Turntable cables.

Just bought a new CDJ and mixer and last night after setting it all up I nearly blew my speakers! The volume from the line in (CDJ) compared to the phono (turntable) is phenomenal. At least 20 times louder i.e. With channel gain all the way up with TT, my interface just hits the red and with the CDJ I attain the same volume with the gain at about 5%.

Is this just because line input it generally louder or is it because of my TT cables? I have KAM decks (so cheap and crappy) and the cable is the same. But the cDJ is only a Numark model and comes with an equally shitty cable.

I'm gonna get some new cables to check. Can't find any middle of the road though. Feat page on Google images shows real crappy or real expensive (£199 for 1 metre )

What do you mothertruckers use?

Cheers

Mods if there's a more appropriate forum please move this thread.

I don't understand a lot about it, but your TT/phono pre amp might have been consumer level(-10 dbV), and the CDJ's might be pro audio level (+4 dbU). The article here says that the difference is an 11.79dB difference. 10db usually seems around twice as loud, so that might explain. I might be way off, but this is what I would assume.

As for cables....what type of cables are you wanting? Does the CDJ have 1/4'' stereo outputs? If so, just build your own. Grab some Mogami or similar wire, Neutrik ends, and solder them up. You can have a $40-50 cable for $10 if you do it yourself.

www.redco.com is a good place in the US for cable, they might ship internationally or there may be a similar source in the UK.....I'm sure that there is.

I don't think that the RCA cables will be the cause of the issue, or that new cables will make any difference.

Do the turntables have a phono or line level output?

Are you running the turntable into a phono preamp, or straight into a computer audio interface?

A turntable phono output will be a lot lower level than a line output from a CDJ, unless you run the phono output through a phono preamp, to bring the level up to a line level output, and to send the signal through an RIAA de-empahsis EQ curve to make it sound right.

Sirparksalot, thanks for your response and link. Will have a read through.

The DIY cable is a no go because A) I don't own a solder iron and B) I'm a lazy shit.

It is interesting about the difference in DB though.

I was just after some £20-30 phono cables (with ground) to see if there's an improvement in volume.

@simon. I have my TTs and CDJ going into my mixer (which I assume has a preamp) and the mixer going into my tascam interface, which in turn is connected to my Monitors.

No idea what you're talking about in your last paragraph

No, different RCA cables will not change the volume.

mastasteez wrote:@simon. I have my TTs and CDJ going into my mixer (which I assume has a preamp) and the mixer going into my tascam interface, which in turn is connected to my Monitors.

No idea what you're talking about in your last paragraph

What sort of mixer are the TT and CDJ outputs connected to, before the interface?

Is the TT connected to a phono input on the mixer, and the CDJ connected to a line level input on the mixer?

A phono output is a different signal to a line level output. As well as being a lot lower in level, a phono output needs to have a preset EQ curve applied to it, to make it sound the way it should, this is only applied in a phono preamp, which means that the input has to be specifically designated as a phono input on the mixer.

SimonInAustralia wrote:No, different RCA cables will not change the volume.

mastasteez wrote:@simon. I have my TTs and CDJ going into my mixer (which I assume has a preamp) and the mixer going into my tascam interface, which in turn is connected to my Monitors.

No idea what you're talking about in your last paragraph

1)What sort of mixer are the TT and CDJ outputs connected to, before the interface?

2) Is the TT connected to a phono input on the mixer, and the CDJ connected to a line level input on the mixer?

A phono output is a different signal to a line level output. As well as being a lot lower in level, a phono output needs to have a preset EQ curve applied to it, to make it sound the way it should, this is only applied in a phono preamp, which means that the input has to be specifically designated as a phono input on the mixer.

1) Numark M3

2) Exactimondo

I'll bring the stereo upstairs tomorrow and see if there is a difference usin that as an output instead of the interface.

Can you send the TT into channel 1, and the CDJ into channel 2, so that you can leave the gain set at the appropriate level on each?

Or do you have more than one input to each channel, two turntables for example, so you have to switch between TT and CDJ on the one channel/gain setting?

So, the M3 phono input can be switched on the rear panel, to either phono or line.

You could run the TT, that is on the same M3 channel as the CDJ, though a phono preamp of some sort, to bring it up to line level, and switch the M3 phono input that the TT preamp is plugged into to line instead of phono, and hopefully be able to get a closer matching line level into that M3 channel as compared to the level coming into the same M3 channel from the CDJ.

Or, use a pad on the CDJ inputs to that M3 channel, to try and bring the CDJ output level down, and therefore the M3 channel gain level up, to more closely match the gain level required between the TT and the CDJ on the same M3 channel.

SimonInAustralia wrote:Can you send the TT into channel 1, and the CDJ into channel 2, so that you can leave the gain set at the appropriate level on each?

Or do you have more than one input to each channel, two turntables for example, so you have to switch between TT and CDJ on the one channel/gain setting?

I have 2 TTs, each going into channel 1 & 2 phono and CDJ going into to channel 2 line. I might have to just use 1 TT and 1 CDJ on each channel for the time being until I can do something more like your last post.

I understand line level will be louder but am amazed at the difference. With Chanel gain and master gain all the way up, the phono level doesn't get close to red on the mixer but the line level hits red at 30% channel gain and master gain reduced.

Cheers for all your help Simon