recording vinyl to my computer

I am using aTechnics direct drive turntable with a Shure cartridge the output is via phono plugs

If you have an integrated amplifier with phono in and preamp out jacks, you're OK. I don't know your sound card but they generally have stereo mini jacks while your preamp out jacks would be the RCA type. So, you may need an adapter. You also need to make sure your line in feature is not muted and the volume slider is somewhere around midway up. It's also possible to get some mic jacks to work but these tend to be mono. The "line in" is best but you do need a properly buffered and equalized signal from the turntable cartridge. You mentioned a Shure cartridge. Mine is a Shure moving magnet (older) type but newer higher end types are MC (moving coil). The moving coil types generally produce a lower amplitude signal than MM types. If you've a MC type, you do need an MC compatible preamp. Whatever you do, don't try to run the speaker wires from an amplifier into the sound card.

My card is a Creative SB x-F1 with a host of facilities none of which enable me to record vinyl the unit has a front consul in an HD bay at the front of th computer with phono connections on it hope this helps

I've no external console so I connect directly to my sound card. I'm presuming your sound card also has jacks available to the rear. Is that true?...and if so, can you plug anything into the "line in" jack and just test it? You said it has a phono connection in the front but what type? USB? There are USB turntables and there are also high output cartridges on some that use RCA jacks but if yours is an RCA jack type with a magnetic cartridge you're still going to need a preamp.

<font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">The connections on the front of the computer are known as
phono<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> plugs in the UK they may be known
as RCA elsewhere it seems a bit strange that if I plug the turntable into these
I get zilch, unfortunately I cannot find the instructions that came with the
card showing graphically all the connections, as for a preamp I think I will
give it a miss, ultimately I am trying to move all my vinyl onto my Bennan but
first need to remove the clicks & pops <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </font></font>
<font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font>

same thing

Phone jacks (4 wire) are RJ-11. Here's RCA...aka phono...so I think we're talking about the same thing. They are color coded for L-R channel and also have uses for composite audio/video. They've been around at least since the days of vacuum tube hi-fi systems...But you probably knew that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_connector

The card I linked to shows 4 RCA jacks. Two are used for powered speaker outputs and two are multi-purposed including acting as a "line in". Standard phono plugs such as for turntables tend to be RCA types.

Damm auto correct

Mine has just 2 on the front, I think I will just give up

Is this yours?

http://support.creative.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx

If so, it shows a mic/line in jack on the rear of the card. It appears to be blue in color and closest to the MB. Have you already tried this jack? If not, I'd give it a try with some known audio source such as maybe an MP3 type player, ipod, etc., just to see if you could get sound through it. This might take some adjustment of front panel controls such as mic volume or even something in the software. In any event, this might be how you'd connect your turntable. It is the equivalent of what I use in my older Audigy card.

My card is a Creative Titanium SB X Fi the one with consul with connections on the front of the computer (including two phone connections) and a sound card inside, it has mass of facilities but I cannot record my discs
by the way thanks for your interest