USB Turntable/Recording levels way too high

[way2high]

Hi

New to the forum/program, but I'm hoping someone may be able to help with this. I recently purchased a USB turntable (IT Tech ITUT-201) with the hope of ripping some old vinyl to my computer. The Audacity program came with the turntable. Hooked it up, installed Audacity, set up the program... everything went very smoothly. But when I tried to record the levels were way too high.

I went into the Wiki help guide, and reviewed the newest manual from the manufacturer of the turntable. The manufacturer's literature states that when you access Audacity Preferences/Audio I/O that the recording device should show as AK5371. This is not the case. The only applicable recording device that the drop down menu provides (other than my soundcard) is USB Audio CODEC which is what is indicated on the Audacity Wiki page at http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php? ... turntables . So I figure I'm golden. Nope. Slider in Audacity still won't let me control the recording level. So I search the manufacturer's literature a bit more and find what may be another solution as follows:

If do not have the fluctuant wave on the interface when recording, adjust the recording volume as follows:
1 Click the “Start” in the left corner of the computer, Select “Programs”, “Accessories”, “Entertainment”, “Sound Recorder” to enter Sound Recorder interface.
2 Select Edit and click “Audio Properties” in the “Audio Properties” interface;
3 Select Edit and click “Audio Properties in the bottom of the menu to enter Audio Properties interface:
4 Select sound recording default device and click Ak5371, then click the Volume to enter Wave In interface.
5 Adjust the recording volume from the middle or higher. The fluctuant wave will show on the interface when recording.

So I gave this a try. When I got to step 4, as AK5371 was not available, I choose USB Audio CODEC. However, once this was done I could not proceed any further as the "volume" button was not available (dimmed out). As such, I could not get into the Wave In Interface to make the adjustment.

I hope this was not too confusing or long winded. I would be grateful if anyone could provide a solution. Thanks

[waxcylinder]

when you plug in a USB deck then the USB device takes complete control over the sound input and sound level. You can't choose any alternative input from the drop-down box and you can't adjust the input (mic) slider - well not until you unplug the USB TT from your PC.

This normally isn't a problem as the USB deck should control the level ok without clipping.

There may be a control that you can use however if you are getting an oversaturated signal - if you are lucky your TT may have a gain control which will enable you to control the signal level before it reaches the ADC and USB services of your TT. Some USB TTs have gain controls and others don’t

If you do not have such a control you are out of luck – I hope you have a receipt and a good returns policy from the retailer you purchased from

(And yes, you should rightly expect to see USB Codec as your input device in Audacity.)

WC

[way2high]

waxcylinder

Thanks for your reply. I should have mentioned that during my research I read about the gain control possibilty. I checked. Outta luck... it doesn't have one. I guess it's going back to the store. It's too bad because, as has been noted in many posts related to high levels, when the levels were just right (as with some softer parts of the recordings) it sounded pretty damn good.

Thanks again.

[waxcylinder]

way2high,

There is one other possibility for you. I believe thta your TT in addition to the USB output also has RCA output at Line Level (I.e.has passed through the on-board pre-amp and applied the necessary RIAA equalization).

They provide this normally to connect the TT to a line-in input on amp am of a hi-fi unit or boomboz etc. However, provided that your PC has a Line-in input then you can connect the RCA from your TT to the line-in on your PC (note that many laptops do not have line-in but only Mic in - and this is unsuitable as the signal level will be way too high for a Mic in).

This will by-pass the ADC (analog to digital converter) and the USB services on the TT, wasting part of what you have bought, and will instead the the DAC in your PC (the PC's soundcard/soundchip).

WC

[panhardrod]

I think its the computer volume input that you need to adjust.
XP:Right click speaker icon next to clock,LC adjust audio properties,LC audio tab,LC sound recording volume,adjust one of the sliders.
Win7:RC speaker icon,LC recording devices,LC recording,RC USB audio codec,LC properties,LC levels,adjust slider.
I needed to slide the volume to 1% before it started making sense(Win7).

[waxcylinder]

Yes panhardrod - but this only applies if using the RCA outputs from the TT into the soundard of the PC.

If using the USB output from the TT - as per the original posting in the thread then the signal has been through the TT's onboard ADC soundcard and gets digitized with the volume set at that stage, prior to being sent out throght the USB services before it gets sent to the PC wher there can be no futher gain/volume adjustment.

WC

[panhardrod]

Well I have to admit I only actually tried my USB turntable with a Win7 machine,but I definitely had the symptoms you describe i.e. a complete inability to control the input level from within audacity.I've only used the USB connection, so the instructions above,for Win7 at least,should work.Mind you,there has to be a better solution;having to set any control to 1 or 2% is a bit silly.