Ableton Forum

I've been wanting to get into sampling from lp's I have access to.

What set up do you have for sampling from vinyl?

I use my Technics 1200s with Stanton 500 v3 cartridges - the same as I use for DJing - and the results are great. I'm sure I could get better quality by using a more expensive cartridge on there, but this is fine for my needs.

technics are my weapon of choice for decks, but there are some really great decks out there that have digital outs, speed change w/o pitch changing reverse mode etc, and if you're not getting decks to play out and mix with maybe one of these would suit you more. I know vestax do some fine turntables, as do numark, but i've not played out on them so cant give any solid advice on that.

cartridge wise, the shure n44's are strong hard wearing and good for scratching. i also like autofon scrtach concord carts; they dont track quite as well as the shure's, and wear out more quickly, but i like their sound.

I've been thinking something like the Numark TTXUSB and the Ortofon Arkiv Concorde for a cartridge.

I am going to set up a rig that would only be used for sampling.

Surely you need to think of the quality of mixer or preamp for said record deck, all very good having the best deck and needle, but if the pre-amp is pants then the sound is still going to be awful.

Whatever turntable/cartridge you choose you can really improve the bottom end by keeping your monitors turned down low while sampling.

chalkline wrote:Surely you need to think of the quality of mixer or preamp for said record deck, all very good having the best deck and needle, but if the pre-amp is pants then the sound is still going to be awful.

Yeah. I am wondering how good the d/a conversion and pre-amp is with the TTXUSB?

I've got an apogee duet and it might be nice to have a turntable paired with something like a Radial J33 but that probably starts to make it all too expensive. I was hoping to keep things under about $450.

crumhorn wrote:Whatever turntable/cartridge you choose you can really improve the bottom end by keeping your monitors turned down low while sampling.

??? How does that work then? If your speakers are turned down, how can that affect the recorded signal on your sampler? Eh?

logic_user99 wrote:

crumhorn wrote:Whatever turntable/cartridge you choose you can really improve the bottom end by keeping your monitors turned down low while sampling.

??? How does that work then? If your speakers are turned down, how can that affect the recorded signal on your sampler? Eh?

I think he's saying that if it's too loud, your stylus might pick up vibrations/sound from the speakers causing feedback.

I have hardwood floors and used to get footsteps in the audio from recorded vinyl occasionally.

To prove this, if you yell into your stylus, you will likely hear yourself through the speakers.

I don't know how much of a real-world concern this would be (would you actually hear the difference?), but it's technically correct, I think.

STRATEGY

I had the TTUSB and there was a constant background hum. The only way I can describe it, is if you had a duplicate of the track playing, very low, at about 8 bit.

I use a Vestax HandyTrax now and I'm very happy with the results.

STRATEGY_510 wrote:

logic_user99 wrote:

crumhorn wrote:Whatever turntable/cartridge you choose you can really improve the bottom end by keeping your monitors turned down low while sampling.

??? How does that work then? If your speakers are turned down, how can that affect the recorded signal on your sampler? Eh?

I think he's saying that if it's too loud, your stylus might pick up vibrations/sound from the speakers causing feedback.

I have hardwood floors and used to get footsteps in the audio from recorded vinyl occasionally.

To prove this, if you yell into your stylus, you will likely hear yourself through the speakers.

I don't know how much of a real-world concern this would be (would you actually hear the difference?), but it's technically correct, I think.

STRATEGY

Low frequency sound can make the whole turntable vibrate, which gets picked up by the stylus. A lot of the engineering that goes into top flight HiFi turntables is aimed at eliminating acoustic feedback, which is one of the reasons they tend to weigh so much. By eliminating the source of the feedback you narrow the gap between you and the mega rich HiFi nuts. I was sceptical when someone told me about it many years ago, but after trying it I was convinced and got into the habit of routinely turning down the speakers when making recordings from vinyl. Maybe it's more psychological than real, but it can't hurt to try. I'd be interested to know if others discern a difference.

vandons wrote:

chalkline wrote:Surely you need to think of the quality of mixer or preamp for said record deck, all very good having the best deck and needle, but if the pre-amp is pants then the sound is still going to be awful.

Yeah. I am wondering how good the d/a conversion and pre-amp is with the TTXUSB?

I've got an apogee duet and it might be nice to have a turntable paired with something like a Radial J33 but that probably starts to make it all too expensive. I was hoping to keep things under about $450.

Well I just finished a set up for pretty much the same reason and with almost the same budget in mind. I'm really happy with the outcome:

technics 1200 (used) $225

ortofon arkiv cartridge (new, power seller, ebay) $90

Art dj pre II ( used, phono pre, craigslist) $20

dual rca to 1/4 inch cable, to run from phono pre to interface ( new, power seller, ebay) $16

Total= $351.00

CM

cmreal04 wrote:

vandons wrote:

chalkline wrote:Surely you need to think of the quality of mixer or preamp for said record deck, all very good having the best deck and needle, but if the pre-amp is pants then the sound is still going to be awful.

Yeah. I am wondering how good the d/a conversion and pre-amp is with the TTXUSB?

I've got an apogee duet and it might be nice to have a turntable paired with something like a Radial J33 but that probably starts to make it all too expensive. I was hoping to keep things under about $450.

Well I just finished a set up for pretty much the same reason and with almost the same budget in mind. I'm really happy with the outcome:

technics 1200 (used) $225

ortofon arkiv cartridge (new, power seller, ebay) $90

Art dj pre II ( used, phono pre, craigslist) $20

dual rca to 1/4 inch cable, to run from phono pre to interface ( new, power seller, ebay) $16

Total= $351.00

CM

I was considering buying the ortofon arkiv cartridge as well, could you let me know how it turns out for you. Also, what does it do exactly, does it actually convert vinyl into sounding digital making it clean and crisp once sampled?

hitechsoul15

Here's a description:

The Arkiv cartridge is the first Ortofon cart specifically design to provide optimized sound quality specifically for the recording process. Featuring an output of 6mV and an elliptical stylus for extended high frequency response, the Arkiv boasts clear and accurate sound reproduction and remarkable stereo imaging making it an excellent choice for any recording situation (capturing your vinyl to digital format, sampling, etc.). Scratching and back cueing is not recommended with this cartridge. Set includes one extra stylus (which offsets your initial cost).

I'm very very happy with the sound I'm getting from this setup, could it be better, I have no idea, I've never had a set up like this before, but I can't believe it would be enough to make a difference for my purpose. I would also consider the Art dj pre II when setting up a sample rig, it's the only pre at it's price point with a filter option, not a big deal Unless you need it and don't have it. I'm not sure what kind of rumble or hum other tables produce, so it might come in handy, I haven't needed it though.

CM

I recommend the ZX5596 MKIII with the iridiumite balanced option installed.