Poor podcast audio quality when recording from LP??? Help!!

[chwatts]

I am creating podcasts containing music audio. I have 2 sources of audio that I feed into Audacity: MP.3 files that are stored on my computer hard drive and the audio that I feed from my mixer. I have a new Alesis Multimix 8 USB mixer serving as the hub for 4 mics, a dual CD player as well as a turntable. Since the USB mixer has no input for the turntable, I have routed the turntable and the cd players into a seperate mixer (Behringer DJX700) which I then route into the Alesis mixer via the "2-track" inputs.

This setup works perfectly when I am playing cd's or albums live. However, when I am producing a podcast and attempt to add audio tracks from the cd players/turntable mixer, the audio quality is terrible. There is no depth or clarity to the sound..just a flat stereo track that sounds very "tinny". I have tried manipulating and equalizing these tracks thru Audacity in post production to no avail. The mp.3 tracks that are on my hard drive as well as my mic mix sound fantastic in the podcast mix, but not so much from the external mixer feed. And i really like the potential flexibility that the Behringer gives me on the podcasts..

Am I missing something in my setup here? Will I have to purchase a USB turntable for direct connection to my hard drive? I have over 1000 vintage albums that I love to include in my podcasts, but need to find a way to reproduce the audio quality. Same goes for my cd's although I know i could just rip my cd's onto my hardrive and be done with it.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[kozikowski]

Forgive me for editing your post. I couldn't read the solid block of text.

<<<I have tried manipulating and equalizing these tracks thru Audacity in post production>>>

No, we need to figure out what you're doing to get this effect.

<<<Will I have to purchase a USB turntable>>>

No, no, no, no, no, no. Those can cause enormous problems.

When you play a record, does it sound OK in your headphones connected to the Behringer? Good and thumpy and full?

Get the appropriate adapter cables to plug your iPod headphone jack into the Alesis instead of the Behringer. At medium headphone volume, that does work. I bet you plugged the Behringer into the wrong place on the Alesis.

Unlike most people trying to do this, you actually have all the right parts. Now to get them to talk, or sing to each other.

Koz

[steve]

However, when I am producing a podcast and attempt to add audio tracks from the cd players/turntable mixer, the audio quality is terrible. There is no depth or clarity to the sound..just a flat stereo track that sounds very "tinny".

And this "tinny" sound is from both your stand-alone CD player and from your turntable?

If you play a record / CD connected to the Behringer and you plug your headphones/amp into the Behringer, how does it sound? If that sounds good (which it should) then we are probably looking at how you have the Behringer connected to the Alesis as the cause of the problem.

Hmmm ... that's just what Koz has written

I'll agree with him again - your setup is probably better than using a USB turntable, or will be when we have it set up correctly.

[chwatts]

Koz & Steve,

Thanks for the quick reply. The answer to all questions is YES. The music from bothe the turn table and CD units sound perfect thru the headphones as well as thru loudspeakers.
The loss in quality comes when i attempt to record into Audacity from these two sources. The common denominator being that these inputs are both run thru the Behringer mixer, which is plugged into the Alesis mixer. My mics, which go directly into the Alesis, sound great when recorded to Audacity as do all of the music files that I use straight from my computer.

Would bit rate have anything to do with this? I noticed that the bit rate on my problem podcast was set at 16000hz ?? Don't knowhow that happened...I usually record at 44100hz??

[steve]

Would bit rate have anything to do with this? I noticed that the bit rate on my problem podcast was set at 16000hz ??

That certainly will not help - 16kHz recordings have a maximum frequency limited to less than 8kHz, so the sound will be quite dull.

How does it sound if you plug your headphones into the Alesis and listen to a CD/LP via the behringer?
If that sounds OK, then try making another recording (check that you are recording at a minimum of 16 bit 44100Hz).
Does that sound better?

If the recording quality is still poor, try splitting the track (drop down menu from the arrow next to the track name) and set one of the tracks to mono and mute the other track. Does that sound any better?

[chwatts]

"How does it sound if you plug your headphones into the Alesis and listen to a CD/LP via the behringer?
If that sounds OK, then try making another recording (check that you are recording at a minimum of 16 bit 44100Hz).
Does that sound better?"

Headphones sound perfect when plugged directly into Behringer or Alesis. I also changed the bit rate back to 44100Hz and recored a new track...very little improvement.
Could the fact that I am plugging the Behringer into the Alesis via RCA plugs have anything to do with sound quality loss? The Alesis does have line inputs that accept 1/4" (L&R) phone plugs as well.
I'm starting to think hookup is my problem.

If you were to use this same set-up, how would you make your connections?

Sorry to be so much trouble...just need some help.
Thanks

[kozikowski]

<<<I am plugging the Behringer into the Alesis via RCA plugs have anything to do with sound quality loss?>>>

No, because there is no quality loss. You said you plugged headphones into the Alesis and it sounded fine.

I gotta sit in the corner and read this again. We're missing something here.

Koz

[kozikowski]

I'm getting a headache trying to think of all the variations that could cause all the symptoms. Let's do a test. This will either tell me/us valuable things, or completely cloud the issue.

The Alesis mixer is connected to your Windows PC, right, through the USB connection? If you go into Audacity Preferences, are you set to record stereo?


Download the Left-Right sound test from here...

http://www.kozco.com/tech/soundtests.html

...and burn it to a music CD. It's 39 seconds long. One of my longer performances.

Send that through the PodCast system. Play it like you would play a regular Music CD into the show. I bet cut 3 or cut 4 turns into a tinny mess. One of them is supposed to and I bet you get the wrong one.

Koz

[chwatts]

Koz,

I burned the test to a CD then recorded the cd into my Audacity program. Results:
No seperation of left, right or center audio
The "left" test sounded centered
The right test lost pratically all volume but sounded centered as well
The center test sounded centered
The "out of phase" test produced no change in audio

I did not experience the "tinny" sound, although the entire 39 seconds of audio had no depth at all

It is obvious that my Audacity program does not like the signals that are routed thru the Behringer mixer

You sound like you enjoy a challenge....looks like we've got one here..

[chwatts]

Koz wrote:

"The Alesis mixer is connected to your Windows PC, right, through the USB connection? If you go into Audacity Preferences, are you set to record stereo?"

Yes...the Alesis is connected to my Windows PC via USB cable
In Audacity preferences (Audio In/Out ; Recording), the setting is at "Microsoft Sound Mapper-Input"; Channels: 2-Stereo

There is also a "Stereo Mix Realtek HD Audio" in Audacity "Audio In/Out" settings...is this a possibility?