Sampling Vinyl and how to optimize the best Sound Quality

Good day

Im trying to understand how to record a sample from vinyl that is at least very close to the sound quality of the vinyl as it plays through my turntable.

So basically there is a huge drop off in sound quality when I compare my recorded sample to the record player.

I think the problem lies within my REC GAIN and MASTER volume. im not clear on what level to put my REC GAIN in relation to my MASTER volume.

Is there a chapter in the manual that covers how to get the best quality RECORD SIGNAL

Thanks for the tips

You'll need to describe your setup in detail for anybody to give you any serious pointers. It's entirely possible that you just have a volume/gain issue that is making you think the quality of the sample is different, but the MPC converters are incredibly transparent to my ears.

Personally though, what I'd want to know is if you have a setup such as

Record Player -> Phono Mixer -> MPC -> Speakers

With this setup, you *should* be hearing the same content that you play from the record as what you sample, and if there is a difference it *ought* to be just adjusting the gain on the sample.

If however you are listening to the records in a different audio path than your sampling, then you may hear differences in signal paths, differences in speakers, or other options.

I think you are describing my set up correctly

Record Player -> MPCX -> Speaker. Not sure what a phono mixer is. Im assuming the phono mixer is inside the MPCX

Ive played around with the gain and I still can't come close to the sound of the record player when I record a sample. Mind you the vinyl I am sampling is very old but in my mind I should be able to get something close. Perhaps the problem is that Im not sure what to set the Gain relative to my master volume.

Also im not exactly sure how my Direct/Main knob factors into everything. What exactly does the monitoring Botton do and why do I get feedback when I turn it on while a record is playing

frequently when you are using vinyl you need some kind of amplifier/mixer to get the vinyl phono level to line level. The MPC does have phono inputs, so I imagine that you are using that to amplify the signal, or your record player outputs at line level.

Regardless, if you are using Direct/Main, Direct is allowing the signal to go through (monitoring) without being processed through the MPC. If you have both Direct set, and you have sample monitoring turned on within the MPC when you are sampling, then you are in effect, doubling up the volume of the audio because you have what you are sampling, as well as what you are monitoring... so it is playing the same audio twice. It sounds like this may be one issue to consider.

Also, you need to check your program volume that you are assigning your sample to. If you go into the Program menu, and check the master tab, it may say something other than 0db... which is normal volume... anything else it may be playing louder or quieter.

Beyond that... I'd probably need much more information about what you are doing, there's a lot of places to adjust volume beyond the program, master output volume, mixer volume, possible effects in programs causing issues... there's a lot of things that you may have setup and configured, and you'd need to chase them all down.

Good luck!

NearTao wrote:Regardless, if you are using Direct/Main, Direct is allowing the signal to go through (monitoring) without being processed through the MPC. If you have both Direct set, and you have sample monitoring turned on within the MPC when you are sampling, then you are in effect, doubling up the volume of the audio because you have what you are sampling, as well as what you are monitoring... so it is playing the same audio twice. It sounds like this may be one issue to consider.

I am pretty tired right now so I might be off but wouldn't having both the monitor and the main input at the same time just cause a feedback loop?

Thanks NearTao, my program volume was not at. 0db

Scrawny wrote:

NearTao wrote:Regardless, if you are using Direct/Main, Direct is allowing the signal to go through (monitoring) without being processed through the MPC. If you have both Direct set, and you have sample monitoring turned on within the MPC when you are sampling, then you are in effect, doubling up the volume of the audio because you have what you are sampling, as well as what you are monitoring... so it is playing the same audio twice. It sounds like this may be one issue to consider.

I am pretty tired right now so I might be off but wouldn't having both the monitor and the main input at the same time just cause a feedback loop?

Depends on how it was wired... but the direct is basically a straight passthrough on the MPC X, so unless there was some kind of goofy feedback loop wired in, then no, it shouldn't cause that. Though I suppose things may have changed, but when I had an X a few years back I never had that kind of problem when messing with Direct and Monitoring.

@Terrico did you have the grounding cable from your turntable hooked up to the X? If not, that could also be (part of) the problem.

Good luck resolving this issue, must be really frustrating.

@Terrico: What turntable model do you use?

I am still getting a poor quality sample. I guess my problem is im not clear on what GAIN 1, GAIN 2, DIRECT/MAIN knob does and how this will effect the sound quality of a recorded sample.

When I record a sample from vinyl where should these knobs(GAIN 1, GAIN 2, DIRECT/MAIN) be positioned?
What knobs will have a direct effect on the recording levels?
When I turn the master volume down I loose my signal, can I record a sample without having my master volume turn up?

I would like to be able to listen and sample vinyl using headphones without having to turn up the master volume to record. Is that possible.

I am reading the manual to help understand what each knob does but I am clearly missing something lol

Thanks guys

NearTao said

If however you are listening to the records in a different audio path than your sampling, then you may hear differences in signal paths, differences in speakers, or other options.

Can someone clarify?

So... I haven't had my X for at least two (maybe three?) years now... so I'm going from memory...

GAIN 1 controls the volume of whatever you have on input 1
GAIN 2 controls the volume of whatever you have on input 2

Assuming you have the record player hooked up to input 1/2 for a left and right stereo image... the pair of knobs will adjust how loud your left and right record player channels are individually, regardless if you are mapping them to DIRECT/MAIN.


This is what the manual says:



The DIRECT/MAIN knob is adjust how much of the audio is passed through directly to the speakers versus how much is going out to your MAIN output processed by the MPC. Possibly another way to think about it is DIRECT is for 0 latency monitoring to hear what the instrument is playing but not what the MPC is hearing. With your output set to MAIN it will be playing only what the MPC is hearing. You'll know this is working if you go to SAMPLER mode, make sure monitoring is OFF, and you can see the db meter moving. From here you can adjust your GAIN 1 and GAIN 2 (or for your own sanity, just use the GAIN 3/4 and 3/4 inputs), until it is close to peaking above 0db, but doesn't quite touch it. Personally I usually try and hit between 6db to 3db so I don't get into the digital clipping space.

From there, then sample away, and when you are done sampling, go into SAMPLE EDIT, and use PROCESS to normalize your samples.

My guess is that if you are setting to DIRECT, or a mix of DIRECT/MAIN (but not 100% MAIN), what you may be hearing is not what the MPC is actually hearing as it goes through subtle different circuits and processing, or may be doubling up (ie playing your audio twice) your audio.

That's about all I can think to mention... good luck!

I'm just wondering if it's a phono pre-amp thing. I go direct into my studio monitors (via my RME Babyface Pro analog line inputs) from my Audio Technica LP120X when I'm listening to tunes, but run my LP120X line outputs into my MPC Live II's line inputs as well, so I'm always using my LP120X's built-in phono pre-amp. There is no difference in sound when I sample compared to when I casually listen. I've never used the phono pre-amp built-in to my MPC Live II.

I'm not sure how the phono vs line in would compare, but it shouldn't make a noticeable difference between the monitored and recorded input. I'm guessing that the difference is in what is being heard because it is either doubled, or otherwise louder for some reason, and not that there is a fundamental difference in the quality of the recording vs what is being played.

Or there is something that I'm missing and don't understand from the description

can I still chat on this topic here or should I open a new chat same topic. im still getting a brutal sounding sample and I want to go over my set up again in detail