Digitizing Vinyl Records

SeaCastle

Member
I have a Untied Audio Dual 510 turntable, a Windows XP computer, and the Griffin iMic (and a record, of course) but I'm having trouble digitizing my record.

I'm using Audacity, but when I press the record button, the volume levels are extremely low. I'm using Stereo Line In, but the microphone volume levels are fluctuating, but in red, and at volume levels of -42 and such. When playing back my audio, nothing comes out of my speakers.

I have read and re-read the Internet Archive article (http://internetarchive.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/how-to-digitize-a-lp/) on how to digitize a record, but to no avail. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
 
(most of the time..depending on MM or MC) you need a phono preamp .. you can get those as standalone .. or maybe your surround or stereo am/reciever has one build in
 
OK, out of my depth again but I have had similar problems when I bought a turntable some time back although I doubt you would have made the same mistake. (I've since successfully transferred over 500 vinyl discs to CD - my 40+ years of collecting stuff)
The turntable wasn't a "stand-alone" but had to be plugged into a hi-fi system and then the recording done from the hi-fi system as it didn't have any pre-amp built in (it used all the stuff in the hi-fi to do that) and the signal was too small for the PC to do anything with directly from the turntable.
Trying to record directly from it resulted in (pretty much) silence.
I do have a cheap dedicated hi-fi with turntable sitting next to the PC but the belt has gone now and I'm looking for a spare (some chance).
That's why I bought a cheap USB turntable (better than nothing). :-[
 
Don't want to state the obvious, but what is the mic volume set to in Audacity?  The slider under the large round record, play etc buttons.

I've managed a couple of passable recordings with Audacity phones to mic in.

Also check your Audio I/O setting under  edit/preferences does it agree with what you are using, and with your input device in the control panel/sound and audio device/sound recording/default device?

Mines always getting changed by various progs. I have a front in mic and some prog likes to reset to rear.

 
pyrotech said:
Don't want to state the obvious, but what is the mic volume set to in Audacity?  The slider under the large round record, play etc buttons.

I've managed a couple of passable recordings with Audacity phones to mic in.

Also check your Audio I/O setting under  edit/preferences does it agree with what you are using, and with your input device in the control panel/sound and audio device/sound recording/default device?

Mines always getting changed by various progs. I have a front in mic and some prog likes to reset to rear.

I made everything "agree", but to no avail. The mic volume, when I set the input to Mic, was at 1.0, then when I set it at input volume, it was again at 1.0.
 
Please don't take offence but I'm running through everything - including the obvious here.
OK so I'm guessing you don't have to plug the turntable into anything and it has an inbuilt amp then?
That gets rid of one possibility that the signal isn't strong enough. (I'm taking you have never made a copy of a vinyl using this before so it's not something that's just happened) .
Can you play the vinyl using the PC loudspeaker (ie through the soundcard) on anything?
What sort of plugs are you using (jack or RCA and which goes where?
In the Audacity preferences tab, have you set the correct input (mine keeps resetting to USB instead of line in and I have to keep changing it so check again) and output as you have already used the mixer bar to set the right input. It really does sound like either the signal isn't strong enough OR there's something that's been missed that's selecting the wrong input (check the wire is in the right hole - I sent hours fiddling around before I realized that the line in was in the mic socket)  :-[
I have to be honest, I don't record with Audacity, I use Real Player 4 (free version records as well) and Audacity to edit.
Let's keep going. We'll figure it out eventually  ;)
 
dolbyman said:
(most of the time..depending on MM or MC) you need a phono preamp .. you can get those as standalone .. or maybe your surround or stereo am/reciever has one build in

I personally bought a Behringer Phono Preamp PP400 for about $20, to serve this purpose.  I've used it in all the recordings on my MouseVinyl site.
 
SeaCastle said:
I have a Untied Audio Dual 510 turntable, a Windows XP computer, and the Griffin iMic (and a record, of course) but I'm having trouble digitizing my record.

I'm using Audacity, but when I press the record button, the volume levels are extremely low. I'm using Stereo Line In, but the microphone volume levels are fluctuating, but in red, and at volume levels of -42 and such. When playing back my audio, nothing comes out of my speakers.

I have read and re-read the Internet Archive article (http://internetarchive.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/how-to-digitize-a-lp/) on how to digitize a record, but to no avail. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Does the meter seem to move in conjunction with the expected audio?
 
http://www.griffintechnology.com/articles/392
That's in response to something similar.
Step by step instructions just in case you have something set incorrectly which is so very easy to do (he says from many hours looking for something that he should have spotted in the first few seconds).  :p
 
@superdave913- Yes, the Mic volume meter moves up and down in conjunction with the audio.

@eyore- Thanks for the link, that may be my problem. I'll get back to work on it as soon as I can.
 
SeaCastle said:
@superdave913- Yes, the Mic volume meter moves up and down in conjunction with the audio.

That's a good sign.  I would think you probably have the right inputs, but just need a preamp.
 
superdave193 is correct- I need a preamp in order to make this thing work, which should happen in around two weeks. Thanks for your help!
 
so you should have listend to the frist answer post of this thread in the first place  ;D
 
dolbyman said:
so you should have listend to the frist answer post of this thread in the first place  ;D

And yes, credit to doolbyman as well.  ;D

I guess you can say I was in denial that I needed to go out and get another thing to get this record player to work. As it turns out, a family member might have it. Thanks again, everyone!
 
As I said, been there, done that.
I usually (if the belt stays on) record my vinyl direct from a small hi-fi dedicated to that purpose using the phone-out socket to the line in on the PC.
It's handy as it also has a cassette tape deck as well.  ;D
Cost somewhere around $100 but, with the number of vinyls I had to transfer, it was well worth it in the end.
I have a USB turntable as standby (under $50) which does the job reasonably well but I prefer the hi-fi.
 
Invest in one of those carbon fiber cleaners if you don't already have one. (The cheap ones are fine).
http://www.needledoctor.com/Online-Store/Carbon-Fiber-Brushes
I dug some fossil dinosaurs out of the grooves on my "spotless and well cared for" vinyl.  ;D
I was amazed how much muck came out of what looked like a clean record.
Improved the sound no end as well.
 
Back
Top