Vinyl is waaay too LOUD!!!

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I have a Technics 1200 turntable >> ART USB Phono Plus pre-amp >> USB port on a Dell D6XX laptop with Windows 7.
The ART pre-amp came with Audacity software which I installed successfully, version 2.0.5

When I play a record, not only is the volume completely LOUD thru the headphones plugged into the laptop,
but the recording meter is totally in the red when I’m monitoring.
I THINK I’ve turned down all volume controls; Mic, speakers, system speakers, gain and monitor controls on pre-amp, etc, and it’s still just beyond loud.

Is there a volume control maxed out somewhere I’m not seeing?

Any clues?
If this has been asked before please lead me in the right direction.
Thanks.

2

See here: http://artproaudio.com/support/faqs#windows7

Also, the current version of Audacity is 2.1.0 which you can get here: http://web.audacityteam.org/download/

3

Those settings are correct and I configured the Mic per those instructions,
and its still beyond the red.

4

I know Technics made several versions of the 1200. By any chance does yours have a built-in preamp (i.e. line-level outputs)? If so, there should be a switch to bypass the turntable’s preamp or you can switch the ART interface from phono to line.

Going through two phono preamps would give you a very distorted signal (about 100 times too much amplification) and the double RIAA equalization would give you mostly bass.

5

No built in preamp.
Not sure what’s going on but it looks like a Windows 7 thing.

6

Turn down the recording level in the Windows Sound Control Panel in the Recording tab. (Right click on the USB device and select “Properties”, and then “Levels”)

7

If you have multiple USB ports, sometimes the ports on one side can be quieter than the other side.

Gale

8

All ports just as loud.
Anyone know if using a different Windows version might work?
For some reason either Windows 7 or Audacity is reading the USB input as a Microphone.

9

Audacity just takes the signal it gets, it would be the same if you used Windows Sound Recorder.

Did you try adjusting the USB level in Windows Sound? I doubt ART’s instructions will help. Doing those steps for all the USB devices I have actually moves the Windows volume slider for the device, and I can do that without those steps.

Windows XP probably does not have this issue, but there are big security downsides with using XP. I have not seen many people complaining about “hot” USB ports on Windows 8/8.1 but those versions don’t have as many users as Windows 7. I guess you could experiment with Windows 10 Preview if you installed it in its own partition. Windows 10 will be a free upgrade to Windows 7 SP1.

Does your computer have a stereo line-in separate from the mic input? If so you could take the line out of the Phono Plus.

Gale