Struggling to connect to old hi fi

I am trying to digitize my vinyl using a Digitnow USB digital audio capture device, a recently-refurbished Garrard 301 deck and a Macbook Air.

I also have a preamp Project PHONO BOX MM | MM Phono Pre Amp | Richer Sounds

I have tried connecting the Digitnow directly to the turntable output and to the output of the preamp.
Nothing comes up on the Audacity (3.7.1) screen, whatever I do with the settings
I’d be grateful for any help!

We need to know a bit more about what you already tried and what happened or did not happen…

The “Garrard 301 deck” is your turntable, right? For a turntable to produce a reasonable sound, it requires a pre-amplifier - either built into the turntable, or external. Or an amplifier with a built-in pre-amplifier.

Best is to connect the turntable to the “phono-in” of an amplifier with built-in pre-amp, or use the external pre-amp and then connect to the line-in of the amplifier. You also can try to omit the amplifier, but then you need to use the pre-amp.

Then, you need some equipment to bring the sound into your computer, most commonly called an “external sound card”. Connect this to the line-out of the amplifier and a USB port of the Macbook Air.

Then you need to grant permission to Audacity for accessing “Microphone” in system settings. And of course, in Audacity you have to select the USB equipment as your audio source.

Does your “old hi-fi” work? It helps to confirm the analog-side is working.

And, if the old system has “tape out” you can plug that into the DIGITNOW and you won’t need the phono preamp.

A headphone output (with the correct adapter cables will also work into the DIGITNOW.

Otherwise the connections would be Turntable → Preamp → DIGITNOW → Computer.

Then select the USB device as your Recording Device. If it’s not showing-up check your Privacy/Security Settings. (I’m a Windows guy and can help any more with the Mac side of things.)

Thanks for the speedy response

In answer to your question, the turntable is connected to the preamp which then goes to a tube preamp which go to a couple on 1960s Quad valve power amps.

Don’t ask why there are 2 preamps - that’s what I was advised to do, and it all works really well.

However, I’m wondering if you’re right in thinking that the missing link is the external sound card.
I thought the DIGITNOW would perform that task, but maybe I was wrong.

Your thoughts?

Hi.
Thanks for the speedy response. Yes the system works - brilliantly, but the turntable and the power amps (Quad) are 1960s - so no ‘tape out’.
None of the settings you list worked, unfortunately.
Mac-Christian suggested I might need an external sound card. This could make sense
Best

Correct! The DIGINOW is your “external soundcard”. The outputs of either preamp can go into the DIGITNOW. (With Y-cables you could listen to the stereo at the same time.)

Of course, you’ll have to get the Mac to recognize it…

I don’t really know anything about the DIGITNOW but virtually all of these “little USB audio devices” are class compliant so they are plug-and-play with the drivers that come with Windows/macOS/Linux.

One or both of those preamps probably has a volume control and that can be helpful since the DIGITNOW does not.

Unlike analog tape, where you need to overcome tape noise, digital recording levels are not critical as long as you avoid clipping. Leave some headroom and you can amplify later in Audacity. …If you try to go above 0dB, analog-to-digital converts not forgiving like tape and they hard-clp if try to go over.

I have/had no idea what the “DIGITNOW” is, but obviously to others this was clear.

Did you read my last sentence about your system settings? You find it under the Apple menu → System Settings, and there under “Privacy / Security” or similar, depending on which macOS version you are using.

Thank you
I’m overseas now, but will have another try when I am back in the UK. The thing I didn’t think about was upping the volume from the preamp.
That’s my next step.
R

Thank you, yes. The permission was already allowed.
But I’ll now have another go with the valve preamp plus more volume
I’ll let you know how it goes
Best
R

Assuming that your cartridge is moving magnet, I would suggest -

  1. Record player output into the Pro-ject phono box pre amp. (This also has RIAA equalisation, effectively giving you a ‘line out’ signal which is needed for the Digitnow box)
  2. Preamp output into the Digitnow input
  3. Digibox output into the computer USB then select the USB as your audio input

Incidentally, I can’t imagine why anyone would need two preamps

Thank you to everyone who has taken the trouble to respond. It’s all working fine now. I think my - simple - problem lay in not using the volume control on the valve preamp.
And, no, I’m not sure why there are two preamps: the Phono Box MM – Pro-Ject Audio Systems and a valve preamp. I was advised by the turntable and amp restorer that I would need the phono-box (which has no volume control).
Anyway, thanks again.
Now to start digitizing a large pile of vinyl…

That’s good to hear! Thanks for letting us know that it working.

You only need the separate phono preamp if your other preamp doesn’t have one built in. Or the Phono Box may have better quality than the presumably-older tube preamp (lower noise or better RIAA EQ).

In the vinyl days it was pretty standard to have a “phono input” on a preamp or receiver.

A lot of newer receivers don’t have phono inputs so you need the extra phono preamp.

There were also some older cheap stereos that had turntables with ceramic cartridges which are lower quality than a magnetic cartridge but they have higher output so they don’t need the phono preamp. If you wanted to upgrade to a magnetic cartridge, you’d need the phono preamp. Ceramic cartridges usually had a flip-over stylus to switch between LP and 78. …If you’re old like me you’ll remember those! (I never owned 78s but my mother had some.)

By the way, I tried removing the Pro-ject box from the equation - and ended up with very limited volume. (And of course that box has no volume control, itself).
Anyway, it all sounds great now.
Thanks for your help