Needledrop recording help (guess my problem)

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by DetroitDoomsayer, May 15, 2018.

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  1. missan

    missan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm
    Doesn´t matter if it´s a new problem. Something has for some reason changed, and it´s clipping pre volume control. It´s rather common.
     
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  2. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Exactly. I troubleshoot issues all day. 99% of people say the same thing. Fact is, problems can occur at a moment's notice. For instance, my wireless keyboard decided to die, yesterday. It doesn't matter that it worked for years prior to that. It won't change anything to fixate on that.
     
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  3. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Have you tried the different Comp option? RIAA and LP, I believe. Try the other and see if there's any difference.

    Have you tried the 2nd phono input? I also see Tape and Tape HD. What's the difference between these two and have you tried the 2nd one?

    Also, in Windows... have you verified that no Line-In input so-called "enhancements" are enabled? The pic below is just as a reference.

    [​IMG]

    If your soundcard is from Creative Labs (from the Sound Blaster line), they also have their own Control Panel applet which would have additional settings. By default, enhancements are enabled. Updates tend to re-enable those as well. Worth checking out, IMHO.
     
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  4. DetroitDoomsayer

    DetroitDoomsayer Forum Middle Child Thread Starter

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    Yep, I've tried phono 2 / tape out (current) Tape HD (haven't tried)

    Sound card is Realtek. I get no clickable/unclickable options under the enhancement tab.
     
  5. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Verify that your speakers are set up as full-range. If they aren't, it's possible the input would be cut appropriately.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Aside from that, you might want to look at Windows Updates performed automatically when you started experiencing that issue. WU can occasionally also update your audio drivers which might be the reason why you're experiencing this problem now.

    Alternatively, you also have the option of using System Restore and restoring your PC back to a time more than 2 months ago when you did not experience this problem.
     
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  6. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    Realtek has its own driver that should be used for more control. Download and install the "Realtek HD Audio Codec" driver offered by the vendor for the onboard audio chipset, and you will have more record mixer options offering more control, and be able to see if something is incorrectly configured. (Link to another forum).

    This terribly narrated video at least shows you the separate mixer for record and playback available in the fully featured driver (XP worked correctly before Microsoft gutted OS sound features to add a secure audio path to appease Blu-Ray):


    Windows 10 of course foists its own driver library on you, and the periodic updates of Windows that take hours to install are actually a re-install of the operating system that doesn't preserve your advanced customization options or preferences (like preferring not to have ads delivered by your operating system).
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2018
    anorak2 likes this.
  7. ClausH

    ClausH Senior Member

    Location:
    Denmark
  8. DetroitDoomsayer

    DetroitDoomsayer Forum Middle Child Thread Starter

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    I'm still running Windows 8.1. Will check out drivers.

    Will check after work.
     
  9. DetroitDoomsayer

    DetroitDoomsayer Forum Middle Child Thread Starter

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    Thanks, I'll read that after work.
     
  10. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    The DR-07 does not have the problem with line in selected. I use one daily! And use the line in. Plenty of gain without being excessive. The DR-05 did have the problem.
     
  11. I think just about every issue has been covered.
     
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  12. WestGrooving

    WestGrooving Forum Resident

    Location:
    California, U.S.A
    If you plug a CD player (or any device with a line out) into your computer line in, does it do the same thing as using your McIntosh?
     
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  13. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    From everything I've read: This is not a source problem. It is not a sound card problem. It is a WINDOWS problem. Remember that the windows you used today is very likely NOT the same windows you'll use tomorrow. If possible, I don't know what is or what isn't anymore, but I would try "rolling back" windows to a previous version. Working in computer sound is how I make a living, so I know a little about it. Just a little.
     
    Comet01 likes this.
  14. I've never heard of plain cables amplifying or boosting sound. If there is something wrong with your cables I would expect lack of a signal or reduced volume. Shorted or open cables could cause a buzz.
    I use a specific add-on program to do my needledrops, which records directly to my external hard drive as a wav file at 32/48. As I stated before, I use a USB interface and bypass my computer's sound card. Even at that, there is volume control adjustment in the recording program as well as the mixing board which includes a pre-amp. The main TT I use does not have a pre-amp. If you record through your sound card, it also has level adjustments. Computer hardware or software may get updates and all the initial settings may change and/or go back to an initial base setting. Check all components in your recording chain.
    I use multiple different cartridges mounted in universal headshells, like your 1200 uses. I use these different cartridges to match the kind of record I am playing at the time. Each cartridge has a different output level, so I have to readjust the input level. Like, I could be using one of my Shure M97xe's(low output) and then if I change to a Pickering NP/AC(high output), if I don't reset the levels my recording will look like your graph or even higher. I have my mixing board to peak at -4.
    To me, it is apparent that something has changed in your recording chain and/or some settings have changed.
     
