Track recording view too small to read

MRDAVIS · December 30, 2022, 12:23am

Using OS Monterey, 12.6.2, on MacBook Air. Audacity 3.2.3. Recording vinyl via Behringer U-Control UCA222 (a USB device with RCA inputs and outputs).

The track waveform is too small to read, let alone use to edit recordings. I’ve tried to zoom in, but only works to a small extent. The recording itself sounds excellent.

Any suggestions for achieving a readable and useful waveform.

NOTE: this is NOT a total lack of waveform as some others have described. Also, the Behringer appears not to be causing this.

DVDdoug · December 30, 2022, 1:02am

Do you have a phono preamp or is the turntable plugged directly into the Behringer?

You need an (RIAA equalized) phono preamp. The RCA outputs on a “regular” turntable are not the same as the more common line-level connections we have everywhere. They are connected directly to the phono cartridge which has a tiny output which needs to be amplified. Records are also RIAA equalized with the highs drastically boosted and the bass drastically cut. A phono preamp reverses that.

The UFO202 has a preamp built-in. Or if you have on older stereo with a phono-input you can use the “tape-out” or “record-out” or you can adapt the headphone-output to the Behringer inputs.

I recently bought an [u]ART USB Phono Plus[/u]. It has a recording level control, which is sometimes an advantage.

MRDAVIS · December 30, 2022, 5:03am

Thanks for the reply. The TT is a Rega RP6. Usually I just plug it into the RCA phono inputs on the back of the amp (Denon PMA-1080R), and it’s perfect plug and play.So not sure if it has a phono pre-amp or not. With my current setup the output RCAs plug in to the Behringer inputs, then an RCA cable runs from the Behringer to the amp’s phono inputs. The behringer also has a standard usb cable out to the amp for power, and I suspect for sound as well. I am not sure which supplies the sound to the MacBook Air - the RCA cables or the USB. The RCA cable from the behringer to the amp definitely supplies audio to the amp.

MRDAVIS · December 31, 2022, 2:42am

Do you have a phono preamp or is the turntable plugged directly into the Behringer?

You need an (RIAA equalized) phono preamp. The RCA outputs on a “regular” turntable are not the same as the more common line-level connections we have everywhere. They are connected directly to the phono cartridge which has a tiny output which needs to be amplified. Records are also RIAA equalized with the highs drastically boosted and the bass drastically cut. A phono preamp reverses that.

The UFO202 has a preamp built-in. Or if you have on older stereo with a phono-input you can use the “tape-out” or “record-out” or you can adapt the headphone-output to the Behringer inputs.

I recently bought an [u]ART USB Phono Plus[/u]. It has a recording level control, which is sometimes an advantage.

Thanks. Yes, after a bit of juggling of cables this morning, a phono pre-amp is required.

jademan · January 2, 2023, 1:24am

Yes, DVDdoug is 100% correct.

Curiously, I was just playing with the track zoom control panel. I noticed that you can also increase the visible waveform size by displaying “Half Wave” and even more by using the dB (logarithmic) scale as opposed to linear.