Hello! I read the thread below me and about 10 threads from the past via google. I have tried all the recommendations and gotten no result. I’m running windows 10 on a samsung laptop. The player I have is a crosley nomad 2016 and up to this issue I was using a logitech splitter that put red and yellow to a mic. I did this successfully for years with audacity until yesterday. The only difference I can note is my computer did some updates right before that but I dont know for what.
It started with trying to rip some 45rpms. They’re quite clean soundwise and on the crosley alone they sound fine and vary in volume with the knob. It started buzzing with my logitech on top of recording quietly. I figured out the buzz was coming from the logitech cuz it would start just when I moved the arm, not even on the record (it did not do this unplugged). So I switched to the crosley usb line in and the recording was clean but could not vary in volume at all again.
I checked all my levels, everything is 100% and on and even ‘allow apps to use this mic’. I disabled and reinstalled the mic (in this case usb and logitech) drivers and made sure they were on and up. I finally even reinstalled audacity: I had been using I think 2, now I have the latest version 2.3? Same problem. Tried putting some settings to 45db, that made no difference.
I didn’t take a screenshot and Im done messing with it today but the lines were very low. When I’d try to amplify it said I needed between 11%-14% amplification which then made it sound buzzy and crappy. I tried 6% figuring maybe it didn’t need to be that loud, nope same. Rerecorded with the volume down where I’d normally have it to record (it had been max up to try and work it) : same result and the waves were the same height for max volume on the crosley as well as a low normal volume. Changing it made no difference.
Bout to pull out my hair. Any help really appreciated. I know crosleys are meh but I’ve always used them just for ripping and thats been successful for 7 years. I just dont get why now it decided to crap out. Thanks.
Yes its a USB turntable. And no I wasn’t using a mic. I tried both using the standard usb between the crosley and the laptop; then I also tried using the turntables channels into a usb splitter (basically a work around if say your turntable has no usb built in) and neither was working.
The easiest way I can put it is I had no problems recording either manner for years, and now for reasons I can’t figure out (even turning the volume to max or normal) its recording it very quietly. All my computer settings are correct.
It started buzzing with my logitech on top of recording quietly.
That’s most-likely an analog problem with the turntable. (Noise is an analog problem.)
I was using a logitech splitter
I don’t know what that is. You should only need a USB cable.
Or, virtually all USB turntables also have line-level analog audio outputs. You can plug those into the line-input on a desktop or tower computer. Most laptops have only microphone-inputs and headphone-outputs so if you want to use those analog outputs you’ll need a USB audio interface with line inputs (such as the Behringer UCA202).
When I’d try to amplify it said I needed between 11%-14% amplification which then made it sound buzzy and crappy.
I don’t know where you’re getting percentage. 50% is -6dB and that’s OK. The Amplify effect will default to whatever gain is needed for normalized (maximized) 0dB peaks. What default gain (in dB) did you see when you ran the Amplify effect?
Low digital levels are not necessarily a problem… Records vary in loudness and it’s normal to leave some “headroom” so you don’t get clipping (distortion) with loud records. Most of these turntables don’t have an analog recording-level control so it’s up to the manufacturer to set the levels, leaving some headroom on most (or all), records including the loud ones.
But, amplification will amplify the noise along with the signal which makes any noise more noticeable.
And the reason Im not a fan of just amplifying it is it seems to really up background noise/clicks and pops. It may be the player though because the thing I posted a link for when I retried it it wasn’t buzzing anymore but it had more pops and clicks than just usb to computer when amplified.