I have recorded albums using a beginners ION turntable but on some recordings the important guitar and some vocals are in the background. Do i need a preamp in between my stereo/turnatable and laptop? I have tried to hook up directly to another computer bypassing the stereo altogether with the same results. I am thinking about getting a higher end turntable but would like to figure out the basics first before i continue, any help would be appreciated.
If the ground is missing you can get a “center channel vocal removal” effect where the left & right channels are subtracted. That removes (or reduces) the centered lead vocals and any other centered or lead instruments and since the bass is centered the bass is removed too. It might be possible to mis-wire the phono cartridge (pick-up) to get the same defect.
It could be a bad cable/adapter or the turntable could be defective.
What’s the model of the turntable? Do you have a link to the specs? Does it have USB?
Does the turntable sound OK through the stereo?
How are you connected to the laptop? USB? Microphone input?
The mic input is “wrong” and since most laptops don’t have line-level inputs, you need an external USB interface or a turntable with a USB connection.
\
Turntables do need a preamp to boost the signal from the cartridge and to apply the RIAA equalization curve (which boosts the bass and cuts the highs). Some turntables have the preamp built-in and all USB turntables have a built-in preamp. Almost all USB turntables have line-level analog outputs (and sometimes a switch to bypass the internal preamp).
If the turntable sounds OK with the stereo, your turntable has a preamp, or there’s a phono preamp built-into your stereo.
I am thinking about getting a higher end turntable but would like to figure out the basics first before i continue, any help would be appreciated.
Most expensive turntables don’t have a built-in preamp or USB and you have to buy the phono cartridge separately. [u]Knowzy.com[/u] has lots of USB turntable reviews & recommendations.
(Knowzy doesn’t like Audacity… He says it’s difficult to learn and lacks some features… Fair enough. That’s his opinion and Audacity is a general-purpose recording program and audio editor. It’s not specifically for recording vinyl. Note that your choice of software won’t affect recording quality. It simply has to capture the digital audio stream and send it to your hard disc. But once the recording is done, there are better special-purpose applications for cleaning-up vinyl “snap”, “crackle”, and “pop”.)
Thanks for replying, The turntable is an ion ttusb. I am connected thru USB and the inputs that allow me to record are MME, Microphone(USB Audio CODEC), 2(Stereo) Recording, Speakers (Realtek High Definition).
I have tried three different computers with windows 10 and windows Vista with the same results with on being directly thru the computer without the stereo. Upon a new attempt I did notice that the “centered channel removal” you had mentioned happened about half way thru the recording on playback but there was no difference when i was listening to the stereo during recording.
I am connected thru USB and the inputs
Since this is usually an analog problem (and USB is digital) I’d guess there’s a defect in the turntable. 
But, it’s weird that the analog outputs to your stereo don’t exhibit the same defect. When you say “no difference when listening”, are you saying that the vocals & guitar sound OK through the stereo?
that allow me to record are MME
“Just for fun”, try WASAPI. (WASAPI is the newest protocol and MME is the oldest.)
I have tried three different computers with windows 10 and windows Vista with the same results
That would also point to the turntable as the problem…
If any of those computers are desktop/tower computers, try an analog connection the line input (green) on your soundcard. If I’m understanding you, you’re getting good results through the stereo so an analog connection should work for you. (You may need to get an adapter-cable if you don’t already have one.)
Upon a new attempt I did notice that the “centered channel removal” you had mentioned happened about half way thru the recording on playback but there was no difference when i was listening to the stereo during recording.
Are you saying that the guitar & vocals were perfectly OK until half way through the recording? Or, are you saying that it got worse during a different song?
I am thinking about getting a higher end turntable but would like to figure out the basics first before i continue, any help would be appreciated.
P.S… And slightly off topic…
I have mixed feelings about this - Of course if your turntable is defective you should return it. And with analog, there is a correlation between cost & sound quality and a super-cheap turntable with a ceramic cartridge won’t sound as good as a better turntable with a magnetic cartridge. So, if I were buying a new turntable/cartridge/preamp, I’d probably spend about $500 USD. (I never listen to records. I sometimes digitize a record when the music isn’t available digitally.)
On the other hand, you can spend thousands of dollars and you’re still playing analog records (with all of their analog limitations) and you’re never going to get “CD quality”.
Doug meant blue for the line input.
Thanks for helping, Doug.
Gale
Thanks everyone for your input, I feel it may be the turntable that is the problem as I stated when i was listening to the music on the stereo during the recording it sounded great but upon listening to the USB playback the centered channel recording was wrong. Some individual songs were fine and then the next one would be off half way thru the song. I only record the live albums that i cannot get on mp3 et all so i can listen to good tunes when driving.