I'm converting my mini disc collection to MP3 and the only way I can control the recording level is to do it via the headphone socket. The problem is that sometimes the balance is weird…. too much drum/guitar/background vocals… take your pick. Is there any way I can adjust the settings (like on an equaliser) so I end up with the sound I want or is it just pot luck?

You've tried the effects such as "equalisation", "normalise" etc.?

Oh, Wrong forum BTW

Use line out if you have one on your player, turn off anything on the mini-disc player such as 'loudness' or 'bass boost'.

You can control the recording level in Audacity using your soundcard properties. Open volume control on your computer (down by the clock normally) Then click options and advanced. You should have a volume controller for your line-in or mic input.

Are you sure you're getting a stereo signal out of the minidisc player? Not that familiar with audacity but make sure you are recording to a stereo track. To me the most likely cause of the balance sounding wrong is that you are only getting one side of the stereo recording.

I'm pretty sure you can EQ things after recording in Audacity too. RTFM!! 😛

Yes I am getting a stereo output. I'll look into the suggestions though and hopefully emerge with more success! 🙂

are you definitely stereo throughout? you may be getting phase problems, stereo music squeezed onto a mono recording can sound pretty gash.

Also make sure the volume control on your MD player isn't set to high, it may be peaking which your sound card won't be able to deal with

there's something wrong somewhere if you are not getting 'the full picture' and no amount of EQ tweaking will help.

If it's important to you then get a cheapish external soundcard with proper gain controls on it

I have an old NETMD usb minidisc player you can have for next to nowt if i can find all the bits, this will do the transfer digitally