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Connect Your Computer to Your Audio System
Your sound card has both an input and an output. The output is used when you play an audio file and the input is used when you record audio into the computer. Refer to your sound card manual or the little icons on your soundcard to identify which jack is for output (playing back audio) and which is for input (recording audio). Often, a small speaker or headphone icon represents the output jack.
We first want to connect speakers to the output of your sound card so we can hear audio. You probably already have speakers connected. If you do, then fine. Just leave them alone. If not, you’ll need to connect the output of your sound card to either an amplifier or amplified speakers having line level inputs (-10 dBv).
Note: Your sound card records and plays audio at a certain established Voltage level. This standard level is referred to as “Line Level”. Just about all devices play or record at this exact audio level so they’re all compatible with each other. CD players, Tape Recorders, Amplifiers, Receivers, VCRs, DAT machines, Mini discs and most other devices all play or record this standard “Line Level” signal amplitude. This means you can plug your tape player output or other line level device directly into the input of your sound card since they both use the same signal level (amplitude).
Wiring Things Up!
Next, we need to connect a signal into the input of your sound card so that we can record this audio onto your computer’s hard drive. If you are using a line level device, just plug it into the sound card “Line” level input using whatever adapter cable mates your player device (i.e., tape recorder) to the input jack on your sound card.
Critical Note on Turntables - There are two common playback devices that are not line level and which can’t be plugged directly into your sound card line level input. The first is a turntable with a magnetic phono cartridge. A magnetic phono cartridge produces a signal that is much lower in amplitude than line level sensitivity. Your sound card cannot use this signal as it is; it must be amplified up to the standard line level before it is applied to the line input of your sound card.
If your turntable has a magnetic phono cartridge, you must use what is called a magnetic phono preamplifier as the first element of the signal path. If you have a stereo system with an input jack on the back-labeled “Phono”, you probably already have a magnetic phono preamp. It’s in your stereo system. Just leave your turntable connected to the “Phono-Input” of your stereo and connect a Line Level output of your stereo to the sound card input. Many times, this line level output is marked as “Tape Out”. Now, any audio (including your turntable) you can hear from your stereo system will be available to your computer for recording. Another option to consider is the use of a “Flat Phono Preamplifier”. Flat preamplifier front ends, when used in conjunction with the Diamond Cut Virtual Phono Preamplifier (VPP™) provides a high level of EQ curve flexibility as well improved sonic performance of your transfers. For more information on this technique, you can download an Application Note from our website located at:
http://www.diamondcut.com
Navigate to the Application Note section of the site and look for AN 8 titled “The New Way of Recording LPs”.
Note: A more direct link to this Application Note is:
https://www.diamondcut.com/AppNotes/TheNewWay.html
If you don’t have a stereo system to connect your turntable to, or it’s in another room, you’ll need a stand-alone preamplifier. These are not expensive and you can purchase one at:
https://www.diamondcut.com/st3/produ...-phono-preamp/
Again, this device takes the tiny signal from your turntable and amplifies it so that it’s now a standard Line Level signal that can be plugged directly into your sound card. An application note describing its use can be found here:
https://www.diamondcut.com/AppNotes/...structions.pdf
Note 1: Low cost turntables utilizing Ceramic Phono Cartridges do not require a special pre-amplifier because their output signal levels are already at approximately line level.
Note 2: Be sure to connect the turntable-grounding wire (strap) to the chassis ground of your Phono Preamplifier or to the computer chassis itself to minimize ground loop induced hum.
Another device that does not develop a standard Line Level signal is a microphone. If you want to record from a “mic”, just plug it into the jack on your sound card that is labeled “Microphone”. If you need to use this mic jack, again, refer to your sound card manual for specifics.
Note 3: Some laptops have only two analog audio jacks. One is always an earphone / audio output jack while the other is often labeled “mic”. Many laptop computers allow you to convert the functionality of this “mic” input over to that of a “line” input via the sound system chipsets driver routine control panel. Please refer to the manufacturer of the laptop for details on this mic/line level switchover functionality.