  15. psulioninks

    psulioninks Forum Resident

    Location:
    KC Chiefs Kingdom
    Are you sure Windows didn't do an update to your machine that could have messed something up?

    I had one Windows update that basically rendered my laptop useless for performing rips. I had to reinstall a previous version as the rollback was no longer available. After I did that, everything was fine again.

    Since then, I have not had any issues with updates - but **** does happen and different hardware deals with software differently.
     
    arisinwind likes this.
  16. DetroitDoomsayer

    DetroitDoomsayer Forum Middle Child Thread Starter

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    PROBLEM SOLVED! Thanks to all for your suggestions (everyone was wrong :D:):p:righton::laugh:) Including me!

    Here's tonight's drop of the same track again:
    [​IMG]

    IT WAS THE McINTOSH ALL ALONG!!

    I swapped out the amp with my Yamaha A-S500 and, voilà no more overload!

    :goodie:

    Now I'm going to have to have the McIntosh serviced.
     
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  17. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Glad you found the cause. That's why I was focusing on the McIntosh. It was the most likely culprit. Wish it had been as easy as changing a setting but your McIntosh will probably end up sounding better than it ever has once it gets back from the shop.

    So there's that. :)
     
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  18. DetroitDoomsayer

    DetroitDoomsayer Forum Middle Child Thread Starter

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    AND, there's an authorized McIntosh service center just a few miles from me!
     
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  19. When you get it serviced let us know what the issue was.
     
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  20. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    And also how it sounds compared to what you're used to! :D
     
    arisinwind likes this.
  21. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I'm glad it is resolved - for now.
     
  22. hlennarz

    hlennarz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    I have the same issue (line input too hot) with the EVGA NuAudio soundcard. Is there anything I can do in the mixer software to lower the input volume ? If I just lower the recording level in the mixer from 100% down to let's say 90% or 80%, I get flat tops at -1, -2 and so on, but no fix.
    Now this only happens with very loud records in general, but i'd like to take advantage of the higher dynamic range with those and not be clipping like a CD. :(

    Sucks since the soundcard cost me 250€ and apart from this issue I really love it.

    My Setup:
    Dual CS-750 with Audiotechnica 440mlb -> Musical Fidelity V90-LPS Pre-Amp (wich has no gain control, only a MC/MM switch wich is set to MM) -> EVGA NuAudio line input.

    I could go back to an Art DJ-PreII preamp (wich has a gain control), but i'd like to keep the Musical Fidelity. It overall sounds richer.

    If I have to get an inline atenuator (I really don't want to introduce more components in the path to the soundcard... but as a worst case solution:), can anyone recommend a good quality one that won't degrade the signal ?
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2019
  23. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    So... never heard back. How does it sound si ce it's been repaired? Even better than before?
     
  24. DetroitDoomsayer

    DetroitDoomsayer Forum Middle Child Thread Starter

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    too poor to get the repair at this time.

    Still using my Yamaha.
     
  25. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    You don't say what recording software, interface, or even operating system you are using. The best way to record would be via ASIO, so you can get bit-perfect input.

    Set all the levels in their mixer to the default. Then go into "Sound" in the Windows control panel. Choose the "recording" tab. Scroll to find the line-in (might be labeled "Aux", etc). Double-click to open. On the "advanced" tab, see that sampling rate is at your recording rate, then go to the "levels" tab, and see if this level affects the clipped sound differently.

    This card is not as impressive as their marketing would wish it to be (for starters, claiming that hacking a USB audio interface into a card with a PCIe bridge chip is a "feature"). It is unlikely there is any analog attenuation before the input to the ADC, given that there is only a OPA1652 (likely used as mic amp), mute transistors omitted on the actual card, and unreadable tiny buffer ICs.

    Default analog input to 0dB of this chip is +/- 2.8 V, but the buffers could boost that higher, or poor implementation of the reference voltages could alter that. You'd want to see that the software levels described above aren't adding digital boost.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2019
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