USB turntables

From Audacity Wiki

[edit] Ensure the Audacity software is up to date

Make sure you have a current version of the Audacity software as the software provided on the turntable manufacturer's CDs can be out of date. Note that neither the version number of the CD nor that of any guides produced by the manufacturers relates to the version of Audacity that you have. You should always check the current version of Audacity you have by clicking Help > About in the program (or Audacity > About if you are on OS X). Then go to the Audacity download site  and, if needed, grab the latest Audacity download for your operating system.

[edit] Ensure your manufacturer's guides are up to date

There can be confusion about the guides provided with the turntables, which are written by the turntable manufacturer rather than by Audacity. Sometimes the guides supplied with the turntables are out of date, or have errors. These are the main errors that you may come across:

• You don't need to select stereo mix in the dropdown selector of Audacity's Mixer Toolbar . The dropdown selector is always greyed out when the turntable is correctly selected as Audacity's recording device.

• Audacity Preferences are not under the File menu except in the legacy 1.0.0 version of Audacity which is only appropriate for Mac users on OS 9. Preferences are under the Edit menu, except for users on OS X where they are under the Audacity menu.

• You do not need to select Monitor Input each time you launch Audacity. Monitoring the input is optional and allows you to hear the turntable through the computer speakers just like an ordinary turntable whenever it's playing, without having to record. If you want to select Monitor Input, you need to have the Meter Toolbar  enabled (note: NOT the Mixer Toolbar that current guides state). Instructions on this are below.

[edit] PDF Manuals

PDF manuals are available as below. They are in English unless otherwise stated. To read or print PDF documents, a PDF Reader is required such as Adobe.

Ion

• Quick Start Guide for TTUSB Turntable
• Quick Start Guides for other models - click on the model required
• Audacity software guide

Lenco

• Select your turntable model from this page then scroll down on the page that appears to find the manual
• For manuals in other languages, go to the turntables page in German, French, Spanish or Dutch, then click on the link for your turntable model

Numark

• Quick Start Guide for TTUSB Turntable
• Quick Start Guides for other models - click on the model required
• Audacity software guide

Stanton

• Manual

[edit] Set up Audacity to record from the turntable

1. Go to the Audio I/O tab of Preferences
2. Select the USB Audio CODEC as the recording device and select your inbuilt sound or soundcard by name as the playback device. Do NOT choose Microsoft SoundMapper if you are on Windows.
3. Enable software playthrough if you want to hear the turntable through the computer speakers while it's recording.
4. Set recording channels to 2 (stereo) if you want to record in stereo, otherwise leave recording channels set to 1 (mono).
5. Go to the Mixer Toolbar and turn up the left-hand output volume slider (by the speaker symbol). The right-hand input volume slider (by the microphone symbol) can often be used to vary the loudness of the recording, but it may not function with all turntables. If it does not, try adjusting the input level on the turntable or in the Windows system mixer (right-click over the speaker icon by the system clock). If you are on a Mac, you should always set up the turntable by clicking on the Mac hard disk, then Applications > Utilities > Audio-MIDI Setup. Click on the Audio Devices tab, then on the left-hand side, select USB Audio CODEC in the Default Input and Properties for dropdowns. You can vary the input level here, too. If you are on OS X 10.1 or earlier, go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Sound, click the Input button and select USB Audio CODEC.
6. Make sure that your Project Rate bottom left of the Audacity screen is set to 44 100 Hz.
7. Then, ignoring any instructions in the manufacturer's guide to select "stereo mix", simply press the red Record button in Audacity to start recording from the turntable.

[edit] Playing records through a phono amplifier or computer

To play records like a conventional turntable, USB turntables can be connected to an external stereo system or amplifier using the provided RCA output cables. Connect the RCA cables to either the phono input of a home stereo, or to powered speakers, choosing phono on the "phono/line" switch on the turntable. The cables can also be connected to a CD/AUX/TAPE input on an amplifier, setting the phono/line switch to line. The phono/line switch is usually underneath the turntable chassis.

Note you cannot automatically play records through the computer speakers unless you are recording, because the turntable has been designed primarily as a recording turntable. To play records in Audacity without recording, make sure software playthrough is enabled on the Audio I/O tab of Preferences, then click in the right-hand recording VU meter with the microphone symbol, which turns on "monitoring". Click in the meter again if you want to turn monitoring off.

If the VU meters are not visible, go to the Interface tab of Preferences and check Enable Meter Toolbar. In Audacity 1.3.3 or later, click View > Toolbars > Show Meter Toolbar.

