Hello. I have Audacity 2.3.1 with Mac High Sierra 10.13.6, using an Ion table via USB. I purchased an Audio-Technica turn table to upgrade but recording levels clip because the line input slider is locked to maximum. The new table plays very nicely. The table itself is a tank compared to the plastic Ion. But the Ion gets around the clipping issue because it has a variable gain knob on the bottom, unlike the Audio-Technica.
Is there a way to unlock the slider to lower the gain? I think I read somewhere that the USB option defaults the line-in to maximum (which is nonsense to me).
Thank you in advance.
I think I read somewhere that the USB option defaults the line-in to maximum (which is nonsense to me).
Not quite. It defaults to doing nothing. If a digital note comes in exactly the same digital note goes out.
The other turntable had a volume control between the analog signal from the cartridge and the digital converter. My turntable goes through a Hafler preamp with volume knob before my digitizer.
I’m betting the Audio-Technica may have a way to do this in software if you can’t find a knob.
Is this the AT-LP120?
What did the instructions say?
Koz
but recording levels clip because the line input slider is locked to maximum
If the turntable itself doesn’t have a gain/level control, that’s a problem because you are (probably) clipping the analog-to-digital converter built-into the turntable.
I checked a couple of reviews on the [u]Knowzy website[/u] - He says one AT turntable is “loud” and another is “quiet”.
I’m a Windows guy and Windows does sometimes boost the levels or otherwise monkey with the digital audio stream. I don’t know if OS X does that but you are on the OS X forum so Koz, or someone, will know.
Some records are louder than others but this shouldn’t be happening on most records. Usually, USB turntables have plenty of headroom to allow for extra-loud records and the digital audio has to be boosted after recording. (Low levels are not a generally problem with digital recording.)
All the paces to control volume are zeroed out when you connect a USB sound device.
We probably shouldn’t go much further until we know what the model number is.
Koz
Hi All. Thank you for your replies and interest. The model of the turn table is the AT-LP120. I couldn’t find anything on the turntable offering gain adjustment and no mention in the instructions either. I’m tempted of using the LP120 for listening/playing and keeping the Ion for recording which is nonsense.
~Dave