Subject:recording from my turntable

Posted by: invisiblemcs

Date:8/4/2003 12:53:10 PM

i was recording from my turntable and then i moved and i cant seem to get it to work. the way i have it hooked up is with a y adapter with a red/white on one side and an 1/8 inch on the other. i have the red and white going from the "line" connection on the mixer same channel as the turntable. the other end is going into the black line input on my computer. any help please??

mike

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: kbruff

Date:8/4/2003 1:43:21 PM

Well to start with, the input to the sound card should be a line level input (preamplified) then the signal wires should be routed to the line level input on the sound card. It seems like you got it right, after that check your sound card, maybe it was compromised during the trip.

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: invisiblemcs

Date:8/4/2003 2:05:38 PM

how do i check my sound card to make sure its working. i mean it plays everything else just fine

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: mcgeedo

Date:8/4/2003 2:27:05 PM

If your turntable has a magnetic cartridge (i.e. fairly high quality) then your sound card probably won't work out very well for you. Magnetic cartridges need a much higher gain pre-amp, along with a certain amount of equalization.

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: invisiblemcs

Date:8/4/2003 2:29:35 PM

the turn table is not high quality at all and it worked fine for a few months until i moved

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: mcgeedo

Date:8/4/2003 2:40:51 PM

OK, then the problem I described isn't the case, for you. Try turning up the gain (volume) up almost all the way on your line inputs, and then touch your finger to the tip of one of the RCA jacks. Make sure you aren't grounded, and you should hear at least a little buzz.

Good luck,
-Don

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: kbruff

Date:8/4/2003 5:06:14 PM

so let me get this straight ---
(1) The soundcard does everything else ok
(2) It does not acquire the sound from any line level source
(3) But yet it functions correctly --

Interesting problem --
try to use the standard on-board sound card to check the problem (if there is one)
test the other inputs such as (mic, left signal, right signal, etc.). If your card is working in terms of output, then it should work for input as well.

keep me informed...
Thanks -

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: invisiblemcs

Date:8/4/2003 8:03:41 PM

i am using the standard sound card that came with the dell computer. i can record with a microphone just fine. and the speakers hooked up to the preamp play the record but i have no signal in sound forge and nothing coming out of the computer speakers. like i said it worked before and i dont know what im doing differently

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: Frenchy

Date:8/5/2003 10:14:33 AM

Ok, so, "i have no signal in sound forge and nothing coming out of the computer speakers".

Try the obvious -

Are the 1/8" jacks reversed? i.e. - computer speakers plugged into "line in", and turntable (via amp) plugged into the "speaker jack" on teh soundcard?

Frenchy

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: invisiblemcs

Date:8/5/2003 10:52:54 AM

thats not it because the speakers play other stuff

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: MJhig

Date:8/5/2003 2:21:42 PM

You have changed the input in your Windows/soundcard mixer recording applet by double clicking the speaker icon in the systray > Options > Properties > Recording > OK, from Mic to Line In, correct?

MJ

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: invisiblemcs

Date:8/5/2003 3:27:35 PM

yeah i made sure of that

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:8/5/2003 3:45:46 PM

Maybe the cable was damaged during your move.

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: invisiblemcs

Date:8/5/2003 4:42:23 PM

im going to buy a new one tomorrow. its cheap and easy

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: kbruff

Date:8/6/2003 2:21:12 PM

man you got a weird problem
(1) use a new cable
(2) try something else like a tape deck

let me know ok!!!

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: invisiblemcs

Date:8/6/2003 8:09:52 PM

the problem just got a little more wierd and then better. i just hooked a cd player straight to the computer (not hooked up to my pre/power amp) and it worked. so the cables arent bad. then i hooked the y adapter straight from the main output of the mixer and it works. i have the amp going into the record jacks on the mixer (i dont know what that does) but it seems to work. the weird thing is i tried this before with no success.

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: kbruff

Date:8/7/2003 5:41:57 PM

hmmm...
(1) try all new cables
(2) try the direct ouput from the turntable (I know it is not preamplified, but you should get some signal anyway)
(3) check the impedance settings on the mixer input/output
(4) see if you can hook up another mixer and try that as well --

there could be a weird impedance matching problem

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: keether

Date:8/8/2003 3:52:28 PM

Others have no doubt had this kind of problem. I know I have.

What I was doing wrong (when line-in seemed to stop conveying sound) was forgetting to click the radio-button in Volume Control, Options, Properties, which is labeled "other." (I'm referring to what I see using WinXP Home.) And of course "line in" must be selected in "Recording."

I've also tried to acquire an analog sound from turntable straight to computer because (I figured) it would be better to eliminate the "middle man" (the tape recorder) and have that much less hiss or whatever. I discovered, however, that the turntable didn't generate enough signal to create a wave form, in SF. So I've been forced to work via high-quality tapes, where the sound has been amplified. That means clicks etc are also amplified, but Sound Forge Studio is great for deleting all obvious clicks, and most of the others. It's the background humm or whine which persists.

Subject:RE: recording from my turntable

Reply by: Rednroll

Date:8/8/2003 4:49:11 PM

When you're recording from a turn table here's the first things to make sure, so you don't have problems.

1. Connect the RCA Cables from the turntable to a turntable pre-amp.

There should be inputs on the pre-amp, which say "Phono IN". The outputs of the turntable are NOT impedance matched for Line level inputs, and if you're pluging them into one then you will have problems most of the time. They are impedance matched for devices that have a "phono in".

2. Connect the outputs of the pre-amp that say "Line out", to your sound card or mixer if you're using one. In your case you will then use the RCA to 1/8inch adapter cord.

3. Make sure the GND cable from the turntable is also connected to the turntable pre-amp.

4. Make sure everything is plugged into the same outlet that has the 3rd pin ground. (ie computer, turntable, pre-amp). You're probably having some grounding issues and is one of the differnces from where you previously lived that might be causing the problem. In your setup, I'll bet you have some devices that have a power cord on it that has the 3rd pin and some that don't. You might want to buy some ground lifter adapters and plug the power cords with them into them, to remove the 3rd pin connection. This might help the sound, but be careful not to electricute yourself when you touch the turntable pre-amp. :-)