USB Turntable volume levels

richardbajor

New member
Bit of a noob question here:

I bought a Sony PS- LX 300 USB turntable- it has a pre amp integrated into it. Not looking for perfect sound or anything and just wanted to avoid the hassle of connecting up my whole stereo system.

Sadly the sound levels are very low coming into the PC. I use audacity and have it on maximum recording volume and also appear to have all my settings on the PC to maximum.

Obviously with audacity there is the ability to increase the volume once you have recorded the track. I just wondered whether that would produce the same end result as if the volume was already higher coming into the PC or whether something gets lost by increasing volume at a later date.

Also in case I have missed something on my systems settings and anyone who has used a similar thing I'd welcome any tips for getting the volume higher going into the PC.
 
Bit of a noob question here:

I bought a Sony PS- LX 300 USB turntable- it has a pre amp integrated into it. Not looking for perfect sound or anything and just wanted to avoid the hassle of connecting up my whole stereo system.

Sadly the sound levels are very low coming into the PC. I use audacity and have it on maximum recording volume and also appear to have all my settings on the PC to maximum.

Obviously with audacity there is the ability to increase the volume once you have recorded the track. I just wondered whether that would produce the same end result as if the volume was already higher coming into the PC or whether something gets lost by increasing volume at a later date.

Also in case I have missed something on my systems settings and anyone who has used a similar thing I'd welcome any tips for getting the volume higher going into the PC.

as i recall using audacity and a pc there are pc settings to increase the level going to audacity to record

is there a little speaker symbol on the bottom right of the screen
else check start control panel and name of your sound card then click on that

there should be controls for all the volume and other settings for your audio
 
as i recall using audacity and a pc there are pc settings to increase the level going to audacity to record

is there a little speaker symbol on the bottom right of the screen
else check start control panel and name of your sound card then click on that

there should be controls for all the volume and other settings for your audio

Yes- those appear to be set to maximum and the slider in audacity is definitely set to maximum.
 
Not sure if this applies - but it the manual it indicates the Windows interface box that pops up needs to be set to microphone? Makes me wonder if yours is expecting a line level input?
 
Hi Rich' you have almost certainly fallen foul of Windows Sounds setup system.

Get to the screen attached (btm right, by the clock) and work your way through the menus. You will come to a setting for "Level". Stick that at 50% and see how it goes.

You see that ttable is a "Class Compliant USB Device" and does not I bet have its own drivers so Windows take charge.

If you get sorted and you only have a few disc to dupe, download the 30day trial of MAGIX (was sony) Soundforge. Excellent vinyl clean up progg.

Dave.
 

Attachments

  • 2ucasetup.jpg
    2ucasetup.jpg
    251.4 KB · Views: 7
Thanks for all your replies- they all gave me something to have a try with but with no joy. Indeed having fiddled with settings I now don't get any sound either in my PC or audactity recording.

I tried customer services but just got sent from pillar to post including 30 minutes with Sony and someone reading suggestions off a card. I even installed the Sony software just in case audacity was not compatible somehow.

So on the things brought up- the switch on the turntable was set to line- I did try phono but no difference.

The settings where you very nicely provided screenshots are identical to what I had with the exception that it calls it "line" rather than "microphone" and that is the only option anyway.

I can definitely hear tinny sound with head near the turntable, the device is definitely noticed on my PC via the USB port and everything says running normally and everything maxed out volume wise.

My only other possibility is the "playback" options within windows. I am pretty sure I have tried all permutations but I have two options to choose.

One is speakers "realtek" which I assume is related to the PC speakers and the other is "USB audio codec".

If I use the "USB audio codec" speaker the only option is a slide bar on levels (set to 100).
If I use the realtek speakers option I have a range of items under levels including microphone, front line, line in- these are all set to 100 but I have tried disabling each one in turn (I think) with no joy.
 
Thanks for all your replies- they all gave me something to have a try with but with no joy. Indeed having fiddled with settings I now don't get any sound either in my PC or audactity recording.

I tried customer services but just got sent from pillar to post including 30 minutes with Sony and someone reading suggestions off a card. I even installed the Sony software just in case audacity was not compatible somehow.

So on the things brought up- the switch on the turntable was set to line- I did try phono but no difference.

