Sound quality of CD produced from vinyl recording

[Rockchips]

Using 2.1.0
I import music from 33 record to Audacity, then burn to CD. Resulting sound from CD is much more sharp and high pitched than original. This happens whether I export raw file or modified (noise reduction and normalization) file. Anything I can do to bring sound quality more close to original?

[DVDdoug]

Resulting sound from CD is much more sharp and high pitched than original.

I assume you get the same problem when you play the WAV file before making the CD?

I'm guessing you don't have a proper phono preamp?

Tell us about your hardware, both your turntable & playback setup and how you're connected to the computer.

Records are recorded (cut) with RIAA Equalization which boosts the highs by about 20dB (relative to 1kHz) and cuts the bass by about 20dB (relative to 1kHz). A phono preamp has gain, plus it applies RIAA playback EQ, cutting the highs and boosting the lows to "correct" the frequency response.

If you have an older receiver with a phono-input, it has a built-in phono preamp. If the receiver has "tape-out" or "recording-out", you can connect that to "line-in" on a regular soundcard (but not to the mic input on a laptop).

Some newer turntables have a built-in preamp, sometimes with a bypass switch. Virtually all USB turntables also have line-outputs.

[Trebor]

Resulting sound from CD is much more sharp and high pitched than original. ...
Anything I can do to bring sound quality more close to original?

The device/software you're playing the CD on could have an equalizer where you can cut-back the high-frequencies ...

hidden equalizer in windows media player.gif (894.91 KiB) Viewed 668 times

[Rockchips]

Using USB turntable ITUT-400, connected by RCA connectors to ADS "Instant Music",which I assume is a preamp. This is connected to computer via USA cable. Turntable came with Audacity software.
I do not notice much difference in sharpness between original recording and Audacity playback. Most difference noted in automobile playback.

[kozikowski]

ADS "Instant Music",which I assume is a preamp.

It's not. I dredged through the instructions and not once do they mention "Phono" or any of the other buzz words associated with vinyl.

As above, bass notes don't fit on vinyl records, so low tones are intentionally distorted so they do fit. It's the job of the Phono Preamp to remove the distortion.

This is a closeup of a real phono preamp. There's a switch to select Phono and more important, it has a place to connect that thin black grounding wire your turntable has.

Screen Shot 2017-10-13 at 21.02.16.png (128.88 KiB) Viewed 634 times

You should not ignore that wire. Your system will pick up buzz and hum unless you connect it somewhere.

That was taken from a Behringer UFO-202 which is a small, but nice audio or phono interface.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UFO202

Koz

[kozikowski]

If this is a USB turntable, why are you going around the barn with the analog pathway? Just connect the USB cable and go.

Koz

[DVDdoug]

Your turntable has a built-in preamp (which works with the USB and the analog RCA outputs), so my guess was wrong.

There's nothing wrong with they way you connected it.

to ADS "Instant Music",which I assume is a preamp.

No, that appears to be a USB audio interface (with line inputs) which you don't need for your turntable since it already has USB built-in..

Go ahead and try the turntable's USB connection direct to the computer (without the ADS gizmo). But, my next guess is that the turntable's USB port will give you the same results (perhaps with different recording levels, either louder or softer).

is much more sharp and high pitched than original.

If the USB connection gives you the same results, I have some more questions - What do you mean by "original"? Have you plugged the turntable into your stereo, or into some powered computer speakers to see what the "original" sounds like? Have you heard that exact record played somewhere else? Have you tried a different record?

You might just have a defective turntable or a "cheap" turntable with a cheap ceramic cartridge.* In that case, you may be able to make some improvement with Equalization, or maybe you'll want to upgrade to a better turntable.

Or, maybe you'll want to buy the CD or MP3 (if it's available).




* A ceramic cartridge has higher output than a magnetic cartridge and when properly loaded (with a very-high impedance) it's frequency response very-roughly corresponds to the RIAA equalization curve. So, you can get by without a phono preamp. If the analog-to-digital converter in the turntable happens to be high-impedance, and if the turntable happens to have a ceramic cartridge, you might get better sound with it's USB port than with the external USB interface.

[Rockchips]

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Will get busy and try some of the suggestions.

[kozikowski]

Do they still make ceramic cartridges? They were widely regarded as electronic garbage decades ago.

Your turntable has a built-in preamp (which works with the USB and the analog RCA outputs

Does it have a switch to take the RIAA in and out of the analog connection?

Koz