Transferring vinyl to PC, guitar very low in mix
Discussion
OutInTheShed said:
That sounds like a good tool.
Alternatively there are plenty of USB sound adaptors with a Mic input from about £3 up wards, which might do the trick of identifying whether the ADC/USB process is currently the problem.
If it's not a hardware problem in the ADC area, then maybe what needs to be established is what format the data over the USB takes (e.g. is it 16 bit 44.1 kHz pcm stereo or what?) and what exactly happens to it between the USB port of the PC and being saved as a file.
I have a vague suspicion the PC is munging the data into some 5.1 or 7 channel nonsense and it's not working!
If you can validate the data at the USB socket, then the problem must be downstream of that.
Basic methodical trouble shooting.
What happens if you try only grabbing one channel, i.e. Left or Right, while the other is disconnected?
What happens if you feed it mono, i.e. put the same signal into both channels?
What happens if you take the USB input from your PC and play it straight out through the PC's speakers rather than saving it as a file?
I'll have a go at doing the above and see what happens.Alternatively there are plenty of USB sound adaptors with a Mic input from about £3 up wards, which might do the trick of identifying whether the ADC/USB process is currently the problem.
If it's not a hardware problem in the ADC area, then maybe what needs to be established is what format the data over the USB takes (e.g. is it 16 bit 44.1 kHz pcm stereo or what?) and what exactly happens to it between the USB port of the PC and being saved as a file.
I have a vague suspicion the PC is munging the data into some 5.1 or 7 channel nonsense and it's not working!
If you can validate the data at the USB socket, then the problem must be downstream of that.
Basic methodical trouble shooting.
What happens if you try only grabbing one channel, i.e. Left or Right, while the other is disconnected?
What happens if you feed it mono, i.e. put the same signal into both channels?
What happens if you take the USB input from your PC and play it straight out through the PC's speakers rather than saving it as a file?
Well, I've found out how I'm getting the problem, but not why.
The USB output is only giving me the left channel. If I unplug the left input to the preamp (with built in USB) no sound comes out at all. If I unplug the right channel there is no difference to the sound I'm hearing.
Thanks OutInTheShed for suggesting this, I'd never have thought of it.
I've only tried one of my preamps, I'll try the other later. But, I'm not sure this will make any difference to my finding.
The USB output is only giving me the left channel. If I unplug the left input to the preamp (with built in USB) no sound comes out at all. If I unplug the right channel there is no difference to the sound I'm hearing.
Thanks OutInTheShed for suggesting this, I'd never have thought of it.
I've only tried one of my preamps, I'll try the other later. But, I'm not sure this will make any difference to my finding.
If this is unique to one (USB) device only, then it's likely that device is at fault (most likely a faulty ADC).
Have you checked the balance control in the Windows mixer / audio control panel options? It's unlikely to have changed by itself, but some software can control it as well, and if you've accidentally flipped it over to one channel in Audacity....
However you have said you've tried it on two different PCs and it's unlikely that this has happened with both...
Have you checked the balance control in the Windows mixer / audio control panel options? It's unlikely to have changed by itself, but some software can control it as well, and if you've accidentally flipped it over to one channel in Audacity....
However you have said you've tried it on two different PCs and it's unlikely that this has happened with both...
I've now tested the new cheap phono preamp with USB built in and it has the same problem.
Now I know what the problem is to google, no right channel, I've found many people with the same problem. None of whom seem to have found a solution, beyond the obvious like make sure Audacity is set to stereo record.
Can I ask on here again, has anybody actually used the USB input to get a proper recording?
TonyRPH, from your screen shots it appears you used line in, not USB. Is this the case?
Now I know what the problem is to google, no right channel, I've found many people with the same problem. None of whom seem to have found a solution, beyond the obvious like make sure Audacity is set to stereo record.
Can I ask on here again, has anybody actually used the USB input to get a proper recording?
TonyRPH, from your screen shots it appears you used line in, not USB. Is this the case?
uknick said:
<snip>
TonyRPH, from your screen shots it appears you used line in, not USB. Is this the case?
I mostly use USB for recording from records. I have a FocusRite 2i2 interface, as well as an Altor Olivine USB interface.TonyRPH, from your screen shots it appears you used line in, not USB. Is this the case?
The screenshots were from the PC I happened to be in front of at the time (I have 4) - but yes, USB works just fine.
In fact the sample recording I posted a couple of pages back was made via USB with HDOGG.
No (analogue) audio traverses USB, it's all digital at that stage, so it can't be a driver issue, and neither can it be a cable issue. It either works or it doesn't (in some cases it can stutter - but not play / record perfectly on one channel and nothing on the other).
TonyRPH said:
I mostly use USB for recording from records. I have a FocusRite 2i2 interface, as well as an Altor Olivine USB interface.
The screenshots were from the PC I happened to be in front of at the time (I have 4) - but yes, USB works just fine.
In fact the sample recording I posted a couple of pages back was made via USB with HDOGG.
No (analogue) audio traverses USB, it's all digital at that stage, so it can't be a driver issue, and neither can it be a cable issue. It either works or it doesn't (in some cases it can stutter - but not play / record perfectly on one channel and nothing on the other).
Thanks. I'll try HDOGG to see what happens. If no success I'll just have to use the line input on my old windows 7 PC The screenshots were from the PC I happened to be in front of at the time (I have 4) - but yes, USB works just fine.
In fact the sample recording I posted a couple of pages back was made via USB with HDOGG.
