Doom Vinyl on a 70s Record Player

[BonciuADV]

I know I posted this in Doom Classic but it's as classic as it can possibly get. If you know how to record this without a shaky phone please tell me. Also sound only works for the right speaker, but that speaker is functional.

[Somniac]

You'd need to take an output from the turntable and run it into either a hardware recorder (like one of those handheld Tascam things) or some recording software (through a suitable interface) to capture it in the best possible quality. Reaper is a decent free recording software that will let you do this. If you don't have an audio interface you may be able to do it through your computer's internal sound card if it has an audio jack on the back somewhere.

Edited August 25, 2022 by VisionThing

[BonciuADV]

Thanks, I will get a 3.5 cable, connect it to the right output and see if it works.

[Lippeth]

4 hours ago, BonciuADV said:

I know I posted this in Doom Classic but it's as classic as it can possibly get.

It's cool and all, but wouldn't the Doom 2016 section have been a closer fit?

 

4 hours ago, BonciuADV said:

If you know how to record this without a shaky phone please tell me.

Tripods are relatively cheap and most come with smartphone mounts.

 

4 hours ago, BonciuADV said:

Also sound only works for the right speaker, but that speaker is functional.

Check what sort of outputs it has and what inputs your computer's audio interface has in order to record it digitally like VisionThing mentioned. I do enjoy watching videos of well recorded vinyl tracks that have the record spinning. If you route it externally and there's still no sound on the left side you may need to take it apart and reconnect or resolder something. If that fails, new record players are also pretty common though more expensive than tripods.

[BonciuADV]

This turntable uses a 1/4 output, and I do have that cable. The problem is that my sound card does not have a jack for it and I don't have an amplifier.  I'm going to get a sound card that has one soon. I do have another modern record player though and I am not going to attempt to open this up. Who knows, it might still be in warranty, I should return it to that random shop in Libya hmm.

[DoomGater]

On 8/25/2022 at 12:53 PM, VisionThing said:

(...) Reaper is a decent free recording software that will let you do this.(...)

 

Reaper is NOT free Software. After a test period you must buy it. If you can't spend the money (but Reaper is worth every penny!) you should use Audacity.

Edited August 29, 2022 by DoomGater
shortened quote for better readability

[BonciuADV]

I went into a music shop today to buy an amplifier and they said that none of theirs work for record players. I am going to order a 3.5 jack cable to connect it to my pc instead idk if it's going to work or not.

[DoomGater]

1/4" jacks are very uncommon for record players. Are you sure? Usually it would be a pair of RCA / "Cinch" connectors.
Additionaly, you'll most probably need a phono preamp. The needle's signal needs special treatment before it can go into
your PC's 1/8" LINE IN.

Or are you talking about a Phones Output? In that case, your player has everything build-in and you're ready to go.

Why don't you google the specs of the player, than you can find out, what's exactly needed.

[Lippeth]

59 minutes ago, BonciuADV said:

I went into a music shop today to buy an amplifier and they said that none of theirs work for record players.

That sounds to me like they didn't even want to try, though consumer audio systems often use RCA or a raw exposed wire instead of instrument speaker cables or XLR, but nothing you can't find online or at a consumer electronics store, but even then, they should've said something like that. Are you able to take a photo of the input/output section? I'm just interested to see if there's a red and white phono output, as that would be ideal, or if you just plan to use the headphone out. The headphone out on top looks like it's 1/4" rather than 3.5mm, so you would likely need a male to male TRS cable that goes from 1/4" to 3.5mm, depending on what your interface or sound card has. If it does have an RCA out, you could get a converter to either go from RCA to a single TRS or two TS cables, again depending on your computer's inputs.

 

Or get some blank tapes and record it to cassette. I would love to hear that as well.

[BonciuADV]

Just now, Lippeth said:

That sounds to me like they didn't even want to try, though consumer audio systems often use RCA or a raw exposed wire instead of instrument speaker cables or XLR, but nothing you can't find online or at a consumer electronics store, but even then, they should've said something like that. Are you able to take a photo of the input/output section? I'm just interested to see if there's a red and white phono output, as that would be ideal, or if you just plan to use the headphone out. The headphone out on top looks like it's 1/4" rather than 3.5mm, so you would likely need a male to male TRS cable that goes from 1/4" to 3.5mm, depending on what your interface or sound card has. If it does have an RCA out, you could get a converter to either go from RCA to a single TRS or two TS cables, again depending on your computer's inputs.

