ATTENTION!!!
Not only are you needing that ground that Fishmed is talking about (which is simple enough to do) but you need an input that deals with the RIAA equalization. If you don't know what RIAA is, well good thing you are reading this huh?
Try plugging in your turntable to another input on your stereo pre-amp some time. You will find that it has absolutely no bass at all. That is because when the LP was printed, a low end compression was applied to the music to minimize the bass so that the little bumps on the LP would not turn into Mt.Saint Helens (hey, I am from Portland Oregon, about 45 miles from that volcano, had to use it). Anyway, the low end is turned way down for the purpose of going to Vinyl. Then at the Turntable input on the stereo pre-amp there is a little circuit that boosts' this low end back up. That is what RIAA is, and it is what you need to happen BEFORE you start sending that signal to hard drive.
Possibly, you should think about using your home stereo pre-amp as a way to deal with RIAA issue, then use the tape record output and send it to your soundcards line input. In this case, none of the equalization from the pre-amp (except the RIAA) will make it to the tape record jack, and also the signal will be optimized for you.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Ed Rei (not a vinyl guy at all! DIGITAL RULES!)
Echo Star Studio
www.echostarstudio.com
[This message has been edited by sonusman (edited 09-22-1999).]
[This message has been edited by sonusman (edited 09-22-1999).]