Problem with level clipping - particularly on 78's

Special Interest Groups Recording Techniques
1

I’ve been successfully recording 33rpm vinyl from a Systemdek IIX using an A&R cartridge and stylus through a Rotel amplifier and using the original PC sound card. Both the line in controls on the PC and Audacity had to be set to minimum to avoid clipping (just) but the results were fine.

Then I tried to record some 78’s. I swapped the original stylus for a 78 rpm version in a Nagaoka MP11 cartridge but otherwise changed nothing; and the recording levels have gone through the ceiling!

Any ideas? I don’t seem to have anything left to adjust down (there’s no line out adjustment on the amplifier). I’ve seen a suggestion that I could insert a cassette deck between the amp and the PC and then use the recording level control on the cassette deck to vary the PC line in. Has anyone used that configuration?

All thoughts gratefully received

Thanks

Andrew

2

AJF,

Might be easier if you could find an attenuator adapter to use. Dunno if they make them in various levels of attenuation, but I would think so. I think they’re just a resitor in series with the line, maybe a capacitor too, not sure, & they just plug into the line.

TSC

3

Thanks TSC, that’s cured it.