Audacity Forum

Greetings,

I'm trying to record a song from a vinyl record to Audacity. I'm able to record, however during the quieter parts there is a constant noise, it's not loud, so it can only be heard during the quieter bits. It's a kind of slightly high pitch almost feedback like. Please see the link below for an audio sample:

https://www.dropbox.com/pri/get/Recordi ... _0e5Y1ppRQ

I'm using Audacity 2.1.2
OSX 10.11.2
Audio Technica AT-LP 120-USB

Can you advise if there is a way to prevent that audio noise?

Regards

You seem to have made that Dropbox file private.

If the noise is USB "whine" noise, it might be helped by ensuring the USB cable is tight both ends and making sure the cartridge/headshell is tight. You may still get some USB "whine".

Does your Mac have a stereo line-in? [macstin][/macstin]

If so, you can avoid USB by going from the RCA outputs of the turntable into stereo line-in of the Mac using the supplied adaptor cable.


Gale

Gale Andrews wrote:You seem to have made that Dropbox file private.

If the noise is USB "whine" noise, it might be helped by ensuring the USB cable is tight both ends and making sure the cartridge/headshell is tight. You may still get some USB "whine".

Does your Mac have a stereo line-in? [macstin][/macstin]

If so, you can avoid USB by going from the RCA outputs of the turntable into stereo line-in of the Mac using the supplied adaptor cable.


Gale

Advice i have been looking for. before i try this, can i leave the usb connected and keep my turntable set at line (out) or remove the usb and keep the turntable set to line (out)?
thanks for any continued advice

blad wrote:

Gale Andrews wrote:You seem to have made that Dropbox file private.

If the noise is USB "whine" noise, it might be helped by ensuring the USB cable is tight both ends and making sure the cartridge/headshell is tight. You may still get some USB "whine".

Does your Mac have a stereo line-in? [macstin][/macstin]

If so, you can avoid USB by going from the RCA outputs of the turntable into stereo line-in of the Mac using the supplied adaptor cable.


Gale

Advice i have been looking for. before i try this, can i leave the usb connected and keep my turntable set at line (out) or remove the usb and keep the turntable set to line (out)?
thanks for any continued advice

What is the make and model number of the USB turntable? Normally, the phono/line switch on the turntable only affects the RCA cables, not USB recording.

If you have a noise problem when recording via USB, ensure the RCA cables are either connected to a source, or if not connected to a source, are not touching any bare metal part of the turntable.

You can choose the recording device in Audacity's Device Toolbar, so it should not be a problem to leave the USB cable connected when you also have the RCA cables connected to the Mac's Line-In. When recording to Line-In, leave the USB turntable set to line.


Gale

thanks Gale...I am using an ATLP120-USB turntable. I follow you to a point, If I come out of (tape-Out) from pre amp to line in on a mac (osx10.7.5) and keep the turntble set to line and have the USB connected and set my Audacity toolbar selection to built-in line in output or built-in output (which built-in selection do I use?)

I don't know what you mean by tape out from pre-amp. Are you using the AT 120 with a standalone preamp? If you are, then the turntable must be set to phono, not line.

Do you need to use the Mac's Line-In? What problem stops you using the USB output of the turntable?

What is the problem with removing the USB cable from the computer when you connect it to the Mac Line-In? I don't see it as harmful to leave the USB cable connected, just pointless.

Outputs are for sound coming out and inputs are for sound going in. You can't play sound to the turntable over the computer, so in Device Toolbar, set Playback Device to the Built-in Output. Set Recording Device to the Built-in Input.


Gale

blad wrote:thanks Gale...I am using an ATLP120-USB turntable. I follow you to a point, If I come out of (tape-Out) from pre amp to line in on a mac (osx10.7.5) and keep the turntble set to line and have the USB connected and set my Audacity toolbar selection to built-in line in output or built-in output (which built-in selection do I use?)

Gale Andrews wrote:I don't know what you mean by tape out from pre-amp. Are you using the AT 120 with a standalone preamp? If you are, then the turntable must be set to phono, not line.

Do you need to use the Mac's Line-In? What problem stops you using the USB output of the turntable?

What is the problem with removing the USB cable from the computer when you connect it to the Mac Line-In? I don't see it as harmful to leave the USB cable connected, just pointless.

Outputs are for sound coming out and inputs are for sound going in. You can't play sound to the turntable over the computer, so in Device Toolbar, set Playback Device to the Built-in Output. Set Recording Device to the Built-in Input.


