Vinyl Audio

Equipment => Vinyl Ripping and Archiving => Topic started by: BSD2000 on December 16, 2012, 02:48:06 AM

Title: Setting Recording Levels
Post by: BSD2000 on December 16, 2012, 02:48:06 AM
I just thought I'd post a picture of what I use to set my recording levels:

[attachimg=1]

It's a GW 1Mhz Audio Generator, model GAG-808G. I bought it off eBay years ago, mainly for calibrating car audio installations.

The output goes to a single cable with two RCA jacks, wired in mono. Before connecting the audio generator, I make adjustments by ear and first listen to the song a couple times, watching for peaks and making small adjustments until I'm close. Then, I connect the audio generator and make the final adjustments and match the gain on each channel. I use the meters on the recording interface and the digital meters in the recording software so they are as close as possible.  ;)

Every record is different and sometimes the levels from song to song on the same LP are drastically different and need fine tuning before recording.
Title: Re: Setting Recording Levels
Post by: lshin80 on December 16, 2012, 10:53:51 AM
Judging from the case, handle, knobs and the light blue switch, it's from the 70's...?

I also have the 2001: A Space Odyssey OST LP, and "Also Spracht Zarathustra" is a fantastic track to test audio gear  ;)
Title: Re: Setting Recording Levels
Post by: BSD2000 on December 16, 2012, 06:36:10 PM
 ;D  Actually, I believe mine is from the mid 90's. It's a very common design that is still being made today. Tenma still makes the same exact model (http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/TENMA-72-455A-/72-455A) and GW replaced my model with the GAG-810/809 (http://www.gwinstek.com/en/product/productdetail.aspx?pid=5&mid=74&id=108).

I tried some frequency sweeps through my Apogee Rosetta 96K last night and it had no problem down to 10hz with the high frequencies extended to about half of the sampling rate, so 96K rolled off at 47Khz.  8)

My copy of 2001 is really worn, I pulled it out to see if it was worth making a recording of but it has tons of surface noise. I picked it up from the 50 cent pile, so I guess that's to be expected.  ;)