insertion of the sound card.

I know I could do it via a direct connection with a Windows OS and suitable software but can it done with LibreELEC/Kodi?

Many thanks in advance for any thoughts.
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Hi Bert,
I think the quick answer is no. The only recording capability that Kodi (and LibreELEC is basically just a custom version of Kodi) has is if the HTPC has a TV tuner fitted then it can be used to record TV programs. Otherwise Kodi is designed purely for media playback. As you suggest, if the HTPC was running a different operating system to LibreELEC eg Windows or Linux (upon which LibreELEC is based) then what you suggest may be possible. If your sound card has taken over audio duties from the motherboard input/output sockets then does not the sound card have an audio input socket of it's own? If it doesn't then the motherboard input is probably still active. You just need an operating system that will accept an audio input from that socket and a program that will convert it into a suitable format to store on your hard drive.
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JB
 
JB, thanks for that; you reinforce my basic suspicion. Even if it might be possible at a stretch, it's taken me no little time and tinkering to get the HTPC integrated into the network and performing pretty much faultlessly and I'm reluctant to start fiddling with it too much.

The solution would seem to be to set up a third PC (after the LibreELEC machine and my main desktop which is situated elsewhere), install Windows 7 and use it solely to capture audio directly from the two sources and then transfer the files to the HTPC over the network. A bit complicated but certainly workable.
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Bert, An alternative and possibly cheaper approach, assuming the HTPC could run Windows, would be to repurpose the HTPC to do the job you're asking about above and buy something like Vero 4K+ to play your media instead of the HTPC You can read all about the Vero 4K+ here:
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JB
 
JB, again, thanks for that. I might be tempted if it wasn't for the fact that I have a spare PC, complete with monitor, keyboard and mouse, sitting idly doing nothing. That and the fact that it was a real hassle getting the HTPC integrated into the network and though the Vero might well be no problem at all I'm a little reluctant to risk it.
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Librelec is just a Linux build that has been trimmed down to only run essential services needed for Kodi. Kodi is otherwise a standard build.

I run both a Vero and libreelec and would definitely recommend both for Kodi.

I would not run Windows 7 any more for a variety of reasons including lack of support etc.
 
ChuckMountain, thanks. This is a side issue but I run Windows 7 on my main (work from home) PC and will not be changing it, lack of support or not. I've played around with Windows 10 and found absolutely nothing about it that I liked. 7 will be fine for my audio-capture purposes and I can use software I'm very familar with.
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Yep understand and at the end of day it is personal preference. I mainly run windows 10 (or Mac) except for a work machine running Windows 7. I honestly hate the latter :)

It was more if you buy new hardware then driver support might not be there (plus windows security updates)
 
ChuckMountain, I take your point about Windows 7 possibly not supporting any new hardware but I'm willing to face that possibility when and if it ever arises. As I said, it's more important for my present purposes that it's an OS I'm very familar with and will enable me to use software I know well.

Thanks to you and to JBA6 for your thoughts and advice.
 
No problem, but it’s not possibility of it happening, it has already

If you do buy any new kit though take for example Asus then they only offer windows 10 drivers now for their new motherboard. So the when is now if you went down that route.

Windows 7 went end of life in January this year so there are no new patches now and security ones might be best endeavour like the case of wannacry.

The flip side is true not everything that supports windows 7 will work with windows 10 though as the equipment manufacturers don’t offer the level of support for it :(
 
Ah, I meant that the chances of me acquiring new hardware (at least hardware to be associated with the Windows 7 machine) are pretty unlikely.

LATER:

Well, so far, the experiment isn't proving much of a success. I'd forgotten just how clunky the spare PC is (both operationally and physically: the thing is huge) but Windows 7 installed with no problems (and I was surprised to find it updating something, though whatever it was didn't take long). However, for reasons still unclear, I can't get it to pick up incoming audio. More experimentation required, clearly...
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For some reason the Windows 7 version I used didn't include the built-in sound recorder so I installed a freeware program called simply Free Audio Recorder. I've now discovered that the audio is getting into the PC but is reluctant to come out again: I can record it but not play it, either while recording or otherwise. A strange situation which I haven't yet worked out how to correct.
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An update: I've succeeded in capturing audio, though I still can't listen to it as I do so; but playing back the files has revealed that the quality is much poorer than I had hoped, and I'm not sure that any amount of post-recorded tinkering will do much to improve it. I shall experiment a little more, but so far I'm inclined to abandon the entire thing.
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