Audacity Forum

Hi - I've got new vinyl and am getting some skips now and then. At first I thought it was the vinyl. But I took one of the records that was skipping to the local vinyl store. They have a turntable you can try some of the records out on. I asked them if I could test my new vinyl on their turntable. I didn't get any skips. So, its not the record. Then I looked at my input record volumes thinking they were over 6 and too high. That wasn't the case either. The USB turntable I was using was pretty cheap. The turntable it self was about half the size of a regular record. The records didn't spin evenly. I'm buying a new USB turntable. But I wonder if you guys have any other ideas. thanks prosser99

could still be your record
or could be your TT
or it could be the combination of the two together

what is your tracking weight?
elliptical or conical needle?
diamond or steel needle?

does the cartridge match the grooves (or vice versa)
eg 78 45 33 grooves are different

Does the record or the TT have any up down motion at all because it is not holding the record flat?

if the record hole is off center, it may play okay on one TT and not another

is the record warped at all -- it may play okay on one TT and not another

if you do much of this , or have records you care about, i would get a real TT with a big heavy platter that can track at 1/2gram and send it via a riaa preamp and an amp to an audio interface instead of using a usb TT

I certainly wouldn't use a USB TT with a platter that size.

I would also avoid buying a low-end USB TT - they are often built with very lightweight platters and other cheap components and can give you noticeable wow&flutter. I do recall some recent reports from a satisfied user of a Stanton USB TT.

I started out using an ION iTTUSB - the electronics were fine, but it was let down by a very lightweight platter. So I junked it to my attic.

Instead I took down my old Technics TT from the attic an gave it a home service - connected it through my wifes's old Technics pre-amp - and then on to an external soundcard that I bought (Edirol UA-1EX). result: much better recording quality. (I did after a while have to replace the technics preamp with a small ART phono-preamp (the old Techcnics amp sadly died R.I.P.)

Have a read of this set of tutorials from the manual that is under development for 1.3.x/2.0: http://manual.audacityteam.org/index.ph ... iscs_to_CD

WC

thanks for your response. I may just try to forget the USB TT. I did buy a Behringer UCA202 sound card because of a Audacity forum recommendation. Can I send a non USB TT to a amp to my Behringer UCA202 to my laptop? Will that work? Prosser99

Would my Behringer UCA202 sound card work in the TT to Amp to Sound Card combo? The sound quality is much better??! Cool. Then I'll do that. I need a new cartridge. I can get one for 17 or 45 bux in downtown Sac. Is it necessary to get the high end cartridge? Do I need a high end amp? I don't want to spend to much. A local shop has an excellent old Marantz amp in wooden casing. With the sound card and low end USB TT I have made some good recordings. But if can improve on it I'll spend the money. Thanks for your help, Prosser99

Yes you can plug a non USB TT to a UCA202 - but unless the TT you have or buy has on onboard pre-amp (many modern ones do as lots of modern amps don't have phono input stages - you can tell if the TT has a, normally switchable, line-level output).

If not, then yes you will need a pre-amp - the one I got is the ARTcessories DJ-PreII - a very nice piece of kit - see: http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp ... =13&id=109
Cost in the UK c. £45

As you already have a USB souncard you would be wasting money buying a USB TT - as all one of those is is a TT with an inbuilt preamp and USB souncard - and often you don't get enough control over the signal level in teh soundchain with such bundled devices.

But yes, with cartridges you usually get what you pay for - so try to get a good one.

WC

[quote="prosser99"]thanks for your response. I may just try to forget the USB TT. I did buy a Behringer UCA202 sound card because of a Audacity forum recommendation. Can I send a non USB TT to a amp to my Behringer UCA202 to my laptop? Will that work? Prosser99


sure

record player to riaa preamp
to amp if needed then
line out to uca220

[quote="prosser99"]Would my Behringer UCA202 sound card work in the TT to Amp to Sound Card combo? The sound quality is much better??! Cool. Then I'll do that. I need a new cartridge. I can get one for 17 or 45 bux in downtown Sac. Is it necessary to get the high end cartridge? Do I need a high end amp? I don't want to spend to much. A local shop has an excellent old Marantz amp in wooden casing. With the sound card and low end USB TT I have made some good recordings. But if can improve on it I'll spend the money. Thanks for your help, Prosser99

you get what you buy
midpriced stuff is good enough for most anybody
you may not even mind the cheap stuff

depends on your ears
the quality of the original record etc

low end amps are plenty good enough
they are not the limiting factor

good TT first
decent cartridge second
okay preamp third
any old amp

How important is a good TT? I have an old dusty Marantz. Seems to work fine. Only problem is the cartridge which I plan to upgrade.

Marantz is a good name, and if it is still in good working condition it will probably knock the spots off USB TTs.
If it is belt driven, check the condition of the belt - they tend to deteriorate over time and may need replacing. Also check that everything that should be able to move is able to move freely.