In most cases, you’ll simply be taking the output of your source to the input of your sound card. This is pretty easy to visualize since the computer is really acting like a familiar tape recorder with an input and an output. Many audiophiles have very sophisticated and complicated audio systems that allow many different types of hookups. Therefore, there are many alternative methods for connecting your computer to a sound system in order to be able to use DCArt10/DC Forensics10. Here are several methods:
(NOTE: Typical users will not have to use these or other complicated hookups – just supply an audio signal to the input of the sound card and listen to it on the output.)
Method #1: Using a home stereo tape-monitoring loop
Method #2: Using a DAT with digital (S/PDIF) inputs and outputs
Method #3: Using a mixing board and Analog Sound card
Warning: Method Blogs is the most versatile method for setting up a small sound restoration lab. However, because it is so versatile, feedback loops are easily created which can produce very annoying and potentially dangerous signal levels (to your ears, power amplifier and loudspeakers). So you must be careful not to allow the output of a device to feedback into the same device when operating the mixing board. Always check twice before raising a slider control on your mixing board utilizing this method.
Your sound card has both an input and an output. The output is used when you play an audio file and the input is used when you record audio into the computer. Refer to your sound card manual or the little icons on your soundcard to identify which jack is for output (playing back audio) and which is for input (recording audio). Often, a small speaker or headphone icon represents the output jack.
We first want to connect speakers to the output of your sound card so we can hear audio. You probably already have speakers connected. If you do, then fine. Just leave them alone. If not, you’ll need to connect the output of your sound card to either an amplifier or amplified speakers having line level inputs (-10 dBv).
Note: Your sound card records and plays audio at a certain established Voltage level. This standard level is referred to as “Line Level”. Just about all devices play or record at this exact audio level so they’re all compatible with each other. CD players, Tape Recorders, Amplifiers, Receivers, VCRs, DAT machines, Mini discs and most other devices all play or record this standard “Line Level” signal amplitude. This means you can plug your tape player output or other line level device directly into the input of your sound card since they both use the same signal level (amplitude).
Wiring Things Up!
Next, we need to connect a signal into the input of your sound card so that we can record this audio onto your computer’s hard drive. If you are using a line level device, just plug it into the sound card “Line” level input using whatever adapter cable mates your player device (i.e., tape recorder) to the input jack on your sound card.
Critical Note on Turntables - There are two common playback devices that are not line level and which can’t be plugged directly into your sound card line level input. The first is a turntable with a magnetic phono cartridge. A magnetic phono cartridge produces a signal that is much lower in amplitude than line level sensitivity. Your sound card cannot use this signal as it is; it must be amplified up to the standard line level before it is applied to the line input of your sound card.
If your turntable has a magnetic phono cartridge, you must use what is called a magnetic phono preamplifier as the first element of the signal path. If you have a stereo system with an input jack on the back-labeled “Phono”, you probably already have a magnetic phono preamp. It’s in your stereo system. Just leave your turntable connected to the “Phono-Input” of your stereo and connect a Line Level output of your stereo to the sound card input. Many times, this line level output is marked as “Tape Out”. Now, any audio (including your turntable) you can hear from your stereo system will be available to your computer for recording. Another option to consider is the use of a “Flat Phono Preamplifier”. Flat preamplifier front ends, when used in conjunction with the Diamond Cut Virtual Phono Preamplifier (VPP™) provides a high level of EQ curve flexibility as well improved sonic performance of your transfers. For more information on this technique, you can download an Application Note from our website located at:
http://www.diamondcut.com
Navigate to the Application Note section of the site and look for AN 8 titled “The New Way of Recording LPs”.
