Vinyl to PC Recording

[tasha]

If I'm not mistaken, it looks like you are missing the RIAA equalization. You are going from TT to SA amp to PC and using TAPE 1 as the input. Where's the Phono section?

Broc, take a look at how this device is set up ( http://www.xitel.com/USA/prod_inportdl.htm ). Click on the short movie link way down on the page. It assumes a RIAA equalizer is installed in the receiver/amp. Not knowing the Pioneer product, I would assume that the amp did have the equalizer. Xitel shows in the movie that you should plug their product into tape 1. The demonstrator didn't impress me either. She started the vinyl before she started to record. Sounds like a major clipping penalty to me. Okay, it was in the script!:thumbsdn:

With all that said, I read their product description page. Me, Myself and I would never use an automated leveler, noise reduction and track cutting. The first reason is that several albums I have converted were ready for the garbage can. Had it not been for local importance and rarity, they would have already been there. Any automated processing would have ruined the sound that was still there and definitely cut the tracks the wrong way. Call me a control freak, but it was one of those "a man has got to do" things. Second point is how much of the music is being clipped? On which end of the audio spectrum or both ends is this software clipping off music? And so the last point is I wouldn't use that particular product. Sorry, but I just had to put my $3.99 worth in.

And by the way, you almost had me in cardiac arrest over the Akai 740 deck. Nice buy for a cassette deck. My feeble mind thought you had snagged a 747 RTR deck for under $50 and why I hadn't seen it at all. Good reason, I don"t watch the cassette decks and it wasn't a reel to reel.

 

[jimbofish]

Thanks guys! Ok I had better share all the facts. ...

Here is my problem which after thinking about it may not be my problem at all. I recorded this for a professional DJ of 40 yrs. The cd plays very well on my home system and in my car's premium sound system. The cd was mailed to Los Angelas and the DJ stated that it is playing at low volumn with no bass and treble on his system. Not sure of source he is using but believe it to be of high quality. I guess I had better ask some questions.

Two possibilities to consider:

His CDP may not like CD-R discs. Has he tried it on something else?

Something may have happened to the CD in the mail. I made a Xmas recording for my Mother-in-law. She said it sounded horrible. When we got around to look at it, the silver film had de-laminated from the plastic disc. Apparently it happened in the mail.

Just a possibility.:yes:

BTW you do have the TT plugged into the phono input on the amp and out from the tape out?:scratch2:

 

[tasha]

BTW you do have the TT plugged into the phono input on the amp and out from the tape out?:scratch2:

jimbofish, I sincerely hope he does! In one of the early posts of this thread he indicated that he has excellent sound on his system and in his car's system. It was the recipient who had issues with the playback.

One thing was certain after reading on the manufacturer's site. There is no RIAA equalization in the device he purchased.

 

[jimbofish]

It was the recipient who had issues with the playback.
One thing was certain after reading on the manufacturer's site. There is no RIAA equalization in the device he purchased.

Wouldn't be needed IF it's positioned AFTER the amp though, would it?:scratch2:

Do we know if the disc sent to the DJ played ok on the OP's gear, or are there TWO discs involved?

 

[tasha]

Wouldn't be needed IF it's positioned AFTER the amp though, would it?:scratch2:

Do we know if the disc sent to the DJ played ok on the OP's gear, or are there TWO discs involved?

Here's what the OP had to allow after a few suggestions were offered.

"Music source is a 43 year old radio copy of James Brown, "It's a Mother", Starday-King Record. Clean lp in good condition with no scratches but some popping.
Here is my problem which after thinking about it may not be my problem at all. I recorded this for a professional DJ of 40 yrs. The cd plays very well on my home system and in my car's premium sound system. The cd was mailed to Los Angelas and the DJ stated that it is playing at low volumn with no bass and treble on his system."

And you wouldn't need the RIAA equalizer after the amp, unless the original equalizer in the amp was defective. Keeping it simple works for me. I use a RIAA equalizer between the TT and computer. I keep the record levels low so that I can prevent clipping from a "hot" recording. Then I run the noise filters, sometimes (more than I want to) do a manual excising of the offensive snap crackle and pop, then finish off with a db boost until it almost clips out on the top end.

The OP hasn't posted for a couple of days. Maybe things are working out for him? I think I made a mistake by not asking for a PM that day. He could have sent me a 1 minute clip and maybe listening to it would reveal a resolution. Anyway, I've kept reading this thread in case he has further problems.

I've been the USB route already. It never worked from the standpoint that the device kept taking over my sound card. Every time I used the device I had to go back and work on the sound card drivers to return to internet radio. I just never found an answer on why it was doing that (including no answer from the retailer). And I didn't try all that hard either. My so un-brilliant idea cost me several hundred bucks. In theory the device was ideal. It has input, output lines all with level and balance controls, mic inputs with level and balance controls and several other plug-ins that I forget what their function is. It fit nicely in a CD/DVD bay in the tower. Boy was I being smart. A studio in the size of a paperback - NOT! Geez, this venting does help, probably in the wrong forum though...

 

[cp2buy]

I have been rerecording the last few days and it seems that recording with the "mute switch" on may have affected the sound quality. I also did a second cleaning of the lp which has improved the sound quality a lot. There is a lot to learn in recording vinyl to to pc. Overall the xitel system has perfomed well.

 

[tasha]

I have been rerecording the last few days and it seems that recording with the "mute switch" on may have affected the sound quality. I also did a second cleaning of the lp which has improved the sound quality a lot. There is a lot to learn in recording vinyl to to pc. Overall the xitel system has perfomed well.

Good to hear that all is going well. You're on the right track to success. And whatever transfer system works for you is great. Once you conquer the right settings and sequences, you'll be doing it your sleep. I'm just an old fart who grumbles a little too much.

 

[jimbofish]

I looked at the SA9800 on TVK and it appears to have at least 2 and maybe three phono inputs, with a slew of settings on the front panel. Lots of possibilities for mis-setting there!:scratch2:

My experience with MUTE switches is they are on the power amp section or the preamp output, and don't affect the tape out... but if it makes a difference for you, then apparently it's ahead of the tapeout. That would seem to be consistent with your results.:yes: