I have tried recording from my Music Hall USB turntable to both my windows 10 (audacity 2.1.0) and Windows Vista (audacity 2.0.3) PCs and get same problem.
The problem is poor quality vocal content. The instrumental portion is good. Pure instrumental vinyl is good. For vinyl with vocals the volume is low and sounds like it is a tunnel at times. If I pan left or right the vocal improves, so it seems like the vocal on both channels is canceling out somehow. I have to pan way left or right so the converted file play of the CD as all in left or right speaker depending upon what pan I used.
I am trying to determine whether the issue is audacity, something in the computer, the USB Codec or the cartridge. There are no adjustments on the turntable.
Thanks in advance.
Problem with vocals doing vinyl to CD conversion
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This forum is for Audacity on Windows.Please state which version of Windows you are using,
and the exact three-section version number of Audacity from "Help menu > About Audacity".
Audacity 1.2.x and 1.3.x are obsolete and no longer supported. If you still have those versions, please upgrade at https://www.audacityteam.org/download/.
The old forums for those versions are now closed, but you can still read the archives of the 1.2.x and 1.3.x forums.
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Gale Andrews
- Quality Assurance
- Posts: 41761
- Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:02 am
- Operating System: Windows 10
Re: Problem with vocals doing vinyl to CD conversion
To begin with, have you made sure Windows is set to record the turntable in stereo ? http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/fa ... #rinstereo
Or the cartridge may be wired out of phase. Is the turntable still under guarantee?
Gale
Or the cartridge may be wired out of phase. Is the turntable still under guarantee?
Gale
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Re: Problem with vocals doing vinyl to CD conversion
Thanks Gale,
I believe I have set the config correctly. Yes, the turntable is under warranty. I have called the retailer but they don"t really know how to use the software. They are willing to have me bring the turntable in and check it out. So I guess that will be next.
Jim
I believe I have set the config correctly. Yes, the turntable is under warranty. I have called the retailer but they don"t really know how to use the software. They are willing to have me bring the turntable in and check it out. So I guess that will be next.
Jim
Re: Problem with vocals doing vinyl to CD conversion
That sounds like a problem on the "analog side". Do you have something to plug the turntable's analog inputs into? I would expect the problem to show-up there too.
As Gale says, a mis-wired phono cartridge, or a missing ground in the "right place" can give you that center-channel removal ("vocal removal") effect.
If the left & right channels are being subtracted, you should be missing centered instruments from the instrumental records, and there should be little or no bass from any of the records. If you have any mono records they should be mostly very-quiet but the random vinyl noise won't be suppressed so you'll have a poor signal-to-noise ratio.
If the analog outputs work OK, try the USB with the analog still connected. There's a slight chance that having an external analog ground will "fix" (hide) the problem.
P.S.
Audacity has a Vocal Removal effect, but it's pretty much impossible to do it accidentally and Audacity cannot apply ANY effects in real-time while recording. All effects and processing have to take place after you stop recording. And even then, your original file isn't over-written until/unless you save or export to a file with the same name.
As Gale says, a mis-wired phono cartridge, or a missing ground in the "right place" can give you that center-channel removal ("vocal removal") effect.
If the left & right channels are being subtracted, you should be missing centered instruments from the instrumental records, and there should be little or no bass from any of the records. If you have any mono records they should be mostly very-quiet but the random vinyl noise won't be suppressed so you'll have a poor signal-to-noise ratio.
If the analog outputs work OK, try the USB with the analog still connected. There's a slight chance that having an external analog ground will "fix" (hide) the problem.
P.S.
Audacity has a Vocal Removal effect, but it's pretty much impossible to do it accidentally and Audacity cannot apply ANY effects in real-time while recording. All effects and processing have to take place after you stop recording. And even then, your original file isn't over-written until/unless you save or export to a file with the same name.
Last edited by DVDdoug on Thu Nov 05, 2015 10:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Gale Andrews
- Quality Assurance
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- Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:02 am
- Operating System: Windows 10
Re: Problem with vocals doing vinyl to CD conversion
To be clear, it can't really be an Audacity problem. To satisfy yourself of that, you could record with Windows Sound Recorder (called "Voice Recorder" in Windows 10).jdprice70 wrote:I have called the retailer but they don"t really know how to use the software.