Gale

blad wrote:thanks Gale...I am using an ATLP120-USB turntable. I follow you to a point, If I come out of (tape-Out) from pre amp to line in on a mac (osx10.7.5) and keep the turntble set to line and have the USB connected and set my Audacity toolbar selection to built-in line in output or built-in output (which built-in selection do I use?)

as you see I'm pretty novice with all this. bare with me we'll get this.
I am experiencing a USB "whine" with USB use. I checked all the connections as well as turntable arm connection. The USB noise (whine) is still present. You previously concluded that a next option would be to connect my turntable to the Mac line in. This is the point I lose ya.
let's forget about the USB line out, my turntable is now using the RCA output. My playback and Audacities monitoring from the Mac does not change. If I understand this all that needs to be done is switch my turntable output to phono and connect it to the Mac line input?

blad wrote:

Gale Andrews wrote:I don't know what you mean by tape out from pre-amp. Are you using the AT 120 with a standalone preamp? If you are, then the turntable must be set to phono, not line.

Do you need to use the Mac's Line-In? What problem stops you using the USB output of the turntable?

What is the problem with removing the USB cable from the computer when you connect it to the Mac Line-In? I don't see it as harmful to leave the USB cable connected, just pointless.

Outputs are for sound coming out and inputs are for sound going in. You can't play sound to the turntable over the computer, so in Device Toolbar, set Playback Device to the Built-in Output. Set Recording Device to the Built-in Input.


Gale

blad wrote:thanks Gale...I am using an ATLP120-USB turntable. I follow you to a point, If I come out of (tape-Out) from pre amp to line in on a mac (osx10.7.5) and keep the turntble set to line and have the USB connected and set my Audacity toolbar selection to built-in line in output or built-in output (which built-in selection do I use?)

as you see I'm pretty novice with all this. bare with me we'll get this.
I am experiencing a USB "whine" with USB use. I checked all the connections as well as turntable arm connection. The USB noise (whine) is still present. You previously concluded that a next option would be to connect my turntable to the Mac line in. This is the point I lose ya.
let's forget about the USB line out, my turntable is now using the RCA output. My playback and Audacities monitoring from the Mac does not change. If I understand this all that needs to be done is switch my turntable output to phono and connect it to the Mac line input?

You referred to a "tape out" output that your turntable does not have, according to its manual.

Are you A) connecting the RCA to TRS adaptor cable direct from the turntable to the Mac Stereo Line-In? Or B) connecting the RCA cables to another standalone pre-amp then connecting from standalone pre-amp to Mac Stereo Line-In? Please give us an answer A) or B). If the answer is A) then the turntable should be set to line. If the answer is B) the turntable should be set to phono. What is the the make and model number of the standalone pre-amp?

In your picture of Device Toolbar, change the Recording Device (second box from the left) to "Built-in Input" or "Built-in Line Input" if that is what Lion calls it. Do not choose the USB Audio CODEC as recording device if you want to record from the Mac's stereo Line-In.


Gale

Hi Gale and thank you.
We SOLVED this using the A method. I would like to explore the possibility of the B method. I am using a NAD 1155 preamp and running 2 NAD 2155 amps utilizing them as mono R&L.

If we were to run the turntable through NAD 1155 preamp, In your opinion, what would any advantage be and how would this be accomplished if I chose B method? Please note that some suggest to remove the preamp from the AT LP120 USB turntable but, I am not sure if this would make any sense when my main function for using this turntable is to digitize my record collection however, could in fact be better to remove the turntables preamp for direct play of the records. Do you have any opinion on this preamp removal? thanks again for any continued advice.

There is a few advantages with A method is that with the USB method I have noise on both high and low frequencies, particularly the "whine" but, a low end hum was also present. these are now gone! Also with the line in A method I also get a volume control on the record device which was locked in the USB method.

blad wrote:We SOLVED this using the A method. I would like to explore the possibility of the B method. I am using a NAD 1155 preamp and running 2 NAD 2155 amps utilizing them as mono R&L.

If we were to run the turntable through NAD 1155 preamp, In your opinion, what would any advantage be and how would this be accomplished if I chose B method?

I don't know why you would want to use a standalone preamp unless you regard the preamp in the turntable as inferior to the NAD. That may be a reasonable assumption but everyone hears and responds to sound differently. Ultimately only you can make that decision, in a comparison of methods A and B with the same material.

With B you set the turntable to Phono, as I said. The Audacity settings will be the same as with A.

Setting the Phono switch on the turntable should completely bypass the turntable's phono preamp. So I would not recommend potentially damaging the turntable by taking it apart and removing its phono preamp.


Gale