Seeing my turntable?

I’m new to Audacity. I’ve installed version 3.2.1. My iMac has the latest OS, Ventura 13.0.1.

I’m trying to record an LP which is playing on a Sony turntable. It has a USB outlet on the back, and I have that connected to the back of my iMac. When I look for that connection in the Mac Finder, nothing shows up. Should it? (When I record a CD into the Music app, that does show up in the finder.)

I just saw a note that I need the FFmpeg library. How do I get that?

Thanks for any help.

…FFmpeg is not required for recording (or playback). It’s used to open or create certain (mostly compressed) file types.

I’m a Windows guy but almost all USB turntables are [u]class compliant[/u] and they should “just work” with the drivers built-into Windows or OS X.

It might be a privacy or security setting blocking USB audio, but someone else will have to help you…

With the turntable hooked up and turned on (playing a record) go to Apple (menu) > System Settings > Sound > Input. Click the Input tab and see if: the turntable is listed as an input device (probably as USB Audio CODEC), and if you get an indication on the input level meter.

If you are getting sound from the turntable into the Mac, the next step is to make sure Audacity has permission to use the “microphone” (Apple’s terminology for and audio input device). That’s done through System Settings > Privacy and Security > Microphone. Make sure Audacity is listed and has permission (on/off switch is blue).

– Bill

Thank you. And y’all can ignore my second query. I hadn’t seen this reply to my first query until now.
Grundoon2

So did you solve the problem?

– Bill

Ok. I’ve done everything in Bill’s suggestions. There is a USB Audio Codec listed. Where is the input level meter? And I turned on the microphone for Audacity. And this USB connection still isn’t shown in the Mac Finder. Should it be?

David

Okay. I see now the input level, in the form of blips in the left-most 5 of 15 slots. Is that enough to be useful for Audacity? And if so, how do I get Audacity to make use of this signal? Would I do better by connecting the turntable to a receiver, and hook its amplified output to the Mac with a USB cable? I guess I’ll try that.

But once I have a “microphone” signal, what do I do next in Audacity?

David

Windows guy here. The level coming into you Mac should already be at the correct level and doesn’t need adjusting. 5 of 15 sounds slightly on the low side, but that could depend on the recording level on the record. You can always run Effects > Amplify after you complete the recording but I suspect you won’t need to do that.

So your next step would be to startup up Audacity, specify your turntable as your input device and start recording.

You may wish to do the following:
Audio Setup > Recording Device > USB Audio Codec
Audio Setup > Recording Channels > 2
Transport > Transport Options > Software playthrough (so you can listen while you record)

Here’s the manual page for the Audio Setup Toolbar.
– Bill

Okay. I see now the input level, in the form of blips in the left-most 5 of 15 slots. Is that enough to be useful for Audacity?

That may not be a problem. Low digital levels aren’t a problem unless they are very low,* but it an sometimes be an indication of a problem and low analog levels can be a problem.

Is the sound quality OK after running the Amplify effect?

When you run the Amplify effect, Audacity has pre-scanned the data and it will default to whatever gain is needed for normalized/maximized 0dB peaks. For example, if it defaults to +12dB, your peaks are currently -12dB. If you have to amplify by 20dB I’d be worried, but really it all comes down to the sound quality after amplifying.

The LAST thing want is to [u]clip[/u] (distort) the analog-to-digital converter built-into the turntable. None of this analog stuff is calibrated (including the records themselves) and since these USB turntables almost never have a recording level control they are usually made to record low for headroom/safety margin with “loud” records.


Would I do better by connecting the turntable to a receiver, and hook its amplified output to the Mac with a USB cable? I guess I’ll try that.

That’s an option but it’s not “just a cable”. You need an analog-to-digital converter, and there are some cables with a “soundcard chip” built-into the USB connector. Or there are USB audio interfaces such as the Behringer UCA2020 or UFO202. But the “cable” or these inexpensive little interfaces also don’t have recording level controls so you can end-up with the same problem or clipping, which is worse! Although, the headphone-output on your receiver will work and it always has a volume control.

Almost all USB turntables have line-level outputs so you don’t need a receiver or preamp (except for the volume/level control).

The old receiver I was using as a phono preamp recently died so I bought the [u]ART USB Phono Plus[/u] ($100 USD), which does have a recording level control. Or there are lots of USB audio interfaces with switchable mic/line inputs (and recording volume knobs). …I have a regular-old analog turntable, so no built-in USB and no built-in preamp.




***** If you are old enough to remember analog tape, we wanted to record “hot” to overcome the tape hiss. But with digital, no tape noise! Also analog tape soft-clips when you go “into the red” so it’s more forgiving than digital which hard-clips at exactly 0dB.