The settings where you very nicely provided screenshots are identical to what I had with the exception that it calls it "line" rather than "microphone" and that is the only option anyway.

I can definitely hear tinny sound with head near the turntable, the device is definitely noticed on my PC via the USB port and everything says running normally and everything maxed out volume wise.

My only other possibility is the "playback" options within windows. I am pretty sure I have tried all permutations but I have two options to choose.

One is speakers "realtek" which I assume is related to the PC speakers and the other is "USB audio codec".

If I use the "USB audio codec" speaker the only option is a slide bar on levels (set to 100).
If I use the realtek speakers option I have a range of items under levels including microphone, front line, line in- these are all set to 100 but I have tried disabling each one in turn (I think) with no joy.

realtek is not just speakers
it IS THE audio control software you need for your pc

mine has selection for line in mike in on/off line volume mike volume and stereo mix on input
also for record level and to mute speakers plus a wrench that lets you show the options you want to control on screen or omit them

this is repeated for playback too

i use realtek
it works great

it gets rid of the worthless pc audio control software

i would bet even the usb audio codec would be better then microslops software for audio

but your symptoms now seem to indicate you have usb problems or the TT is bad

usb problems are endemic with windoze
the idiot hackers at microcrap do things to usb at random without telling you
and without any logical reason i can think of except they were on weed when they wrote that code

reboot the pc
check that the usb is working

then try another TT to see if it is that device
or try another usb input to see if you can record that okay
 
"usb problems are endemic with windoze
the idiot hackers at microcrap do things to usb at random without telling you
and without any logical reason i can think of except they were on weed when they wrote that code "

That is bit OTT. Yes, there have been some issues with USB devices and audio ones of course concern us most here But in the last 15 years or so I have had probably close to a dozen windows laptops and desktops and a good 1/2 dozen USB AIs and rarely had trouble with any of the combinations. Other USB devices, a Dazzle video converter, Tranzport wireless MIDI controller, USB device switch and sheds of thumb drives, all worked flawlessly. Oh yes! My Fuji camera and ***** phone are fine.

One of THE biggest USB problems I had was with a Behringer BCA2000. The drivers started out shit and after several revisions got little better. My M-Audio Fast track pro on the same machines was no problem. Much later I got the NI KA6 and those drivers are just SO solid. You plug the box in any PC, anytime and it just freaking works!

In any case, have I not read of USB issues with macs? Err? what is not allowed about *****? If that still gets censored, a phone manfctr starts with N and ends with a!

Dave.
 
I'm not going to blush over this as I do think there is still something wrong somewhere but the suggestion to switch the PC on and off and trying again has now produced both sound and recording without changing any settings so for now at least things have been relatively sorted and I can carry on and know my PC setting are right. I'm not saying that next time I set it up I won't be back to where I started but at least now it is likely to be down to connections rather than PC settings.

I still have the one query I had at the start. If I record at a lower volume (ie maximum that turntable allows because of lack of amplification but really a bit too low for listening needs) and then increase the volume via a software program will I have likely to have lost any sound quality than if it had been recorded at the right volume to start with? If so then I ought really to consider a different model.

Anyway, thank you to everyone for helping and it is also great to be able to get very often instant replies rather than waiting a day for someone to respond- so much appreciated.
 
I'm not going to blush over this as I do think there is still something wrong somewhere but the suggestion to switch the PC on and off and trying again has now produced both sound and recording without changing any settings so for now at least things have been relatively sorted and I can carry on and know my PC setting are right. I'm not saying that next time I set it up I won't be back to where I started but at least now it is likely to be down to connections rather than PC settings.

I still have the one query I had at the start. If I record at a lower volume (ie maximum that turntable allows because of lack of amplification but really a bit too low for listening needs) and then increase the volume via a software program will I have likely to have lost any sound quality than if it had been recorded at the right volume to start with? If so then I ought really to consider a different model.

Anyway, thank you to everyone for helping and it is also great to be able to get very often instant replies rather than waiting a day for someone to respond- so much appreciated.

