I’m trying to integrate my framework laptop with my podcast audio setup, and I’d like to use the onboard 3.5mm jack to pipe in audio from my mixer by using it as an audio input. For some reason however I can’t get that device to show up as an input - only an output (headphones) - in Windows 11.
The 3.5mm cable is coming from a 1/4" stereo to 3.5mm stereo cable from an AUX send on my mixer, sending a known good signal - I was using the same output and cable to pipe audio into my last laptop, and I can get audio through it using a 3.5mm USBC adapter on the framework. I’m trying to eliminated that last adapter to avoid extra noise on my input signal.
I’ve been in the MacOS world primarily for a while now, so I’m not sure if this is a Windows 11 issue, a driver issue, a Framework issue, or an idiot issue, but I’m open to suggestions. Windows 11 sound prefs & device manager aren’t showing any obvious way to tell Windows that the port is an input rather than an output.
Not sure if this is the same on Win 11, but try searching for ‘Realtek’ in the Start Menu and open up the Realtek Audio Console. In the ‘Device advanced settings’ you should be able to specify ‘Headset’:
I don’t have the Realtek Audio Console installed - I did just update to the newest Win11 driver package from Framework and noticed it says the Realtek driver is “Only installed on systems with Realtek Audio Codec”. Judging from this blog post - Framework | Solving for Silicon Shortages - I’m guessing I have the newer chipset on this December-delivered laptop.
Has anyone else run into this with the Tempo codec on Windows 11? Simple test is to plug any 3.5mm audio input into the integrated port and see if you can use it as an input in Windows.
From what I can see Tempo lacks the utility software support that Realtek has - so ports don’t seem to be reassignable in any way that I’ve found yet.
I have a little to add to this - it seems that it is to do with the sound chip - the (I think the newer one is called Tempo) non-realtek one doesn’t recognise the 2 types of headset jack arrangements TRRS Phone connector (audio) - Wikipedia vary and I have done a test today with 3 different headsets all with trrs and only one works. The speakers (audio out, earbuds whatever you want to call them) always work but the microphone only works on one set.
I think the Realtek chip can detect which of the connectors is the one for the mic and the tempo chip can’t.
Also this is a bit silly but does no harm
Can support investigate and confirm/deny?
I’m on the i5 with win11 pro and the 3.07 bios and most recent alpha firmware
It would also be nice if the hardware was better identified - you can see in the screenshot it uses the same name - if it could be listed as headset that would make life a lot simpler.
A couple of clarifying pics
pin design
When it is not working the mic is not seen
This works as the 2nd microphone is seen (obviously the 1st one is the one in the bezel)
Im yet to recieve my Framework, but I’ll chime in as I think the issues around the audio chip are important. To start, let’s acknowledge that @nrp and the team made the supply issues around the realtek audio chip transparent early on. I honestly appreciate that.
However (and this obviously wouldn’t be the case if there weren’t any issues):
There should be official communication on or a guide to self-check which chip is used in one’s laptop
Framework should maintain an easy-to-find list of known issues so people arent left troubleshooting forever / blaming themselves
As possible, Framework should work on the issues aiming for feature parity between people on Realtek vs Tempo (after all, everyone paid the same)
In response to OP I’d like to add:
From my experience with multiple desktop motherboards harboring different Realtek chips functionality around re-purposing ports varies widely and I’m not sure that even on the Frameworks with the Realtek chips this is possible to the extent that you’d like. The expansion card ecosystem though might come in really handy in this respect, I’d imagine.
Has there been any movement on this? I have been trying to use the audio jack as an input (to record from old cassettes) but can’t find any way to make it work. My laptop came with Windows 11 pre-installed. I tried installing a Realtek driver, but it had no effect whatsoever.
Is it even possible to use the audio jack as an input?
If the device is a 3.5mm microphone, then you’ll need a Headphone 3.5mm splitter cable to correctly manage input.
This is because 3.5mm microphones use the same connector as 3.5mm outputs (thus why older laptops had 2 3.5mm ports before 3.5mm duplex existed).
It works perfectly fine now with a $5 splitter I got from my local hardware store
