Out - of - phasing

[herrbrush]

I have a Numark TTUSB turntable , and an HP dx5150 desktop w/Windows XP Pro. I am using Audacity 1.2.6

All I'm trying to do is convert some of my vinyl tracks to files...I know I can export them as WAV files , I'm a little dubious about tackling MP3 conversion.

The problem is that frequently when I begin recording the playback seems (sounds) out of phase. I have found that deleting/reinstalling Audacity restores proper phasing , but sometimes my Windows Media library is also out! The same remedy works for that , but why does this keep reoccurring? It's annoying as hell , and very time consuming.

WMP has never been a problem until I began using the Numark. Which of these variables (Turntable , Audacity , WMP) is the culprit? Is some combination catalytic?
Thank you for your consideration...sincerely , John B.

[Gale Andrews]

I have a Numark TTUSB turntable , and an HP dx5150 desktop w/Windows XP Pro. I am using Audacity 1.2.6

All I'm trying to do is convert some of my vinyl tracks to files...I know I can export them as WAV files , I'm a little dubious about tackling MP3 conversion.

The problem is that frequently when I begin recording the playback seems (sounds) out of phase. I have found that deleting/reinstalling Audacity restores proper phasing , but sometimes my Windows Media library is also out! The same remedy works for that , but why does this keep reoccurring? It's annoying as hell , and very time consuming.

WMP has never been a problem until I began using the Numark. Which of these variables (Turntable , Audacity , WMP) is the culprit? Is some combination catalytic?
Thank you for your consideration...sincerely , John B.

What do you mean by out-of-phase - that you play a file in WMP and you have an echo, or the left channel plays before the right? Try updating the drivers of the computer sound device. Every time you plug in the Ion, it changes the system playback device to itself (even though it is not a playback device for the computer). If the computer sound device drivers are suspect, they may not like being enabled and disabled as default playback device.



Gale

[herrbrush]

Maybe that wasn't the most accurate description , my apologies.
What I hear sounds like the pitch is off drastically...and no , the pitch control is zeroed out.
I'm not changing any sampling rates - hell , I don't even know how.
As I stated it can be remedied by deleting/reinstalling Audacity and/or WMP.
I can't assume no one has suffered this before me...

[kozikowski]

Just because I never lose an opportunity to trot these things out, I created a phasing audio test.

http://www.kozco.com/tech/soundtests.html

Pull down and play the Left-Right sound clip. The first three segments are normal audio and the last one is intentionally damaged by being "out of phase." Play it on anything you want with anything you want. It should always come out the same.

<<<I have a Numark TTUSB turntable>>>

A quick production note: You bought this turntable to cherish for years and eventually turn it over to your son or daughter, right? No? So you were planning on transferring all your vinyl and then putting the turntable in the trash heap? So you intentionally bought a throw-away turntable. The problem with these things is sometimes you have to throw them away before you finish the last record. They are notoriously unstable and they cause all sorts of problems not the least of which is that they're not particularly good at playing records.

Close Audacity Try to capture a bit using the Windows Sound Recorder.

Windows Sound Recorder
Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Entertainment

If the captures are different, then we get to step through all the Audacity preferences and find out why.

Koz

[herrbrush]

Yay , it's a throwaway turntable...I feel better now - NOT! lol
I was (am?) completely naive about qualitative USB turntables , I didn't even know the technology existed.
OK , so what's a more resilient model that I won't have to apply for a loan to afford?

[Gale Andrews]

If the inbuilt sound device is so finnicky that playback pitch goes off as soon as you plug a USB turntable in, I still think you should update the drivers of the inbuilt device, so they are the latest ones specific to your particular computer model and version of Windows, as supplied by the device or motherboard manufacturer:
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... ce_Drivers

As for "better model", Numark are among the better ones. If your computer has a line-in, try by-passing the USB transmission by connecting the turntable's analogue RCA outputs to that line-in. If your sound card lacks RCA inputs, buy an appropriate RCA to RCA connector, plus an RCA to 1/8 inch (3.5mm) cable for connection to the sound card. Set the phono/line switch on the turntable to line.
See: http://audacityteam.org/forum/viewtopic ... 8840#p8840


Gale