I had to move the computer! It’s now about 25 feet from the stereo. Will the sound be degraded by having lengthy cords running that distance? I’ve also noticed new low-end turntables on the market that record automatically onto a flashdrive. Are there any devises that would allow that hook-up to a high-end turntable/receiver?
<<<Will the sound be degraded by having lengthy cords running that distance? >>>
Not in the way you think. When you separate parts of home systems like that, you’re much more likely to get hum and buzz in your music. Home systems depend on everything being plugged into one wall plate. Separate them, and if your house power wiring isn’t absolutely perfect, you will start to pick up odd noises.
So the problem isn’t the quality of the music which should be no problem if your connectors are clean, but what happens when the music stops. …mzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzm…
Koz
With unscreened cable you will definitely get a lot of buzzing.
With very cheap, poorly screened cable you will probably get some buzzing, particularly if you need to run past other electrical equipment.
With well screened cable you will probably be OK but there is still a possibility of getting some buzzing subject to the house wiring and how well the amplifier rejects earth loops.
Well screened cable need not cost a fortune - if you buy reasonable quality studio cable it will perform as well and cost considerably less than good quality “hi-fi interconnect” cable. I would probably go for something like this: http://www.thomann.de/gb/sommer_cable_onyx_2025_schwarz.htm
The lower the signal level going through the cable, the more prone it will be to picking up hum.
If you are using “line level” (for example from the AUX out on an amplifier to the “Line in” on your computer, and from the Line out on the computer to a AUX (or tape/CD input) you may get away with cheap “individually screened pair”.
If you get buzzing, even with good cable, you will need to provide “ground lift” between the computer and the audio equipment. You can do this (safely) using various types of DI box such as this: http://www.behringer.de/EN/Products/HD400.aspx
I would not try to connect a turntable with 25 feet of cable unless it had gone through a phono pre-amp first. The “raw” (unamplified) signal from a turntable is very low and therefore very prone to picking up hum.
You could connect a high end turntable to a phono pre-amp and then record the output on a Zoom H2 (or similar) using the stereo line in.
Hey - I appreciate the replies. mxzmzmzmzmz - doesn’t sound like a good thing to deal with.
My system is relatively high end - Dual 1229 Turntable, Marantz 2230 receiver. So the turntable uses the built-in pre-amp of the receiver.
I hadn’t heard about the Zoom H2 devise. That sounds like a nice n’ easy way to record, then transfer to computer.
Thanks for the advise.
In thinking this through - would it make more sense to get a separate pre-amp and move the turntable/pre-amp to the computer for recording?
<<<get a separate pre-amp and move the turntable/pre-amp to the computer for recording?>>>
That’s how I do it.
Phono Preamplifier
Two very nice phono preamps in actual use.
Honorable mention to the Hafler HD-101 preamp, no longer made.
http://www.phonopreamps.com/tc750lcpp.html
http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp?type=90&cat=13&id=109
Others are available.
The cables that fall out of the bottom of a conventional turntable are seriously magic. You may not extend them at all. The length of the cable is critical for proper cartridge operation. You are intended to plug that into a Phono Preamp of some sort – either the entertainment amplifier or a dedicated preamp.
Koz
Thanks for all the words of wisdom. I do appreciate it!