Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives

Message board

* FAQ    * Register   * Login 



Reply to topic
Author Message Previous topic | Next topic
The Animator
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2011 5:41 am
Posts: 459
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 3:50 pm 
 

I'm trying to convert a couple of old albums I have to digital. My brother hooked up a turntable to his mixing board that has a USB output. I tried recording the audio with audacity but it don't work. At first it wouldn't even recognize the USB device but after a while it did but I still couldn't get it to record any sound. Anyone have any ideas or know of a better program for recording through a USB input?

Top
 Profile  
DreamOfDarkness
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 4:09 pm
Posts: 271
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 7:13 pm 
 

What kind of USB output does the turntable have? Is it just an output to save the music on a USB stick?
Because if you directly connect it to your computer, the turntable has to be a USB soundcard audacity can record from. If this doesn't work, try to connect the analogue output of the turntable (line out/headphone out) to the line-in of your computer.

Top
 Profile  
The Animator
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2011 5:41 am
Posts: 459
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 7:52 pm 
 

The turntable itself does not have a USB output, my brother connected it to his mixing board which has a USB output, he says that's how he records his instruments. I will try your second suggestion though, thanks.

edit:
I tried that and it recorded the audio, but it was horribly distorted even when turning the input all the way down.


Last edited by The Animator on Wed Jul 17, 2013 8:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Top
 Profile  
korgull
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2005 1:53 am
Posts: 930
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 8:27 pm 
 

If your turntable does not have a built-in preamp and the mixer isn't specifically made for use with turntables, then you need to plug the turntable into a turntable preamp before you can do anything with it, otherwise, the output level will be too weak.

Top
 Profile  
The Animator
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2011 5:41 am
Posts: 459
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 8:38 pm 
 

korgull wrote:
If your turntable does not have a built-in preamp and the mixer isn't specifically made for use with turntables, then you need to plug the turntable into a turntable preamp before you can do anything with it, otherwise, the output level will be too weak.


It is plugged into a preamp.

Top
 Profile  
korgull
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2005 1:53 am
Posts: 930
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 8:45 pm 
 

Did you monitor the sound at the mixer yet, before it hits the computer, to see how it's sounding at that point in the chain?

Top
 Profile  
The Animator
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2011 5:41 am
Posts: 459
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 11:37 pm 
 

Yes my brother had it connected to speakers. I believe the problem is with audacity.

Top
 Profile  
DreamOfDarkness
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 4:09 pm
Posts: 271
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:50 am 
 

I don't think there is a problem with Audacity (maybe with your soundcard/onboard sound?)... when you plugged it into your computer and recorded it, did you use the line input and not the microphone input? Usually the line input is blue while the microphone input is pink. Also, try to lower the recording level in both Audacity and windows if you haven't.

Top
 Profile  
The Animator
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2011 5:41 am
Posts: 459
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 2:04 am 
 

DreamOfDarkness wrote:
I don't think there is a problem with Audacity (maybe with your soundcard/onboard sound?)... when you plugged it into your computer and recorded it, did you use the line input and not the microphone input? Usually the line input is blue while the microphone input is pink. Also, try to lower the recording level in both Audacity and windows if you haven't.


I dont think that my Laptop has a a line in, I used the microphone input, I will check tomorrow and see if it has another input connection.

Top
 Profile  
DreamOfDarkness
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 4:09 pm
Posts: 271
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 10:36 am 
 

No surprise you got a horribly distorted signal :P
The microphone input is made for extremely low-voltage signals from microphones (µV to mV range), while a line signal from a preamp or a cd-player usually ranges between several hundred mV to abot 2V. If you have a laptop chances are high you don't have a line-in - usually the inputs from laptop soundchips are really bad, too. I recommend either to use a regular desktop computer (preferably a newer one, they often have much better on-board soundchips) or to use an external soundcard/sound interface.

Top
 Profile  
aloof
avant-gardener

Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:18 pm
Posts: 3174
Location: never neverland, palm trees by the sea
PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 12:38 pm 
 

just out of curiosity, what are those "old albums" you are digitizing? so rare that you can't find them anywhere in digital? own albums?

Top
 Profile  
CF_Mono
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2010 5:21 pm
Posts: 1793
PostPosted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 7:46 pm 
 

Make sure that Audacity is set to record from the driver/device you want it to. There should be a drop down menu on the top that lists all of the different microphones or other inputs next to a microphone icon. Someone else mentioned a pre-amp too, but that would be an odd requirement for something designed to convert to digital media.
_________________
Don't worry about my opinion.

Top
 Profile  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 34 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

 
Jump to:  

Back to the Encyclopaedia Metallum


Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group