Excessive gain when recording

[Distorted Vision]

JaS,

What cable do you connect to the Edirol UA5? From what I can see it doesn't have phono or 3.5mm input does it? The current models don't seem to either.

Cheers.

[Alec124c41]

This might be easiest and least expensive, still with decent results.
http://www.phonopreamps.com/TC-760LCpp.html

Alec

[Werner]

what type of cable you used for the input and output connections?

I'm building a Pearl + MC Phono stage at present and need some ideas for a good screened cable. I assume that a low capacitance is better to reduce the chance of changing the MC capacitive loading?

That's Prefer HMK-23, a very thin shielded balanced microphone
cable. Capacitance won't be particularly low as the strands are close together. Then again, with MCs capacitance is utterly immaterial.

http://www.karaoke.at/ebizz/sh/a_def.aspx?Such=1&SP=1&lc=&SA=prefer&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

[JaS]

What cable do you connect to the Edirol UA5? From what I can see it doesn't have phono or 3.5mm input does it? The current models don't seem to either.

There are the usual domestic connections on the back





Regards,
JaS

[Distorted Vision]

I'll definitely have to wait to get the UA-5 like you because the new current models don't appear to have phono inputs:

[pauliet]

Before you buy another sound card. Are the meters in your recording software at the peak? If so the level from your preamp might be too high.

As a quick experiment, you might want to make a simple pad to reduce the input level to your sound card. A 47K ohm resistor from the output of your preamp to the input of the sound card and another 47K resistor from the input of the sound card to ground.

This will reduce the signal level by about 1/2 (3db) and may clear up overloading the input.

If the recording meters are not at the peak, it might be the phono cartridge has more output than the preamp can handle.

[Distorted Vision]

I was planning on buying a dedicated soundcard anyway. Yes the meters in Audacity are peaking.

[Alabama978]

Werner Wrote

Capacitance won't be particularly low as the strands are close together. Then again, with MCs capacitance is utterly immaterial.

Thanks, originally it was just the Pearl MM stage but now I am adding the PASS ONO circuit as a piggy backed MC and the output of the MC goes straight into the 1st Jfet stage of the MM circuit. It has been built many times now and seems to work well but sadly not much info available on cabling.

[Distorted Vision]

I'm still waiting for a UA-5 to show up on eBay but no luck so far. Anyone got any suggestions where else I may look?

Many thanks!

[Distorted Vision]

I finally managed to get an Edirol UA-5 on eBay. However, even with the gain set to +48dB on the Trichord Dino the gain is still too high even and clipping / distortion is occurring. Even adjusting the sensitivity knob to the lowest setting doesn't help.

So I'm guessing that I need something like the QED SDR passive control? I'm wondering why the sensitivity control on the UA-5 won't attenuate the signal enough?

Many thanks.

[Werner]

A Kontrapunt B has an output of about 500uV at 5cm/s.

Records are modulated to up to 15dB above this level, that makes
then 2.8mV.

48dB of gain in the Dino puts this at 700mV.

The UA-5's input sensitivity for 0dBFS is -10dBu, or about 250mV...

But if you look at the back panel of the UA there should be a knob labelled 'input volume'. That should do it, not?

If not then set the Dino back up for 62dB gain (what the Ortofon
needs) and insert a variable attenuator between Dino and UA.

[Distorted Vision]

Hi Werner,

Many thanks! I must be blind - I didn't see the input volume even though JaS also posted a pic of the back of the UA-5 which clearly shows it. Its all working perfectly now even with the Dino's gain at the normal +62dB so I'm pretty happy.

Happy New Year!