recording on nano 1g - theoretically impossible

[lldg21]

Hello, new here. I'm not really sure if this question should go here because this puzzles me quite a bit.
Here goes: it should be impossible, in theory, to record sound on the ipod nano 1g, right? at least that's what I found by searching online.
But I tried anyway, because I was bored. Well, first I connected a self-made cable from a radio to the ipod. I noticed that by turning the gain and the radio's volume up a bit I could register something on the peak meter, so I made a recording. Upon listening it sounded really low, and I thought there was something wrong with the cable, since it was just improvised. So I took a tape deck, a known-to-be-working rca-jack cable, and played a Mozart tape. This time, since the tape deck has no volume control, I wasn't able to register anything on the peak meter, but I made a recording anyway, just to see what I could pick up. It's really really low, even when turning the volume up on Audacity, but it's there, and it sounds like it's missing the "ground", if you know what I mean...
Has anyone experienced anything similar? Would anyone want to hear a sample?

[soap]

There are line-in pins on the dock connector of the iPod Nano, and the ability for the Nano to record from them.

In your homemade cable, what pins did you connect the audio source to?  I'm assuming the wrong pins and you experienced the recording of crosstalk as you pumped voltage into the line-out pins instead of the line-in ones.

[lldg21]

I guess I should've specified... I tried just using the headphone connector!
I somehow expected a line out to become a line in at will

So, if I understand correctly, if I had a spare usb-ipod cable, could I use that to try and connect a line input?

[Chronon]

A stock iPod cable only has USB connections (i.e. power and data).  It doesn't provide analog audio signals in or out.  If you search you can probably find some appropriate cables online.

[lldg21]

Thanks folks, I guess it just isn't possible with what I have currently. 

[dreamlayers]

Some dock connectors can be disassembled.  Often, the connector only has the pins it needs, but pins can be moved around.  That's how I made a line in adapter from a $2 charger I got at a dollar store.  It's kind of difficult to do because the pins are so tiny.

Note that you need to connect to the line in pins.  (There are also line out pins.  Those are an output, for example for listening what the iPod is playing via a stereo.)  If you want to record from a microphone, you need a powered microphone preamp.