Depending on your equipment, there are other ways to play the turntable through the computer speakers, without having to use Audacity:

• Attach the RCA output cables to the RCA inputs on the HiFi speakers included on some recent multimedia computers, setting the turntable level switch to phono
• Attach the RCA output cables to the CD input on the computer, setting the turntable level switch to line
• (Windows and Linux only) Attach the RCA output cables to a phono amplifier, set the turntable level switch to phono, run a cable from the line-out or headphones-out of the amplifier to line-in on the computer, then unmute line-in on the playback side of the system mixer (for example, Sounds and Audio Devices in the Windows XP Control Panel)

[edit] Windows system sound requires reset

If you are on Windows, system sound won't be available while the turntable is plugged in at the USB connection. This occurs because due to a driver problem, the turntable switches the system's default sound playback device away from your sound device to the turntable (which of course is not meant to be a playback device for the computer). You will have sound in Audacity but not in other applications that simply use the current default device. System sound will be restored as soon as you unplug the turntable at its USB connection, but if you need system sound for other applications while the turntable is plugged in, do this:

• Vista: right-click over the speaker icon in the System Tray > Playback Devices and select Speakers for the inbuilt sound device (not Speakers for USB Audio Codec) as the default device. You can also access this menu from Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound (if you're using "Classic View" there's a direct link to "Sound" in the Control Panel), then click on the Playback tab.

• XP or earlier: click Start > (Settings) > Control Panel > Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices > Sounds and Audio devices. Or you can right-click over the speaker icon in the System Tray > Adjust Audio Properties. Then click on the Audio tab, and in the Sound Playback panel, click on the downward pointing arrow in the dropdown box and select the inbuilt sound as the default device.

If you make this change just the once and then leave the turntable plugged into the USB port (but not of course plugged into the mains), it will not turn off system sound next time you start it up for another recording session.

[edit] Higher speed transfers and 78 rpm dubbing

Because Audacity can change the speed of recordings, it's possible to record your 33 1/3 rpm records into Audacity at 45 rpm (so transfer them more quickly), or you can record 78 rpm records at either 33 1/3 rpm or 45 rpm (even though the turntable does not offer 78 rpm). Once the track is recorded into Audacity, simply select all the track by clicking in the Track Panel (where the mute/solo buttons are) and click Effect > Change Speed. In the "From" box choose the speed you played the record at (e.g. "33 1/3" or "45") and in the "To" box choose the speed you want to convert the recording to (i.e. the speed it should be played at according to the label).

Where you are recording at a faster speed than normal e.g. recording a 33 1/3 rpm record at 45 rpm, it's recommended to set the sample rate in the Project Rate button bottom left of the Audacity window to a higher sample rate than 44.1kHz to ensure you record the full audio spectrum. For recording 33rpm records played at 45rpm, a sample rate of 60k or more is needed to record the full 20kHz spectrum. If 44.1k sample rate is used when recording, the final audio will be limited to 14.8kHz bandwidth.

Accelerated recording does not give the best sound quality, for two reasons:

First, the playback equalisation curve is being applied incorrectly in the record deck preamp. While correct for normal speed play, all music content is frequency shifted during accelerated play, and equalisation is therefore incorrect.

Secondly, cartridges behave poorly beyond 20kHz, and an accelerated deck is using the cartridge at up to 27kHz to play back audio content of up to 20kHz. Consequently distortion will rise, high frequency response will be more peaky, and generally the highest frequencies will be lost. How much of an issue this quality loss is depends on the cartridge, but it will always be present, with no cartridges giving as good performance to 27kHz as they do to 20kHz.

Special note on 78 rpm transfers

Where you are recording 78 rpm's, there is a problem in that the pre-amplification built into the turntable is designed for records made from the 1950s onwards. This is because the pre-amplification not only provides the necessary amplification for the cartridge signal that's sent to Audacity, but applies what is known as "RIAA playback equalisation" to it. This equalisation is essential when playing records made from the 1950s or later, as it cancels out the high frequency biassed "RIAA recording equalisation" that such records are cut with, and so makes them sound normal again. The problem is that as most 78 rpm records were not cut with such a strong high frequency bias, they therefore sound dull if played through modern equipment like your USB turntable that applies RIAA playback equalisation.

So to make a fully professional job of transferring your 78 rpm's you would be advised after recording to use Effect > Equalization in Audacity and draw and apply the reverse of the RIAA playback curve, that is, the green recording curve shown in the diagram here . This will cancel out the unwanted RIAA equalisation then you can apply one of the 78 rpm playback curve presets supplied with the Audacity Equaliser. Note that these curves are generic and in practice many different equalisations were used according to the record label or even the recording engineer. You can see turnover and rolloff information for many 78s and pre-RIAA labels here . (A PDF Reader such as Adobe  is needed to read this document.)

