Fast Track Pro Preamp for Vinyl Use?

[Comics]

I'm looking to connect my turntable through a phono preamp that I could connect to my computer, and the turntable would be output to either headphones or speakers. I'd also like this to serve as a sound card for my laptop. I've been looking at the M-Audio Fast Track Pro and am wondering if you think this would fit the bill? Are there any other products out there that will do this? Will the M-Audio preamp work fine for vinyl (it's not loud enough plugged straight into my amp, which has no preamp)? Thanks in advance.

[TimOBrien]

But this does not have a PHONO pre-amp in it; it's just a computer interface with standard line/mic-level preamps...they are >different<.

You need a phono preamp that has an RIAA equalization curve that matches what the record houses used or your sampled sound may turn out wrong.

---- from:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/21PCGJR9SBLQP/103-4342352-3415057?ie=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0

"WHAT DOES A PHONO PREAMP DO, AND WHY DO I NEED ONE?

Unlike line level audio sources you connect to a stereo (DVD/CD players, tape decks, TV audio, minidisc, etc.), the output from a magnetic cartridge installed in a good quality turntable is MUCH lower, and requires an additional stage of amplification to bring it up to the same volume as the other sources you listen to thru your stereo. This additional amp stage, the phono preamp, is built-in to most older receivers and amps, allowing direct connection of a turntable. However, newer stereo equipment (including virtually all mini-systems and home theatre units, as well as many stereo receivers and amps), have NO phono input (this because records and turntables are supposedly obsolete in today's world dominated by CDs and DVDs). In order to utilise the inputs such units DO have (Aux, Tape, Line, Video, CD, etc.) to connect a turntable, you need to first pass the signal thru an external phono preamp to bump the level. The same level increase is needed if you're connecting a turntable to a computer sound card's line input so you can make CD-Rs from LPs; again, the external phono preamp provides it.

WHAT IS RIAA EQUALIZATION?

Because of limitations in the LP recording process, an equalization curve must be applied to the music or other sonic content prior to it being cut onto vinyl, so as to reduce backround noise and sibilance. Reversing this equalization effect (the RIAA curve) and restoring the music's original frequency response curve during playback is an important part of the phono preamp's job and differentiates it from other preamps used for microphones and musical instruments, which usually provide gain but no other modification of the original sound quality. Proper RIAA re-equalization during playback is a must in faithfully producing the original musical content without coloration or distortion."

[Comics]

Thanks, Tim! This is exactly what I needed to know.

Having said that, can you recommend a good phono preamp that I would be able to use with an external soundcard? What price range am I looking at? I'm willing to spend a bit for good sound, but this is just a small project, so I don't want to bust the bank.

[Comics]

I just bought myself a decent preamp and now need suggestions on a good quality external sound card for my computer. It will obviously need RCA inputs for the preamp I just bought. I will be outputting to headphones or speakers. I'm still looking at the M-Audio stuff because a friend of mine has the Firewire Solo and I was very impressed at how clean the headphone out was. I do not need most of the inputs/outputs (XLR and such), however, so something with less frills but excellent sound quality would be best. Any suggestions?

[Comics]

I had pretty much decided to buy an Audiophile USB when I read something that made me pause. As I explained, on top of using this as a regular soundcard for my laptop, with speakers and headphones plugged in, I will also be plugging in my turntable (through phono preamp) to the RCA inputs on the back of the device. What I was reading seemed to indicate that it would NOT be possible to do monitoring this way, and that you would need to do software monitoring of sorts using a recording application. Could anyone clarify this? I'm just looking to hook the turntable up to this and have it outputted to my speakers. If this is impossible, is there another M-Audio product (or another good brand, for that matter) that would have this capability?

[AndyH]

I've done more than 400 album transfers. I have yet to think of any reason I would want to monitor on computer. It is necessary to have a reasonable signal level, neither too high or too low, but the recording program's VU meter will tell you about that (and then you will need some additional analogue equipment to adjust the input signal level, if any adjusting is necessary).

It can be useful to monitor the beginning of an LP side -- for the first few seconds -- to be sure that the stylus is really in the groove and that you didn't accidently bounce over the first few seconds of the first track by setting the stylus down in the wrong place. You don't need to know what the recording program received, however, it receives exactly what you hear externally. If this soundcard you want has a headphone out, which is very common on USB audio cards, that will let you 'monitor' what the soundcard is receiving.

You may need to record a few albums this way to calm yourself enough to trust that what goes into the soundcard is goes onto disk. It has never been the least different for any of the albums I've done. I listen as I put stylus to disk, to be sure I'm starting out correctly, then I walk away until that side is finished.

Where USB really falls short in the monitoring category is recording live tracks. People record one track, say a timing track of some sort, then want to listen to that plus what they are currently doing, to allow them to record that next track in the proper timing. You can't do that with USB, at least with USB 1. Some of the new USB 2 soundcards (much more expensive) may have such an ability.

[Comics]

Thanks for the info. I'm also wondering, since I would have my speakers permanently connected to the M-Audio Audiophile USB, would I be able to have my phono preamp connected to the RCA in on the sound card and then simply pass the signal through to my speakers (without doing any kind of recording... simply for playback)?

[AndyH]

That is usually called direct monitoring. This is usually very simple with PCI soundcards but the route used there is not available with USB. The possibility of doing it with a USB card depends entirely on the hardware routing inside the box.

It is probably possible to download the device's manual from the M-Audio website. Such writings are not always exceedingly clear, but it may well cover whatever monitoring is possible with the card.

[David Muniz]

The Audiophile USB does not have any direct monitoring support. It will require monitoring via a software app of some sort. That said, yes it is subject to latency, though in this scenario, it doesn't seem to matter.

Other USB devices by M-Audio that do have direct monitoring:
Mobile Pre USB
Fast Track Pro
Fast Track
Ozone

The best item for what you want to do is a new product that will be out Oct-Novr called CONECTIV

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Conectiv-main.html