Gale
________________________________________FOR INSTANT HELP: (Click on Link below)
* * * * * Tips * * * * * Tutorials * * * * * Quick Start Guide * * * * * Audacity Manual
* * * * * Tips * * * * * Tutorials * * * * * Quick Start Guide * * * * * Audacity Manual
Re: Problem with vocals doing vinyl to CD conversion
I'm guessing that the cartridge has been wired incorrectly - easily done, just two wires the wrong way round will cause those exact symptoms.
9/10 questions are answered in the FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Re: Problem with vocals doing vinyl to CD conversion
Thanks everyone. Went to audio store today. Their demonstrator turn table at the store behaved identically recording to my computer. I also checked wiring of cartridge. It appears to be correct. So I think I have ruled out the turn table.
The audio tech at the store, who claimed to be very versed in digital sound, thinks it is some type of computer or audacity configuration parameter.
As too the cartridge being miss wired, they indicated that if that were so all music would be poor and the vocals would not sound good through the stereo into conventional speakers.
My computer is an HP Envy and Beats Audio s also installed. Going to chase an interaction with that for a while.
The audio tech at the store, who claimed to be very versed in digital sound, thinks it is some type of computer or audacity configuration parameter.
As too the cartridge being miss wired, they indicated that if that were so all music would be poor and the vocals would not sound good through the stereo into conventional speakers.
My computer is an HP Envy and Beats Audio s also installed. Going to chase an interaction with that for a while.
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Gale Andrews
- Quality Assurance
- Posts: 41761
- Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:02 am
- Operating System: Windows 10
Re: Problem with vocals doing vinyl to CD conversion
Is this what you have http://musichallaudio.com/usb-1-turntable/? Can your headshell be detached from the tonearm as in that model?
Do you have the turntable's RCA cables connected to anything?
The problem is not an Audacity configuration parameter. Audacity can record in mono or stereo. If you set Audacity to record in stereo when Windows has the turntable set to record in mono, then you will not record correctly.
Do you have a known correct-sounding song on WAV or MP3 that you can drag into Audacity? Does it play with stifled centre?
Gale
Do you have the turntable's RCA cables connected to anything?
The problem is not an Audacity configuration parameter. Audacity can record in mono or stereo. If you set Audacity to record in stereo when Windows has the turntable set to record in mono, then you will not record correctly.
Did they check the wiring of your cartridge? Do the vocals sound OK if you connect the RCA cables to the phono inputs of an amplifier and listen through speakers attached to the amplifier?jdprice70 wrote:As too the cartridge being miss wired, they indicated that if that were so all music would be poor and the vocals would not sound good through the stereo into conventional speakers.
Beats Audio is often a source of problems.jdprice70 wrote:My computer is an HP Envy and Beats Audio s also installed.
Do you have a known correct-sounding song on WAV or MP3 that you can drag into Audacity? Does it play with stifled centre?
Gale
________________________________________FOR INSTANT HELP: (Click on Link below)
* * * * * Tips * * * * * Tutorials * * * * * Quick Start Guide * * * * * Audacity Manual
* * * * * Tips * * * * * Tutorials * * * * * Quick Start Guide * * * * * Audacity Manual
Re: Problem with vocals doing vinyl to CD conversion
I'd be surprised if this was the cause of what you're hearing, but I saw the instructional video on setting up the turntable.
It jumped out to me that they advise 1,5 g of needle pressure. That is too low. The manufacturer states 1,5 to 3 g. You should at least have 2,2 g on the needle and maybe even 2,5 if you have high quality dynamic vinyl.
It jumped out to me that they advise 1,5 g of needle pressure. That is too low. The manufacturer states 1,5 to 3 g. You should at least have 2,2 g on the needle and maybe even 2,5 if you have high quality dynamic vinyl.
Re: Problem with vocals doing vinyl to CD conversion
OK... It could be a Windows "enhancement" that you need to disable. Although Audacity won't mess-up the sound, sometimes Windows does... Why do my recordings fade out or sound as if they were made in a tunnel?Thanks everyone. Went to audio store today. Their demonstrator turn table at the store behaved identically recording to my computer.