Listening while recording from an USB turntable

[bunny1966]

I have a Soundlab USB turntable which I have not connected to any hi-fi or amplifier/speaker systems.
Just straight USB connection to the PC running Windows XP Media Center on a HP PC with a pretty good SB AUdigy sound card.

When recording vinyls, I want to listen to the music through the PC speakers/headphones.

I have the playback device set to the PC soundcard
I have the recording device set to the US Audio Codec.

If I leave the software playthrough option on the quality is reallypoor with a regular clicking sound (like the record is seriously scratched).
If I take the software playthrough option off I can't hear anything at all.

I've tried to find the option that forces the playthrough to be done through the hardware/soundcard but can't find it. (It is on version for the Mac according to a mate)

Do I have to hook it up to my hi-fi setup (which is about as far away as you can get) to listen at the same time as recording.

BTW, the actual mp3 or wav version of what has been recorded sounds OK - certainly no regular clicking sound.

[steve]

Do I have to hook it up to my hi-fi setup (which is about as far away as you can get) to listen at the same time as recording.

The short answer is "yes" - that's why they provided an analogue out (that and the fact that the usb out often does not work - but you seem to be one of the lucky ones for whom it does work).

If you have powered computer speakers, you may be able to listen (with reduced sound quality) by connecting your computer speakers directly to the analogue audio output of the turntable, turning the volume way up, turn up the bass and turn down the treble.

BTW, the actual mp3 or wav version of what has been recorded sounds OK - certainly no regular clicking sound.

You may be able to get software playthrough to work acceptably if you use Audacity 1.3.4 and set the audio buffer higher (Edit > Preferences > Audio I/O). Try setting it to 1000 milliseconds (1 second audio buffer) and see if that improves it sufficiently.

[bunny1966]

Thanks Steve.

Have installed the 1.3 version of Audacity and its certainly better but still not a comfortable listen as it sounds like the turntable is trashing the vinyl !

Will fiddle with some of the new audio i/o settings to see if I can improve it further.

I'm used to listening to vinyl on a good hi-fi setup and am probably expecting too much from a setup which is designed to record not playback.

BTW .....Do you really play the fiddle...?

[alatham]

You should be able to run a cable from the Line Out on the turntable to the Line In on your sound card (in addition to the USB cable already in place). That way you should be able to hear from the signal coming out of the turntable on your computer speakers. But you'll still be recording the USB signal which is slightly better as long as you don't get any odd clicking or missing samples (these would be very noticeable while listening to the recording).

You might have to fiddle with your OS's audio set up software to turn up the input volume for the Line In port.