 

Or get some blank tapes and record it to cassette. I would love to hear that as well.

Yes you are both right. The one on the top is a 3.5, but it also has a Phones 1/4 output. I really didn't need an amplifier apparently.

Forget about cables, I'm recording the whole vinyl on a blank cassette tomorrow. I used all of them to record radio and Dire Straits. Normal speakers do work with the tape player.

[BonciuADV]

I've found some 80s blank tapes and I'm going to record soon, maybe tomorrow, today was busy.

[BonciuADV]

I've recorded an entire side on the tape and I've got to say, it sounds great! The bassy Logitech speakers, or should I say speaker, works well with this setup and doesn't sound wobbly at all. Problem is, my phone microphone is horrible and the bass is the ONLY thing it hears, even if I stabilize it and put it to an equal distance to the other speakers. I have spent the last few days making this sound as good as possible, and it does for me, but unfortunately not for you.

If you know a good and cheap microphone please link it, I'm going to buy it. The speakers also have an USB Slot, but I don't think they can record, only play music from it. Help is much needed.

[Lippeth]

I think that if you're able to hook it up to speakers, you should be able to connect into a line in of an audio interface in order to record a direct signal into something like Audacity. The price of a decent interface is the same as a decent microphone, but will yield vastly better results than pointing a mic at a speaker. Does it not connect to both speakers or is the left side still not working at all? Or are you using the headphone out? If that's the case then a Y splitter would be ideal to connect into the interface.

 

A Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is a popular option, allows you to use the two mic inputs as line inputs and runs about $180 on Amazon.

Edited August 31, 2022 by Lippeth

[BonciuADV]

Just now, Lippeth said:

I think that if you're able to hook it up to speakers, you should be able to connect an audio interface in order to record a direct signal into something like Audacity. The price of a decent interface is the same as a decent microphone, but will yield vastly better results than pointing a mic at a speaker. Does it not connect to both speakers or is the left side still not working at all? Or are you using the headphone out? If that's the case then a Y splitter would be ideal to connect into the interface.

The record player only outputs on the right speaker, as if the balance is all the way to the right. A Y splitter wouldn't make a difference since the problem is in it's wiring probably. I am going to buy an audio interface. I've also tried recording with it's original microphones, but they still sound bad. At least I can ✨karaoke✨ with the doom soundtrack in the meantime :)

[Lippeth]

Have you tested the headphone output? I know the left side isn't playing through a speaker, but if both sides play through the headphone out then a Y cable would be useful for connecting it to speakers or an interface. It's likely not using the same wiring as the speaker outputs, but testing it out before spending money on an interface would be a good idea. I would hate for you to buy an interface just to record the right side of the Doom 2016 soundtrack, it's one of the most stereo-centric albums out there and playing just the right side only does it half justice.

[BonciuADV]

I'd love to actually use the headphones output, but I can't test it since I need an interface to plug the trs cable in. Don't worry, I won't buy one, as I haven't actually bought these tapes. Or this record player. I'll """"borrow""" an M-Audio interface from a friend this week, that should work. And thanks for your help, I'm not that good with audio.

[BonciuADV]

Useless update: I have finally tried using an amp with the phones output, and it sounds *really* bad. Like the worst audio quality that you have ever heard. I have used three separate cables to be sure that it's the output's fault. The amp is good otherwise, it sounds clean with my guitar. But that means that an audio interface isn't a solution since the 3.5mm jack is the only good audio out. Sorry.

[Lippeth]

Are you using a guitar amp? The headphone out shouldn't need another amp because it's already being amplified and will likely sound hissy and distorted when running through a guitar amplifier's input, unless maybe running into the effects loop return which should bypass the preamp and eq, but even then a guitar amp's speaker doesn't have a wide enough range for a full studio mix and won't sound very good. I'm not saying that the headphone out doesn't have something wrong with it, it's just that running it through a guitar amp probably won't tell you much about its sound quality.