Note: A more direct link to this Application Note is:
https://www.diamondcut.com/AppNotes/TheNewWay.html
If you don’t have a stereo system to connect your turntable to, or it’s in another room, you’ll need a stand-alone preamplifier. These are not expensive and you can purchase one at:
https://www.diamondcut.com/st3/produ...-phono-preamp/
Again, this device takes the tiny signal from your turntable and amplifies it so that it’s now a standard Line Level signal that can be plugged directly into your sound card. An application note describing its use can be found here:
https://www.diamondcut.com/AppNotes/...structions.pdf
Note 1: Low cost turntables utilizing Ceramic Phono Cartridges do not require a special pre-amplifier because their output signal levels are already at approximately line level.
Note 2: Be sure to connect the turntable-grounding wire (strap) to the chassis ground of your Phono Preamplifier or to the computer chassis itself to minimize ground loop induced hum.
Another device that does not develop a standard Line Level signal is a microphone. If you want to record from a “mic”, just plug it into the jack on your sound card that is labeled “Microphone”. If you need to use this mic jack, again, refer to your sound card manual for specifics.
Note 3: Some laptops have only two analog audio jacks. One is always an earphone / audio output jack while the other is often labeled “mic”. Many laptop computers allow you to convert the functionality of this “mic” input over to that of a “line” input via the sound system chipsets driver routine control panel. Please refer to the manufacturer of the laptop for details on this mic/line level switchover functionality.
In most cases, you’ll simply be taking the output of your source to the input of your sound card. This is pretty easy to visualize since the computer is really acting like a familiar tape recorder with an input and an output. Many audiophiles have very sophisticated and complicated audio systems that allow many different types of hookups. Therefore, there are many alternative methods for connecting your computer to a sound system in order to be able to use DCArt10/DC Forensics10. Here are several methods:
(NOTE: Typical users will not have to use these or other complicated hookups – just supply an audio signal to the input of the sound card and listen to it on the output.)
Method #1: Using a home stereo tape-monitoring loop
- Connect a stereophonic magnetic phono pickup system to an audio pre-amplifier with magnetic phono equalization inputs.
- Connect your line level sound card input to one of the pre-amplifier's tape recording outputs.
- Connect your line level sound card output to one of the pre-amplifiers tape monitoring inputs.
Method #2: Using a DAT with digital (S/PDIF) inputs and outputs
- Connect a stereophonic magnetic phono pickup system to an audio pre-amplifier with magnetic phono equalization inputs.
- Connect the DAT machine analog output to a tape monitoring input on the pre-amplifier.
- Connect the DAT machine analog input to a tape output on the pre-amplifier.
- Connect the Digital Output of the DAT machine to the Digital Input of a "Digital-Only" sound card in your computer.
- Connect the Digital Input of the DAT machine to the Digital Output of the "Digital-Only" sound card.
Method #3: Using a mixing board and Analog Sound card
- Connect a stereophonic magnetic phono pickup system to a magnetic audio pre-amplifier (these are available without all of the bells and whistles associated with a full-blown home audio pre-amplifier).
- Connect the Outputs of the magnetic pre-amplifier to two of the line level inputs on your mixing board (one input for each channel).
- Connect the line level outputs of the analog sound card to another pair of line level inputs on your mixing board.
- Connect your tape recorder (DAT or Reel-to-Reel or whatever) line level outputs to another pair of line level inputs on your mixing board.
- Connect any other input devices you may require into the remaining inputs of your mixing board.
- Connect the Main mixer output to your power amplification system.
- Connect the Monitor Outputs from your mixer to the line level input of your sound card.
- Connect the tape recorder line level input to the Stereophonic Headphones output jack on your mixing board.
Warning: Method Blogs is the most versatile method for setting up a small sound restoration lab. However, because it is so versatile, feedback loops are easily created which can produce very annoying and potentially dangerous signal levels (to your ears, power amplifier and loudspeakers). So you must be careful not to allow the output of a device to feedback into the same device when operating the mixing board. Always check twice before raising a slider control on your mixing board utilizing this method.