I have Audacity 2.1.3, installed via the dmg, on my Mac, using OS X 10.12.6. Thanks to the help of this forum I have got myself a Behringer UCA 202 thing and have been recording from vinyl onto the computer. This works fine but I do have a question: is it possible to set recording levels anywhere? The recording volume control says that it is “unavailable” and to “use system mixer”, but changing volume elsewhere seems to make no difference. It sounds OK, but I would like more control. Any suggestions?
Behringer UCA 202 thing and have been recording from vinyl onto the computer.
Hopefully, you have a preamp between the turntable and the UCA-202. Doing RIAA compensation in Audacity post production is a desperation method, not the recommended one. Behringer also makes the UFO-202 which has a built-in phono preamp.
The Behringer series is the cheapest, good quality way to transfer audio. I have two UCA-202s. They have fixed gain.
You can throw money and get a different interface. I think he ART USB interface is recommended.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/USBPhonoPPS
It’s just short of three times the price of a UFO-202.
I did it with a Hafler music system preamp (with volume control) and either the UCA-202 or the Line-In of a Mac.
Koz
Hey! An original David Hafler designed preamp. Been a while since I saw one of those!
As long as the recording “sounds OK” you’re good to go. On Mac there is no recording level control for USB audio interfaces.
I use a UFO-202 and consistently get recordings around -12 dB. Just use the Amplify effect to raise the volume after recording. Of course you’ll want to get rid of any clicks and pops before using Amplify.
As Koz points out, if you have a “pre-amp out” on whatever phono pre-amp you’re using (including a receiver), you can use that to increase the recording level.
– Bill
Thank you for your replies and help.
I have the turntable linked to an amplifier in the ordinary way and am connecting it to the Behringer from the output that usually goes to the tape recorder. I didn’t think I needed any other equipment, do I?
Will look into that. I am a total novice with the software and this should always be borne in mind when talking to me, as you would to a slightly backwards child.
As Koz points out, if you have a “pre-amp out” on whatever phono pre-amp you’re using (including a receiver), you can use that to increase the recording level.
Am not sure if this applies to my setup, but raising the output volume on the amp made no difference. But maybe you’re talking about something I don’t have. All told, this is more or less fine, I just wondered if there was something else I could do.
Now, this is the kind of really useful, blatantly obvious sort of thing I haven’t done, I’ve just read “how to” articles on the internet and tried to go from there. Cheers.
The “Tape Out” on your music system may not be adjustable. A tape burned from your musical show should not be affected by your speaker volume control. “My phone is ringing, I need to get this” and turning the volume down should not kill a tape you’re making.
So that’s where your adjustment is going. Otherwise, what you’re doing is perfectly correct. Another possibility is adapting the headphone connection (if you have one) to the UCA-202. That does follow the volume control.
Some music systems have an AUX OUT designed to connect to a power speaker amplifier. That should follow the volume control.
Koz
An original David Hafler designed preamp.
Correct. One of them is the volume control in my office/production desk speaker system and the other is connected to the turntable.
Koz
This may be doable without much bother. I shall look into that. Cheers.
If you do that, note the headphone connection does not vanish. Switch the UCA-202 monitor ON and the 202 headphone connection becomes active.
Koz
Sure there is. Only, on interfaces that support it. I used to have an old one that even had a “balance” setting. Only saw that once.