[edit] Troubleshooting

[edit] Turntable not recognised by operating system

If the USB audio codec is not recognised in Audacity's Recording Device list in the Audio I/O tab of Preferences, you cannot record from it. If you connected the turntable while Audacity was already running, try exiting Audacity and relaunching it. Make sure the turntable is plugged into the mains and switched on, and its USB cable is connected to the computer. Ensure you are plugging into a spare USB port, not a USB hub. Try a different USB port. Try using another USB cable - sometimes a faulty cable can cause this problem.

If that does not help follow, this sequence and reboot

1. Exit Audacity
2. Unplug all other USB devices (on Windows, use the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon in the System Tray)
3. Switch off and unplug the turntable at the USB connection and at the mains
4. Plug it back into the USB port, and switch it on
5. Wait a couple of minutes then completely shut down the computer and restart

When the computer has finished rebooting, open Audacity and see if the USB device is now in the Recording Device list.

If problems persist, request support from the turntable manufacturer.

[edit] White Noise

Sometimes "white noise" can smother the entire frequency range of the recording, or there can be other distortion. Remove the cartridge/headshell from the tonearm and reseat it tightly and securely. A loose cartridge is a known source of white noise. A poorly fitting or defective USB cable might also cause noise problems. Try a new USB cable and make sure both ends are tight.

[edit] No signal in one stereo channel

The most likely explanation is a loose cartridge/headshell. Remove the cartridge and headshell from the tonearm completely and reseat it tightly and securely. A loose or defective USB cable can also cause this problem. Try using another cable.

[edit] Recordings freeze up or have dropouts

Reports of recordings from USB turntables freezing or having dropouts are not that uncommon. Generally they are not caused by Audacity, but by poor quality equipment and cables, or lack of sufficient USB bandwidth.

• Check the Project Rate bottom left of the Audacity screen is set to either 44 100 or 48 000 Hz - setting a very high rate might overload the USB bandwidth and cause transmission problems

• Check the USB cable for tightness at both ends and try using a different cable instead

• Always use a spare USB port, not a hub

• Limit USB bandwidth whilst recording by using other USB devices sparingly e.g. simply disconnecting from the internet may help if you use a USB modem for internet access.

• Check for any system warnings (e.g. in Device Manager in Windows) about the Universal Serial Bus Controllers.

• There have been isolated reports that recordings freeze up if they are attempted whilst the unit's RCA cables are connected to an external input such as a home stereo, although concurrent recording and playing through external equipment is implied as being possible.

Generally, if you find you can record into Audacity without interruption from another source such as a microphone plugged into your computer's microphone port, this implicates the turntable or USB cable. To check if other sources record satisfactorily, change the Recording Device on the Audio I/O tab of Preferences to your inbuilt sound.

If recording from other sources works fine, try using the latest Beta version of Audacity if you are not already doing so: it's possible very recent turntables might work better with the most modern Audacity version. Otherwise, request support from the turntable manufacturer.

If recordings from sources other than the turntable are also freezing or have dropouts, there could be problems with insufficient computer resources. Please see our Managing Computer Resources and Drivers page for tips on correcting this. If you're using "software playthrough", it's also possible that problems with your inbuilt sound device (used to play back your recording whilst you are making it) are disrupting the recording. Please look at our list of tips on Updating Sound Device Drivers for help.

[edit] Speed too fast or slow or erratic

Note that some models of USB turntable e.g. Numark have a variable pitch slider which allows the pitch to be increased or decreased by up to 10%. In the Numark model the pitch is unchanged when the slider is at central position. When the slider is moved away from the centre and towards the tone arm the pitch is decreased (the platter is slowed down), and when the slider is moved away from the tone arm this increases the pitch (speeds up the platter.)

If the problem is one of fast speed, this can be due to a belt that is improperly installed. If the belt slips out of the groove when the turntable is rotating and is able to ride up or down on the spindle, the platter will spin too fast. You'll need to adjust the position of the belt on the inner ring of the platter. The inner ring of the platter is quite a bit wider than the belt itself. The belt should wrap around the middle part of the inner ring. If it is wrapped too high or too low around the inner ring, it could cause the other half of the belt to ride up or down on the spindle. Follow these steps to check the belt for proper alignment:

1. Remove both the record and the slip mat from the turntable.
2. Rotate the platter so that you can see the brass motor spindle through one of the holes in the platter (it should be located in the bottom-left corner of the turntable).
3. Reposition the belt so that it is wrapped around the spindle's groove.

If adjusting the belt or any variable pitch slider does not help, please request support from the turntable manufacturer.