external mic problem with the t410

[zarkady1]

hey, i just got the new lenovo t410, and i realized it has only one 3.5mm audio jack, and im guessing it is for both mic and speakers.

i've tried to connect an external mic, but it seems its not working.

im pretty new to the whole laptop thing and also to windows 7, even though i digged in any place in the computer i couldn't find a solution for making the mic work. its just one of those ordinary table microphones that works perfectly on my pc.

any ideas?

[bananaman]

Hi zarkady1, and welcome to the Lenovo User Community!

Check this knowledge base article:

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/T400-T500-and-newer-T-series/Audio-combo-jack-vs-headphone-earphone-with...

Come back and tell us if it answers your question!

[zarkady1]

hey bananaman, im not sure if i understood.
basicly if i want to use my external mic i must buy one of those adapters? isnt there any way i can connect my mic without it?

[bananaman]

Yes, if you want to connect a mic only, you need an adapter, or you need to buy a microphone specifically made to plug into the combo type jack. The advantage of the combo jack is that it works with common 3.5mm headsets (combination stereo headphones and microphone), like iPhone, Blackberry, etc. A lot of us have one already, and there there's plenty of choice.

[elrogg]

I have a T420 my company just purchased and I have the same problem.  I bought a splitter cable (maybe it's not the right one) but it does not work.  I cannot use an external microphone.  The headset works fine but no mic.  When I look at recording devices in Windows 7 all I see is the onboard internal mic, there does not seem to be any device for either an external microphone or for recording internally from say the internet.  What am I doing wrong?