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From: jw on 12 May 2010 05:59


Paul - I still can't get sound from phono preamp input.
I have a second computer (ASUS M3A78-CM), so I thought I would try it.
It has XP SP3 too. It does the same thing as stated below - which is
a repeat from my prior post.

What I want to do is copy music from vinyl player to CD,
The player is connected to a TC-750LC phono preamp.
The preamp is connected to the computer.
I have tried both microphone and line in.
I am using Golden Records to do the converting,
I get no sound from the vinyl player to convert!

In desperation, I tested things by connecting my microphone to the
computer and used MS's Sound Recorder to hopefully record my voice.
(I thought to eliminate the possibility that the TC-750LC phono preamp
is bad.)
Nada. No voice recorded.

I can play video and audio disks on this computer fine.
I can make sounds in ControlPanel>SoundAndAudioDevices>Sounds fine,
I do NOT have a second sound card installed.

This worked a few months ago, Now it does not.

Whatever I am doing wrong I am still doing it. I must be missing some
basic element in the setups, I'm thinking. But what?

Duke
From: Paul on 12 May 2010 08:26
jw(a)eldorado.com wrote:
>
> Paul - I still can't get sound from phono preamp input.
> I have a second computer (ASUS M3A78-CM), so I thought I would try it.
> It has XP SP3 too. It does the same thing as stated below - which is
> a repeat from my prior post.
>
> What I want to do is copy music from vinyl player to CD,
> The player is connected to a TC-750LC phono preamp.
> The preamp is connected to the computer.
> I have tried both microphone and line in.
> I am using Golden Records to do the converting,
> I get no sound from the vinyl player to convert!
>
> In desperation, I tested things by connecting my microphone to the
> computer and used MS's Sound Recorder to hopefully record my voice.
> (I thought to eliminate the possibility that the TC-750LC phono preamp
> is bad.)
> Nada. No voice recorded.
>
> I can play video and audio disks on this computer fine.
> I can make sounds in ControlPanel>SoundAndAudioDevices>Sounds fine,
> I do NOT have a second sound card installed.
>
> This worked a few months ago, Now it does not.
>
> Whatever I am doing wrong I am still doing it. I must be missing some
> basic element in the setups, I'm thinking. But what?
>
> Duke

Have you verified the preamp is working ? Try
connecting it to a line level (1 volt level) into
your stereo, to verify the signal is there. A
preamp should take the 2-3mV of a magnetic phono
input, and make a level of around 1 volt from it.
(I'm not an audiophile, so don't know the precisely
correct value expected, but it should be in that
ballpark.)

http://www.phonopreamps.com/images/TC-750dB.jpg

The computer inputs are not sensitive enough to use
a 2 millivolt signal. A computer input might work with
a ceramic phono cartridge, with the microphone boost
turned on. But magnetic cartridge output is a bit
too small, as the computer doesn't have enough gain
for the job. So your preamp is the thing to use.

If you have a Walkman or other kind of music player,
connect a 1/8" cable from it, to the Line In or Mic In
on the computer. (The jack you were using for the preamp.)
Then, make sure the Line In or Mic In, in the Mixer control
panel in Windows, is not muted, so that you can hear the
sound on the lead. Move the slider to the top. Verify
your Wave and Master have the slider moved up as well.

Doing that, is to rule out things like bad cables, or
bad analog I/O somewhere.

For a free sound recorder, you can try Audacity, which can
record from more than one port on your computer. But it is
harder to use than other sound software, so this isn't
necessarily going to be that easy to use to verify things
either. The interface leaves something to be desired. It
has an input level meter, if you can find the icon that
enables it.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

I had just as much fun in Linux, getting stuff like that
to work. It doesn't seem to matter who does sound, there
just seem to be too many controls, and not enough
GUI assistance in getting stuff working (like graphical
level meters, to hint at where the signal might be).

Paul
From: jw on 12 May 2010 12:21
On Wed, 12 May 2010 08:26:26 -0400, Paul <nospam(a)needed.com> wrote:


>
>Have you verified the preamp is working ?

No, I have not. It has a red light on it, and it is on when power
is, I bought the preamp new a few months back and used it some,
Then it just sat unused, for about a month. So it really should be
fine,

>Try
>connecting it to a line level (1 volt level) into
>your stereo, to verify the signal is there. A
>preamp should take the 2-3mV of a magnetic phono
>input, and make a level of around 1 volt from it.
>(I'm not an audiophile, so don't know the precisely
>correct value expected, but it should be in that
>ballpark.)
>
>http://www.phonopreamps.com/images/TC-750dB.jpg

Yeh, I saw this diagram yesterday. I pulled this vinyl player from
my home theater which is in the far end of my house, so I can play
with it in my computer in this opposite end of my house. I guess I
can pull my Onkyo out of my cabinet so I can get to the RCA plugs in
the rear. I hate to though. Of course, the Onkyo has its own pre-amp
so I wonder if my little TC-750LC phono preamp will show me anything.

