Recording Level Too High

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

Greetings. I am a relative newbie to Audacity and have enjoyed using it so far. I am running Version 2.1.2 and my OS is Windows 10 Version 1703. I am pretty sure that I obtained the .exe installer.

When trying to record something from my Sony Mini Disc or Sony CD player, the signal is too hot. I do not have this problem when recording something from my turntable. I am running the signal through my amplifier using the Tape Out plug to the Line In plug in the back of my computer. I have adjusted the recording level in both Audacity and the computer’s system mixer and have turned the level all the way down to zero in both applications, but the signal is still too high when using the Mini Disc or CD players. The level can be adjusted using these two methods but the levels are too high at the lowest settings.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much.

2

If you have a headphone output that should work. Headphone level is approximately the same as line-level (with the ability to drive lower impedance headphones), and it has a volume control. The quality should be about the same… Better if you’re not clipping your soundcard!

Or, you can get an [u]in-line volume control[/u]. Or, you can get [u]inline attenuators[/u] but you have to guess how much attenuation you need or you may need to buy a selection of them.

I believe it’s a “problem” with your soundcard or drivers. I had the same problem with an older computer that I don’t have anymore.

…There’s more than one [u]Line Level Standard[/u], and there’s no enforcement that says 0dBFS (digital) has to equal 0dBV or any voltage/power level. In general, outputs are probably going to be on the hot-side, and inputs on the sensitive side. That would be so you can always get “full volume”, but in your case it’s too much “volume” and not enough control.

3

If there is headphone / line-out available from the Sony devices, why put that signal through an amplifier ?.
Why not just apply them directly to the computer’s line-in ? , (amplification will make them hotter).

4

If there is headphone / line-out available from the Sony devices, why put that signal through an amplifier ?.
Why not just apply them directly to the computer’s line-in ? , (amplification will make them hotter).

Line inputs aren’t normally amplified for tape-out. And, they aren’t volume-controlled either. If there’s a “preamp out”, that would be a volume-controlled line-level output, possibly with some gain available. (Only the phono input would be amplified, if there is one.)