I’ve bought a little audio to digital USB box (Behringer UFO202) and it seems to work, but… I can’t control the input level. The resulting MP3’s are too quiet and just not very good to listen to. The monitor shows the level maxing out at about 9db.

Anyone got any tips?

Currently trying Audacity and the USB box is switched to phono mode.

You probably need a dedicated turntable preamp (aka head amp) to boost the low level to standard line level.

I started doing all my vinyl and in the end it was easier and quicker to download flac or good mp3s from the likes of soulseek. By the time I’d sampled the vinyl, converted it,separated the tracks etc I was pretty fed up of hearing the record too.
No qualms about downloading stuff I’ve already paid for but you might have a different view.

Yaaaarp – preamp needed.

What’s the cartridge?

Or if you’ve already got a stereo that you play your records through, that will have a phono preamp already. Does the amp have a tape record output? That will give you the line level you need to go into the behringer. At a push you could use the headphone output.

hi, the USB box has a pre-amp it just doesn’t “amp” enough! I’ve found a neat amplifier modifer in Audacity which pumps up the volume enough, probably hammers the quality a bit but should be ok for MP3.

Sitting back with Elton’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road & some Rum now – ah the 70s!

Cheers all

Yo,

is the cart MM or MC?

If it’s MC that might explain it, page 4 of the manual says MC isn’t supported.

What type is it?

Not sure, it’s one of these

Ortofon OM Pro S

That’ll be an MM, or moving magnet type. MC, or moving coil, tend to need a separate amp, and are a lot more expensive, with an elliptical rather than spherical stylus tip. Yours is designed for fairly heavy-handed DJ work. 😉

Sorry for short sentences but it’s easier typing them when there’s a snoozing girlfriend on my other arm*.

Maybe it’s just an imbalance between the impedances of the cart and the phono stage – nothing you can easily do about that.

You’re not using interconnects between the deck and the phono stage that say “75 Ohm Digital” are you?

I’m out of hardware ideas/fixes if it’s not the output of the cart being low, or the above wiring issue.

*No Jamie, no onanism.gif please!