Cannot Adjust Recording Levels - Workaround?

Audacity 3 Help Forum macOS
1

I want to digitize my records. I have the turntable connected to Record Box E then to my Mac and was surprised to see that I cannot adjust the recording levels. I see in previous posts you can let it ride and check for distortion, but is there any (relatively) inexpensive workaround to this?

Interestingly, prior to getting the Record Box I had been using an old iMic and I could adjust the levels.

Thanks.

2

What is “Record Box E”? A link would be useful.
Where do you want to adjust the recording level - in your Mac’s sound settings, or in Audacity?
Did you allow access to "Microphone§ for Audacity (System settings → privacy and security)?
Why did you discard the iMic (still works here, with an M5 MacBook Air)?
Where did you adjust recording level with the iMic?
What macOS / what computer (exact model)?
What version of Audacity?

3

What macOS version?
What computer (exact model)?
What version of Audacity?

4

I was using this: https://device.report/manual/15152959

I was trying to adjust the recording level on Audacity and it was stuck at 100%

5

Also:

I wanted to adjust the recording volume control on Audacity.

I bought this figuring the sound quality would improve but perhaps the iMic is totally fine. I read some good reviews but had no idea this would happen.

I’m using a MacBook Pro, OS 15.7.9, Audacity 3.7.8. The one record I played peaked at 0 db using the Record Box but I’d prefer to be able to adjust the recording volume. Again, the link for the device is https://device.report/manual/15152959

Thanks.

6

Let’s organize our thoughts a bit.

  1. Your turntable is connected to your stereo system, right?
  2. You can hear what is playing on your loudspeakers and it sounds okay?
  3. You connect the line-out connector of your stereo system to the “Pro Jet Box”, right?

Apparently, the “USB output” is just there to deliver power, not sound. I read in the manual:
“USB 5V/1A output
The USB C output on the back can be used to supply modern streaming devices (for example a Stream Box S2, or many other manufacturer’s devices) with power.”
The manual does nowhere mention the use of the USB output for sound-out… (at least, I did not see that, or the manual was not clear enough).

Mh, I think you’d need to ask the seller why he sold it to you and possibly ask for a return.

7

Yes, I may have misunderstood getting this. The iMic still works - I can adjust the recording level on Audacity so I will go back to that for now. Thanks.

8

Just in case you need a replacement for the iMic one day: Ask here before you buy something. People here ofte recommend the “Behringer UCA-202”. I never tried it, I am also using the iMic still today.

9

If you are getting audio from the device and there is no clipping, then you are fine. USB input devices often do not support input level control.

10

Thanks, but indeed there was clipping when using the Record Box E. With the iMic I can adjust the recording level on Audacity.

11

Another idea might be to try your Record Box E and your existing setup but recording with the latest version of Ocenaudio (3.21) which is also free. You could edit afterwards in Audacity, I do that sometimes. From what I read, the Record Box E is a standard DAC so it should do what you want it to do.