Some numbers would be illuminating? "Too low" could be -25dBfs, in which case I would say no, you will not get any quality issues by boosting the signal digitally. If the figure is -50dBfs then I would say you have a problem in the ttable hardware. Now, I know you reckon you have Win settings sorted but you can have a playback level set wrongly even if record is correct (around -15dBfs for a 16 bit system) I had this problem with a Berry UCA 202 first time I used one. It would seem to record a healthy level but playback was consistently 30dB down. A hack through the Sound settings fixed it.

Dave.
 
I'm not going to blush over this as I do think there is still something wrong somewhere but the suggestion to switch the PC on and off and trying again has now produced both sound and recording without changing any settings so for now at least things have been relatively sorted and I can carry on and know my PC setting are right. I'm not saying that next time I set it up I won't be back to where I started but at least now it is likely to be down to connections rather than PC settings.

I still have the one query I had at the start. If I record at a lower volume (ie maximum that turntable allows because of lack of amplification but really a bit too low for listening needs) and then increase the volume via a software program will I have likely to have lost any sound quality than if it had been recorded at the right volume to start with? If so then I ought really to consider a different model.

Anyway, thank you to everyone for helping and it is also great to be able to get very often instant replies rather than waiting a day for someone to respond- so much appreciated.



you are welcome for that POR suggestion

and no, you wont have any problem raising the level with audacity or just turning the knob to the right on your playback box

worst case you might notice some noise. wont know until you try it. cheap and easy to do before buying new TT.
 
"usb problems are endemic with windoze
the idiot hackers at microcrap do things to usb at random without telling you
and without any logical reason i can think of except they were on weed when they wrote that code "

That is bit OTT. Yes, there have been some issues with USB devices and audio ones of course concern us most here But in the last 15 years or so I have had probably close to a dozen windows laptops and desktops and a good 1/2 dozen USB AIs and rarely had trouble with any of the combinations. Other USB devices, a Dazzle video converter, Tranzport wireless MIDI controller, USB device switch and sheds of thumb drives, all worked flawlessly. Oh yes! My Fuji camera and ***** phone are fine.

One of THE biggest USB problems I had was with a Behringer BCA2000. The drivers started out shit and after several revisions got little better. My M-Audio Fast track pro on the same machines was no problem. Much later I got the NI KA6 and those drivers are just SO solid. You plug the box in any PC, anytime and it just freaking works!

In any case, have I not read of USB issues with macs? Err? what is not allowed about *****? If that still gets censored, a phone manfctr starts with N and ends with a!

Dave.


good for you

i have lost countless hours due to random usb fails on windoze pcs

sometimes a reboot fixed it
other times i had to dig deep into the worthless crap 'features' they put in for giggles cause it sure was not to help me or protect me from anything except keeping my old pc longer instead of upgrading when they want you to
 
Some numbers would be illuminating? "Too low" could be -25dBfs, in which case I would say no, you will not get any quality issues by boosting the signal digitally. If the figure is -50dBfs then I would say you have a problem in the ttable hardware. Now, I know you reckon you have Win settings sorted but you can have a playback level set wrongly even if record is correct (around -15dBfs for a 16 bit system) I had this problem with a Berry UCA 202 first time I used one. It would seem to record a healthy level but playback was consistently 30dB down. A hack through the Sound settings fixed it.

Dave.


i still want to see him use the realtek driver before we condemn the TT preamp
i suspect it is the windoze audio just like i suspected a reboot might fix his usb issue that went missing
 
I'm not going to blush over this as I do think there is still something wrong somewhere but the suggestion to switch the PC on and off and trying again has now produced both sound and recording without changing any settings so for now at least things have been relatively sorted and I can carry on and know my PC setting are right. I'm not saying that next time I set it up I won't be back to where I started but at least now it is likely to be down to connections rather than PC settings.

I still have the one query I had at the start. If I record at a lower volume (ie maximum that turntable allows because of lack of amplification but really a bit too low for listening needs) and then increase the volume via a software program will I have likely to have lost any sound quality than if it had been recorded at the right volume to start with? If so then I ought really to consider a different model.

Anyway, thank you to everyone for helping and it is also great to be able to get very often instant replies rather than waiting a day for someone to respond- so much appreciated.


yes there is and it is called windoze
it has many bugs and shortcomings
especially usb and audio related


have you tried using the realtek driver and settings to see if that fixes the problem ?
 
Back
Top