Your Vinyl Transfer Workflow (sharing best needledrop practices)*

Thanks!

Audacity recording may be passing through PulseAudio because I notice the gain can be adjusted using PulseAudio Volume Control. I generally keep it at 0db in PulseAudio and adjust gain either using the Moto M2 or adjust after recording in Audacity.

With Playback, I hadn't noticed down-sampling because I have virtually no 96kHz files but I just checked with Clementine and you are correct - 96kHz files are output at 48kHz on the DAC.

I'm don't know much about how PulseAudio works but for fun I fiddled with the PA settings in /etc/pulse/daemon.conf and it is possible to output at 96kHz by changing default-sample-rate to 96000 - but that always sets the output to 96kHz - so I think its resampling unless the source is also 96kHz, You can also change the default resampling method (resample-method) and default depth (default-sample-format s24l). You need to kill (-k) and restart pulseausio (--start) after changing anything. I reset to the default settings after - output at 96kHz not an issue for me.

On my system I don't see a way in Audacious to select the hardware device directly. If set to ALSA it also appears to use the PulseAudio plugin - it shows up in the PA Volume Control tool as "ALSA plug-in [audacious]" .

 

Since Audacity doesn't show up in the PulseAudio volume control app during recording/playback, I don't think the actual audio passes through it. Moreover seeing as it's possible to record/play e.g. 24/96 files in Audacity with the default PulseAudio settings (which include 16 bit and 44.1 or 48 kHz only). The volume slider thing is just a minor annoyance for me, since it doesn't seem logical (I'm no expert either, maybe there's an explanation for this).

If you can keep the software levels at 0 dB (both for recording and playback), that's usually recommended for "bit-perfect" throughput (no software calculations being made with the audio).

I'm glad you found that out as well. The problem, as you've noticed, is that there's only two possible sample rates to set, so if you want to have hi-res playback you lose one of the basic (44100 or 48000) rates, which will get resampled instead. The bit depth I would leave at s24le as it will not negatively affect 16 bit file playback, as far as I know.

Here's a screenshot of my Audacious settings. The key is to select the "hw" entry for your DAC from the ALSA Options drop-down menu. On a second PC, with a different distro and different hardware, it works the same here, so I believe it should be possible for you as well.

 

Thanks - good to compare notes. I had another fiddle with the PA daemon.conf settings, setting default-sample-rate to 48000 and alternative-sample-rate to 96000 but that appeared to force all output to 48000. Ah well, I will leave them at default as it appears to give the result I need for 44.1 and 48kHz playback. It is not a big deal for me. I see there is another PA resample method of float32le.

Ok - I now see what you’re talking about. I now see numerous hw choices with ALSA on my setup. Good to know that’s available. I will have a play with that at some stage. For playback I’ll probably stick to Clementine for now because of its library management but fall back to Audacious for specific file playback now and again.

 

I'm new to needledropping but I have a lot of experience with audio. I have a record that's giving me some grief. Much of the surface noise is baked in and I've tried everything but ultrasonic to clear it. In fact the surface noise became brighter and clearer after cleaning.

I find this record has a slightly different noise profile every time I record it. Some ticks are louder, some are quieter, new ones appear and then disappear on the next run.

Is it possible that the stylus tracks slightly differently every run? Bumping into clicks one run and then glancing them the next? I also see lots of subtle variation in the waveform and channel balance between runs.

I'm guessing this is just part of running a diamond down a plastic trench but I'd like some confirmation so I don't drive myself nuts.

 

Does everything include a wood glue peel? The technique of spreading carpentry adhesive (Titebond II recommended) on the disc with a card, and peeling the dried skin and all the dirt off with it hours later.

Then if you did have a dirty record, you might now have a dirty stylus. Just light dips in melamine sponge (Magic Eraser) are enough to scratch off the crud that accumulates around the shoulder of the diamond tip.