>
>The computer inputs are not sensitive enough to use
>a 2 millivolt signal. A computer input might work with
>a ceramic phono cartridge, with the microphone boost
>turned on. But magnetic cartridge output is a bit
>too small, as the computer doesn't have enough gain
>for the job. So your preamp is the thing to use.

That's why I bought it.
>
>If you have a Walkman or other kind of music player,
>connect a 1/8" cable from it, to the Line In or Mic In
>on the computer. (The jack you were using for the preamp.)
>Then, make sure the Line In or Mic In, in the Mixer control
>panel in Windows, is not muted, so that you can hear the
>sound on the lead. Move the slider to the top. Verify
>your Wave and Master have the slider moved up as well.

I don't have a Walkman or the like, but I would think I could do what
you describe from an old VHS player, if I can just find music or other
audio.
>
>Doing that, is to rule out things like bad cables, or
>bad analog I/O somewhere.
>
>For a free sound recorder, you can try Audacity, which can
>record from more than one port on your computer. But it is
>harder to use than other sound software, so this isn't
>necessarily going to be that easy to use to verify things
>either. The interface leaves something to be desired. It
>has an input level meter, if you can find the icon that
>enables it.I

I used 'Golden Records' when things worked before. I will look at
Audacity though,
>
>http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
>
>I had just as much fun in Linux, getting stuff like that
>to work. It doesn't seem to matter who does sound, there
>just seem to be too many controls, and not enough
>GUI assistance in getting stuff working (like graphical
>level meters, to hint at where the signal might be).
>
> Paul
TX
Duke
From: kony on 12 May 2010 15:20
On Tue, 11 May 2010 14:55:41 -0400, jw(a)eldorado.com wrote:

>I haven't used sound input on my computer for a long while. It used
>to work, Now, despite the fact that I get sound fine when playing a
>video DVD, I get no sound when I use my microphone . As a simple
>test, I executed MS's 'sound recorder' and tried to record my voice.
>Nothing, I checked the mobo manual to assure that my microphone was
>connected right, and it is. I checked sounds in Control
>Panel>Sounds, and I get sounds fine.
>
>I must have forgotten something crucial to this operation, Anyone
>suggest what I missed?
>
>Duke


Try checking the Windows Control Panel "Sounds and Audio
Devices" controls, aka Windows Mixer controls. Where you
have the "Mic Volume" slider, see if there is an "Advanced"
button at the bottom and if so, click on it.

Doing so should bring up a window with an "Other Controls"
category at the bottom and a box you should (for the time
being at least) checkmark for "Mic Boost".

Also do as Paul suggested and per your reply, hook up
another audio source like the VCR and play any tape you have
with audio on it, which I would think is most of them.
From: jw on 12 May 2010 17:28
On Wed, 12 May 2010 15:20:58 -0400, kony <spam(a)spam.com> wrote:

>On Tue, 11 May 2010 14:55:41 -0400, jw(a)eldorado.com wrote:
>
>>I haven't used sound input on my computer for a long while. It used
>>to work, Now, despite the fact that I get sound fine when playing a
>>video DVD, I get no sound when I use my microphone . As a simple
>>test, I executed MS's 'sound recorder' and tried to record my voice.
>>Nothing, I checked the mobo manual to assure that my microphone was
>>connected right, and it is. I checked sounds in Control
>>Panel>Sounds, and I get sounds fine.
>>
>>I must have forgotten something crucial to this operation, Anyone
>>suggest what I missed?
>>
>>Duke
>
>
>Try checking the Windows Control Panel "Sounds and Audio
>Devices" controls, aka Windows Mixer controls. Where you
>have the "Mic Volume" slider, see if there is an "Advanced"
>button at the bottom and if so, click on it.
>
>Doing so should bring up a window with an "Other Controls"
>category at the bottom and a box you should (for the time
>being at least) checkmark for "Mic Boost".

I never found Mic Boost.
>
>Also do as Paul suggested and per your reply, hook up
>another audio source like the VCR and play any tape you have
>with audio on it, which I would think is most of them.

Did this, and the sound track from 'Top Gun' sounds great!
Connecting the phono player to the preamp and the latter's output to
same 'line in' on computer produced nothing,
Now what?
Duke
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