Computer is an HP Envy TS17 notebook. Operating system is Win 10 Home (10.0.10586). Audacity version is 2.1.0. My goal is to digitally preserve all my vinyl LP’s. I’m running cable from a headphone jack on my old Sansui QRX-6001 receiver to the 3.5mm headphone/mic jack on the notebook. I’m not getting any signal on the Audacity Recording Meter Toolbar (except for some “noise” that jumps around from the far left of the meter to -50 dB even when nothing is plugged into the notebook). Do I need one of those USB audio converters? (Or is there simply no hope?)
Do I need one of those USB audio converters?
Yes. Behringer makes a couple of good inexpensive interfaces. They make one with line inputs and they make one with a switchable phono/line input. You don’t need a phono input since you are using the phono preamp built into your receiver. For a little more money, ART makes one with variable gain which can be useful.
The mic input on your laptop is too sensitive to a line-level signal, it’s usually mono, and the built-in preamp is usually poor quality. Desktop/tower computers with regular soundcards have a line-input, but very few laptops do.
Don’t buy a “USB soundcard”. They are like laptops with only mic-in and headphone-out.
I’m not getting any signal
Your computer has a combination mic/headphone jack and you need a [u]TRRS[/u] (4-conductor) plug with the “extra” microphone connection. But, that’s only for a mono “computer microphone”… It’s not a phono input, it’s not a line-level input, and it’s not correct for a stage/studio microphone.
I’m running cable from a headphone jack on my old Sansui QRX-6001 receiver
And, your receiver has the proper phono input, and the records play OK, right? (Most new receivers don’t have a phono preamp built in.)
If your receiver has a “Tape Output”, that should be better. But if you need to adjust the levels, the headphone output allows you do that.
And then when you get that far, this is about what a recording is supposed to look like.
Before you actually start playing a record for transfer, touch down a couple of places to make sure the volume doesn’t cause an overload. That’s when the blue waves go all the way up and the sound meter goes all the way to the right and turns red. Both of those conditions can cause audible, permanent distortion.
Right-Click the record meter > Start Monitoring. The meters will wake up and monitor your show without making an actual recording. That’s how to do the setup.
Having the blue waves too tiny isn’t good, either. The background noise level will get louder when you boost the music back to normal.
Right-Click in the time bar above the blue waves > Update Display… That will keep the current blue waves on the screen as you record. In general, you don’t want that for editing.
Headphone Output is not a dreadful way to go. It’s looked down on by everyone, but that’s how my electronic keyboards are recorded.
http://www.kozco.com/tech/organfinale.mp3
Koz
Thanks for the info. One more question, though…
There a couple of Behringer units (UCA222 & UFO202) that I might get, but how will Audacity “know” that I’ve got a USB audio input? Will I need to change the Audio Host (the only choices I have are MME, Windows DirectSound and Windows WASAPI) and, depending on the Audio Host selection, which Recording Device would I choose (since these options vary with the Audio Host)?
Thanks, again.
Ed
PS: This old set-up (circa 1975) plays records great. No separate tape output, however.
how will Audacity “know” that I’ve got a USB audio input? Will I need to change the Audio Host (the only choices I have are MME, Windows DirectSound and Windows WASAPI) and, depending on the Audio Host selection, which Recording Device would I choose (since these options vary with the Audio Host)?
Plug it in before starting Audacity. Windows should recognize it and then you should be able to select it as your recording device. It may show up as something generic like “USB Audio Device”.
Windows may set it as the (temporary) default when you plug it in so you may not have to select it. And, Windows may select it as the default playback device, so you might have to switch the playback device back to your regular soundcard.
WASAPI is the newest protocol/host, so choose it (as long as it works for you).
Thanks to DVDdoug and kozikowski. The Behringer UCA222 has solved my problem.
Now on to digitizing about 150 vinyl LP’s from Abba to ZZ Top. 