recording LP to CD problems

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Katmanblues

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I'm having problem when I record LP to CD.

When I listen to the LP throught the computer it sound fine (Denon DRA-355 amp with Dual CS-515 turntable with Ortofon needle...not top shelf...but raisonably good)...but when I listen to the recording of the same trac i.e. playback...their is all that hiss and humm noise...

honestly I thought it would be what you ear is what you get...but I was wrong, where is all that noise comming from?

Of course I'm using the generic sound card form my computer (1Ghz Celron, 40G HD, 256 K RAM), and a very basic recording software (included in the Nero CD burning package)...I was expecting better sounding recording then a Radio Shack alarm Clock Tape deck...which is the quality level I seem to be getting with this computer...

I hesitate to change it to a Audiofile 2496 or the likes, would that cure the hisses and humms of a simple 16 bit 44 hz standard CD recording?

The only raison I consider this card...is that ultimatly I want record some music with my musicaly inclined brother (drums, guitar, bass and vocals)...But first I want to play around with prerecorded sound...without all that noise.

thanks
 
Just to make sure we got the setup right:

recording: dual -> denon amp -> pc line input
playback: pc line output -> denon amp -> speakers

And if you just listen to the input while you are recording it is fine, but the recording itself is not. Strange.... Maybe the monitor is through the analog part of the codec, and does not go digital.

Try the following:
- check the settings! Are you sure you are not recording 8bit and/or 22kHz? You are not using the mic preamp of the pc by accident? Or try another recording app (maybe download a demo from n-track)
- check the cables and their routing
- then rip a cd in the pc and play that back with the same application the same way you do with a recording. Is that ok? no, then you have a problem in the playback, try another amp maybe or another input of the amp, or just another cable.
- if playback is ok, record a line source (tape or cd) directly to the pc, without the denon amp. Then play back that recording. Is that ok?
 
Thanks that is a lot of idea to check...and i'll do just that...but to correct my setting

recording: dual -> denon amp -> pc line input
playback: pc line output -> Computer speakers
listening while recording is throught the computer speakers too!

I checked and I was using the 16bit /44KHz setting for recording.

2 different Cables ...I actually tried the headphone output of the amp to the line in, then went with the tape out to the line in...got same bad result

Ripped a CD and got the same noise on three different system (car, discman and home stereo).

I'll try my tapedeck since it's got a preamp throught the headphone and see if that is better. i 'll try to diconnect the computer speaker too, in case they cause some interferrence while recording...

however I think your theory about the recording monitor being analog, and the recording playback being digital (of course...) would mean my sound card is crap...which is what I suspect...but then my question would be...would UI get a better response and way much less noise with a good card such as the audiophile, etc..
 
If I understand you right, you ripped a CD to a wave file in a direct fasion, not recording it thru the sound card's line input, and then put the wave file on another CD.
Then you played that on the various
CD players and still heard noise?
if so, that takes your sound card out of the picture and points to your CDs or software.
 
memphis said:
If I understand you right, you ripped a CD to a wave file in a direct fasion, not recording it thru the sound card's line input, and then put the wave file on another CD.
Then you played that on the various
CD players and still heard noise?
if so, that takes your sound card out of the picture and points to your CDs or software.
Click to expand...

No...it's a LP-->turntable-->AMP-->line in-->wave file

Monitor...Music throught computer speakers while recording is OK
Playback of the wave file is noisy.

Ripping CD out of that wave file result in same noise regardless of CD player used.
 
I think you confused ripping vs burning! Ripping a cd means you transfer the data from the CD directly into a .wav without recording. That way you get a .wav copy of a CD track and can be sure that no AD and DA conversion was used.

Use some CD burning application to do this. Like Nero, it can save the track from CD directly to the HD. (use a commercial CD for this).

But in any case, you burned the recording to CD and the noise was also on other systems present. So this means it is not in the playback side of your chain. That is already something.

but then my question would be...would UI get a better response and way much less noise with a good card such as the audiophile, etc..
Click to expand...

That is difficult to say, and the reason for all the checks. If it would be a bad cable of ground loop, it would make no difference, but if it is really the card, then yes, it would make a difference.
 
Ripping vs Burning...My NOOB mistake sorry...

I did it once doing compilation CDs by...ripping... tracks here and there...then burning the compilation on CD...and no problem there...the end-product was comparable to the original CDs. I used Nero.

What I don't undesrtand is, if I had a bad cable or connection, would'nt I hear it while playing it throught the soundcard onto the computer speakers while recording (the monitoring part) ?

I'm puzzled...

Thanks for all the help.
 
if I had a bad cable or connection, would'nt I hear it while playing it throught the soundcard onto the computer speakers while recording (the monitoring part) ?
Click to expand...

Very probably. The thing is that before you jump to the conclusion that it must be your soundcard because it is an integrated one on the MB, you need to make sure it is nothing else. Otherwise you would pay good money for a card, only to find it is no better because some lousy cable. For the rest it was more an example.

But after all you did, it looks like it is the card after all. Can you get hold of a card to try?
 
There is a place that will let me buy and try...they will let me return it (after they test it)....but still I don't like that much...sometime they find 'things' and you are still stuck with it...

However I have to try with another source, like my tape deck...cause my cable from turntable to amp is old (and the cable is not easilly replaced ..it's soldered to a board inside the turntable)...so i'll rule this one out first then try a SB live 5.1 platinum or someting...

thanks fior the help

P.S. I'll post my tapedeck trial once I have it done.
 
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