 

I'll grant you I've not been desperate enough to try it. This record is actually in good condition compared to other samples I've bought, I don't want to risk making it worse. I did use Winyl, which works in a similar fashion but no doubt less effective.

Stylus and record are both obsessively clean. I'm 90% sure cleaning won't help this record, I'm more curious about why I get variations in the surface noise on different runs.

 

There's few explanations I could come up with for such behavior. Either you have the stylus pushing around little bits of grit that remain with each play, the stylus is chewing away at the vinyl groove with each play to create debris, or you have an unlikely phenomenon such as static electricity. Or it's just plain dusty there (carpet).

 

I've done about eight runs now. In Izotope's spectral view the majority of clicks line up perfectly between recordings. They're not changing position, but sometimes a particular click will be louder or quieter, sometimes significantly.

All the big pops are set in stone, never changing. It's the tiny clicks that seem to come and go.

I might be way off but I imagine there has to be minute variations in the stylus travel. I picture it sometimes clipping a noise peak, sometimes hitting it more directly. It's a one year old VM95ML btw. I have a brand new spare that I'm going to try out later this evening.

 

Try playing the record wet for your needledrop. Quiets the recording quite a bit. Use distilled water in a fine spray bottle.

 

I dunno... the Puffin is my phonostage and the NPC just functions as the ADC and saves to my PC (using VinylStudio).

 

I don't mind manually declicking for the needledrop. Still, I might try the wet play out of curiosity.

 

I once tried playing a record wet. It just made the record worse by essentially adding mud into the grooves and on the stylus.

 

The mud was always there. Now you could wash again after that stylus squeegee.

 

I'm having a fairly good experience doing my first needledrops so far. My only big issue is hum reduction. I don't know if it's my Rega turntable's funky grounding (probably) but I can hear the hum during quiet passages. Listening on my main system it's hardly noticeable but on the studio monitors I can clearly hear it.

The low end isn't a problem at all. Izotope can strip that out easily and effectively. It's the harmonic buzz further up the spectrum that I'm undecided about. Yes I can easily strip that out too but I worry that it will take some of the good stuff with it.

Is this a normal issue or do I need to start looking at a ground cable mod for my Rega?

 

Are you using spectral noise reduction taking a sample of the hum?

 

Yes. It works very well but I don't like the idea of having to do it. I've never had any other turntable so I don't know if this level of hum is normal. The fundamental 50hz (UK) hum is no problem at all, but the harmonics go all the way up the spectrum and manifest as a quiet but noticeable buzz.

 

Try taking a longer sample in spectral noise reduction. That way it may catch the harmonics

 

It does catch them. No issues there. I might be overthinking things but I'm concerned that I'm getting too much hum from my turntable.

 

I understand now. Some turntables have grounding and hum issues. A quick google search using your turntable model should give you a fix. Let us know what you find.

 

I solved my hum. I had an extension lead too close to my turntable. Such a dumb mistake. Hum is now vastly reduced and not an issue.

 

I want to add an audio interface to my setup so I can do needle drops. What's the best way to get it into the signal chain (currently TT -> separate phono -> integrated amp)? I would prefer not to add an RCA switch box or have to unplug my phono from my integrated and plug it into the audio interface, or vice versa, every time I want to switch from listening to recording. I guess that just leaves using the rec out on my integrated?

 

I use the "unplug from my integrated and plug into my audio interface" approach, personally. It's a little annoying but I figure the fewer devices in the signal chain the better.

 

That's the most convenient for sure. It's a fixed level output, so use an ADC with its own gain controls.

Cable you'll need for Scarlett or MOTU:
Amazon.com

 

I bought a Sonneteer Sedley USB phono to copy my huge LP collection. I had tried with a pro ject ADC and Audacity and I failed.

So sad, now I am moving far away and leaving thousands of albums behind. No time to digitize then or sell. A mountain not climed.

 

Send them to me I'll digitize them for you.