Curious Error Message when using USB Connection to Import Music from Turntable

Question

In order to transfer music from LPs, I use Magix Audio Cleaning Lab., Version 3.01 acquired in 2003, which, until recently, was connected through a mini hi-fi system to my Dell 4500 desktop computer using the line-in socket. In order to record and listen at a reasonable level it was necessary to adjust the volume output of the amplifier almost to its upper limit. This was often unsatisfactory and sometimes produced distorted sound. I have recently acquired a Pro-Ject Phono Box ll pre-amplifier to replace the mini hi-fi system. This device has two outputs, a phono pair and a USB socket. Using the phono sockets, in Windows, I can adjust the recording level using Control Panel/Sounds and Audio Devices Properties/Audio/Sound Recording for the relevant input device: Soundmax Digital Audio on the desktop. In fact, the Magix program can display the relevant Windows recording control display when the option to record from the turntable is selected. However, if instead I try to use the USB connection, the sound level is excessively high and cannot be adjusted because in this case no recording sound level panel is displayed. The following error message is then shown: 'There is a problem with your sound hardware. To install mixer devices, go to Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Add Hardware.' In fact, there is no such option in my version of Windows and I have clicked on Sounds and Audio Devices Properties instead. Usually I find that the computer has selected a USB Audio device which is reported as working satisfactorily and I have used the Problem-Solving Wizard to check for any problems without success. I have also used the same processes with the turntable connected to my Dell Inspiron, with greater success. However, if I connect the phono output from the phono box, the connections must be made to the microphone socket on the Inspiron and the recording level must be set very low. I can also use the USB socket to download from the phono box which gives a reasonable recording level but there is no means to adjust it, because I get the same error message as reported above. It is this latter arrangement that I wish to use because, at the same time, I can use the phono sockets on the phono box to play the music through my domestic amplifying system, which I cannot do from the Inspiron. Can anyone please tell me how I can ensure that the Recording Control can be displayed when the USB connection is used to record on the Inspiron? thyde Dimension 4500, 2.53GHz processor, 512Mb DIMM, Windows XP, 20Gb hard disk, 80Gb hard disk, 500Gb Iomega External hard disk, Roxio CD R/RW, Blueyonder Broadband & LAN, Dell Photo All-in-One printer. Dimension 4100, 1GHz processor, 256Mb SDRAM, Windows ME, 20Gb hard disk, Adaptec CD R/DW, HP Deskjet 840C, Scanjet 3300c, Blueyonder Broadband & LAN Inspiron 8600, 1.4 Ghz processor, 512Mb SDRAM, Windows XP Home, 40Gb hard disk, Philips CDRW/DVD disk drive, Blueyonder Broadband & LAN Netgear RP614 v2 router. Message Edited by thyde on 01-19-2008 12:46 PM Message Edited by thyde on 01-19-2008 12:50 PM Message Edited by thyde on 01-19-2008 03:02 PM

thyde · Answer

Apologies - I am sorry about the very long paragraph, but the on-line editor refuses to allow me to break the message into more paragraphs. I have tried twice. thyde

Message Edited by thyde on 01-19-2008 03:31 PM

thyde · Answer

I have posed my problem on six or seven user forums to try to avoid the error message I refer to in my previous post. I have received no useful replies so I tried another approach and Googled the error message, this provided only two useful references out of a total of eight, I quote them below:

http://www.aja.com/pdf/support/XenaSDHD_manual.pdf

This describes the Windows steps to specify audio settings using Control Panel/Sounds and Audio Devices/Audio. I had already done this but the problem keeps recurring.

The second reference is here:

http://www.pgmusic.com/techfaq6.htm

The topic is listed among a large number of FAQs about audio problems. After discussing the possibilities, the final piece of advice is tha,t if you can record audio in spite of the error message , then ignore it, but it does not have any suggestions if you cannot record. Using the USB connection, I can record music satisfactorily for more than 99% of an LP so I will tolerate that for a while until I can find some satisfactory alternative. I shall investigate the program Audacity and will report back when I have something useful to write.

thyde

thyde · Answer

I have now found a solution to my problem, I have changed the program that I use when recording via a USB connection - I now use the free program Audacity. This program incorporates a routine which recognises the audio codec on my computer and allows adjustment of the recording volume. Unfortunately, the program seems to have limited editing facilites but it can record in different formats, I use WAV files which are imported into my preferred editing program Magix Cleaning Lab 3.0 which I purchased a number of years ago.

DELL-Chris B · Answer

thyde: Thanks for taking the time to document your journey. I'm glad you were able to get it working and I think others will benefit from this information as well.

Locked Topics – Laptops General

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