No (analogue) audio traverses USB, it's all digital at that stage, so it can't be a driver issue, and neither can it be a cable issue. It either works or it doesn't (in some cases it can stutter - but not play / record perfectly on one channel and nothing on the other).
uknick said:
I've now tried HDOGG and get the same problem. Looks like I'll stick to using the Line In on my windows 7 PC for the time being.
I didn't expect it to make any difference - it can only process the incoming audio stream, and if there's a channel missing from that...Did you check the balance control in the windows mixer (both recording and playback) to ensure it's not faded over to one side?
The fact that both of your USB interfaces are apparently working on one channel only suggests this might be a possibility (although the balance control is typically device specific, so it would be odd if both devices had the balance control swung over to one channel).
On the other hand, it would also be odd for both USB devices to have issues on the same channel.
Please check your mixer settings. Post screenshots.
uknick said:
Well, I've found out how I'm getting the problem, but not why.
The USB output is only giving me the left channel. If I unplug the left input to the preamp (with built in USB) no sound comes out at all. If I unplug the right channel there is no difference to the sound I'm hearing.
Thanks OutInTheShed for suggesting this, I'd never have thought of it.
I've only tried one of my preamps, I'll try the other later. But, I'm not sure this will make any difference to my finding.
What this is telling you is the left side overall is producing sound and the right isn’t. What this test on its own does not tell you is whether there is no input coming down the right cable or whether the right channel of the USB is the problem.The USB output is only giving me the left channel. If I unplug the left input to the preamp (with built in USB) no sound comes out at all. If I unplug the right channel there is no difference to the sound I'm hearing.
Thanks OutInTheShed for suggesting this, I'd never have thought of it.
I've only tried one of my preamps, I'll try the other later. But, I'm not sure this will make any difference to my finding.
If you plug the right side cable into the left input and get sound then you know it is the USB (inc mixer). If you get no sound you know it is the right side input cable. Apologies if you have already validated sound is coming down both input cables.
C4ME said:
What this is telling you is the left side overall is producing sound and the right isn’t. What this test on its own does not tell you is whether there is no input coming down the right cable or whether the right channel of the USB is the problem.
If you plug the right side cable into the left input and get sound then you know it is the USB (inc mixer). If you get no sound you know it is the right side input cable. Apologies if you have already validated sound is coming down both input cables.
No worries; I have done that.If you plug the right side cable into the left input and get sound then you know it is the USB (inc mixer). If you get no sound you know it is the right side input cable. Apologies if you have already validated sound is coming down both input cables.
The reason I think it is the USB and that alone is that a) when using the output connections to a normal amp works fine. When using the output with a 3.5mm into a PC line in it works fine.
TonyRPH said:
I didn't expect it to make any difference - it can only process the incoming audio stream, and if there's a channel missing from that...
Did you check the balance control in the windows mixer (both recording and playback) to ensure it's not faded over to one side?
The fact that both of your USB interfaces are apparently working on one channel only suggests this might be a possibility (although the balance control is typically device specific, so it would be odd if both devices had the balance control swung over to one channel).
On the other hand, it would also be odd for both USB devices to have issues on the same channel.
Please check your mixer settings. Post screenshots.
Is this what you meant for the recording device?Did you check the balance control in the windows mixer (both recording and playback) to ensure it's not faded over to one side?
The fact that both of your USB interfaces are apparently working on one channel only suggests this might be a possibility (although the balance control is typically device specific, so it would be odd if both devices had the balance control swung over to one channel).
On the other hand, it would also be odd for both USB devices to have issues on the same channel.
Please check your mixer settings. Post screenshots.
uknick said:
<snip>
The reason I think it is the USB and that alone is that a) when using the output connections to a normal amp works fine. When using the output with a 3.5mm into a PC line in it works fine.
The signal path inside the USB phono preamp will be as follows: (assuming the Project converter).The reason I think it is the USB and that alone is that a) when using the output connections to a normal amp works fine. When using the output with a 3.5mm into a PC line in it works fine.
So if the ADC has failed, you can lose one channel. But as I said in a previous post - it seems odd that you have two USB units with the same fault? Did I read your previous posts correctly?
TonyRPH said:
The signal path inside the USB phono preamp will be as follows: (assuming the Project converter).
So if the ADC has failed, you can lose one channel. But as I said in a previous post - it seems odd that you have two USB units with the same fault? Did I read your previous posts correctly?
You did. The fact I've changed all components in the chain is what's puzzling me. It's also been an issue for other people when I search for right sound channel missing.So if the ADC has failed, you can lose one channel. But as I said in a previous post - it seems odd that you have two USB units with the same fault? Did I read your previous posts correctly?
These are the options for the USB preamp plugged in. I notice that the levels menu does not give me a screen for balance, unlike the one I posted yesterday for the Realtek input device.
The USB also defaults to a microphone device, not stereo mix. The microphone advanced options screen does show 2 channel input as default format options.
Might this be the problem as it only expects a mono microphone input? Can I change it to be a stereo mix device?
uknick said:
These are the options for the USB preamp plugged in. I notice that the levels menu does not give me a screen for balance, unlike the one I posted yesterday for the Realtek input device.
The USB also defaults to a microphone device, not stereo mix. The microphone advanced options screen does show 2 channel input as default format options.
This is normal although I'm not sure why it's regarded as a microphone device. What drivers are you using? Did Project provide drivers with the preamp?The USB also defaults to a microphone device, not stereo mix. The microphone advanced options screen does show 2 channel input as default format options.
I wouldn't rely on the default Windows drivers for the device
uknick said:
Might this be the problem as it only expects a mono microphone input? Can I change it to be a stereo mix device?
Have you checked the Project website for drivers?
https://www.project-audio.com/en/downloads/
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