Turntable Troubleshoot

SimonInAustralia wrote:

fluxsta wrote:For some reason my input signal is really really low from my turntables but the input gain on MPC maxes out to red even at low levels?

If your signal is hitting red on the MPC Software Sample Record meters, then the signal is not really really low from your turntables.

Are you actually getting strong looking levels on the level meter in the Sample Record mode?

If so, in what way is the signal really really low? When you are listening to it in Sample Record mode, when you assign it to a pad and play it back, etc.?

Hello mate, sorry didn't really make myself clear did I?

Ok, my signal path is like this:

Turntable set up as usual decks through Urei mixer. Master OUT from Urei mixer goes through a channel on my Yamaha desk. MPC sound goes through Mac via USB, which also has it's own channel.

Urei OUT (BOOTH) to MPC Renaissance RCA Phono IN. REC Gain on MPC hardware is set fine. MAIN VOLUME on MPC has no function as i am not using the Stereo Outs. I get string signals from Urei mixer, through Yamaha desk, red light on MPC Ren. In sample record mode I only get a signal as the decks are through my Yamaha desk and the fader needs to be up for that, but I have to be sure not to get feedback loop if Mac fader and decks fader is up at same time.
Anyway, all levels fine, record sample, but the output is weak and volume low, which means that every sample has to be normalised via the software?

There is something wrong with my signal path i am sure of it.

fluxsta wrote:Urei OUT (BOOTH) to MPC Renaissance RCA Phono IN.

Don't think it is causing your problems, but the Booth output would probably be a line level output, not phono, so you should plug it into a line input on the MPC, instead of a phono input.

fluxsta wrote:Anyway, all levels fine, record sample, but the output is weak and volume low, which means that every sample has to be normalised via the software?

If you are getting good strong level meters on the MPC Software Sample Record page, while recording, then normalising the samples after recording shouldn't make much difference.


Do other samples play back at a decent volume?

If you open those other samples, if they play back at a decent volume, in the MPC Software Sample Edit page, and compare them to your newly recorded vinyl samples, do they look similar in terms of the amplitude of the waveform?

That's how I was trying to explain it. Ha ha No, the amplitude of the waveform is always low despite levels being ok. Will switch booth output to a line level and see if that makes a difference.

Other sounds are cool, it's only when sampling from vinyl

fluxsta wrote:That's how I was trying to explain it. Ha ha No, the amplitude of the waveform is always low despite levels being ok.

Are the levels in the MPC Software Sample Record page reaching near the top of the meter, or are you talking about levels in the Urei mixer?

If they are getting good levels on the Sample Record page, then I would expect that you should also see good levels in the waveform display in the Sample Edit page.