I have bought a second-hand Terratec DMX 6Fire for use in recording via Audacity. Unfortunately, the Windows 10 drivers for the DMX are not very functional and I am unable to control the recording input levels. If I am recording from a digital source this is rarely a problem but if I am recording from vinyl the output level from my NAC 252 is too high.
If someone has got a solution for the driver problem, that's great.
Failing this I may have to try recording directly from my Stageline, by-passing the 252. The DMX has some dedicated "phono" inputs through which, according to the manual, it can take and amplify the signal from a phono stage. I'm not, however, sure what connections I would need to make from the Stageline to achieve this. As far as I can see the Stageline has a 5-pin DIN output which is also the power input from my 252, and a second 4-pin DIN output which is not currently in use. How do I maintain the power supply from the 252 while diverting the signal output to the DMX?
Posted on: 13 May 2018 by Richard Dane
I have a Terratec DMX 6Fire but stopped using it after I found that driver support evaporated for 64bit. Can you not apply any regulation to the levels via the pot on the front of the device? I do have a Laptop still running Win 7 32 bit and that still works with it fine, but these days I mostly use either a Marantz PMD-671 or my Sony PCM-D100 for making digital recording from analogue sources as they're just so easy - like a digital cassette deck. In fact, just this evening I listened to recording I made of a rare Jazz LP in 24/96 on the Marantz. I played it back straight off the card from the Marantz and it was really, really good. But that's perhaps for another thread...
Interesting that the level is too high from the vinyl source compared to digital. It's usually the other way around! What is the cartridge and which version Stageline are you using? (n.b. taking a signal direct from the stageline as opposed to through the 252's tape out should make no difference to the level, but be less convenient).
Posted on: 13 May 2018 by endlessnessism
The turntable is an LP12 that I have had for 25 years. To my shame I don’t know what cartridge I have. It’s a Stageline S.
Digital via line-in seems to work fine. Indeed it couldn’t be better - once l’ve made a recording, if I apply the Audacity amplify effect it makes only the tiniest adjustment so the DMX seems naturally to find the right level. If, however, I use the same input for vinyl, the levels are too high. The pots on the front are all at zero so I can’t use them to reduce the level.
Maybe I need to bypass both Stageline and 252 and take the signal straight from the LP12? The DMX has a “phono” input which supposedly functions like a phono stage so maybe that’s the answer.
If you have ditched the DMX, what do you use for recording? I used to use a Cakewalk which was fine until it stopped working.
Posted on: 13 May 2018 by endlessnessism
After getting out my magnifying glass I can confirm that the LP12 has an Ittok LVIII arm and a Dynavector DV-20X2(H) MC cartridge. I think (H) may mean high output, possibly not far short of MM. Does that mean Stageline S is the wrong one?
I may try bypassing the Stageline and see what happens if I use the phono stage on the DMX.
Repeating my previous question, if you have ditched the DMX, what do you use now for recording?
Posted on: 13 May 2018 by Richard Dane
Yes, you have far too much gain to be using a high output MC with the Stageline S. I'm surprised it's not clipping and distorting on peaks or high level cuts. For that cart you need a Stageline N for MM carts, although you may get away with a Stagline E, although gain may still be a bit too high. Unfortunately HO MC carts are neither one thing or the other; they're lower output than a normal MM but too high to be used through an MC stage. They were really meant for certain valve phono stages where the gain is set just high enough for use with higher output MCs - this was because with valves noise becomes an issue with the high gain required to amplify low output MCs without some kind of transformer.
The DMX is excellent so long as you use a 32bit OS such as Vista or better yet, Win 7 32bit. 64bit OS wasn't supported for ages so, as mentioned earlier, I now use wither a Marantz PMD671 or a Sony PCM-D100. No need for a computer in the music room with these. I particularly like the Marantz as it's just like operating an old-style recorder and has in/outs on RCA phonos. There's a also a coaxial s/pdif output, so it can route through the DAC.
