Hi all.
I have an M-audio fire wire 410 and I want to use it to record records
in to my computer. I also have a Spectral DMC-6 pre amp with phono in.
It has adjustable cart. gains which I have adjusted to within 1/100 dB
(!) at 1K using LinearX LMS. When I record through the line in on the
M-Audio, the level is a little to high. With the mic ins, I can lower
it but this leads to my question.

Of course I have the table plugged in to the Spectral phono in, would
it be better to plug the Spectral record out in to LINE IN (no level
adjust) of the Maudio instead of the MIC IN (which has level adjust) of
the Maudio? I would have to adjust the Spectral Phono pre amp levels,
(inside the pre amp) and record that way. I think it would be less
Maudio amplifier stages than through the mic pre amp, and I'm thinking
higher s/n. I'll tell you, so far, through the mic pre's with the -20
DB pad it sounds excellent. The M-audio seems to be extremely quiet.

The equipment: Sumiko Project RM-9, Bluepoint Evo 3 cartridge, Spectral
DMC-6 Phono pre (including full pre amp) S/N is an astonishing 102 db
at 10 mv input. Output on Cart is 2.5 mv - high output moving coil.

Which way would you guys do it?
Thank you very much.
Dave

Davespectral wrote:

I have an M-audio fire wire 410 and I want to use it to record records
in to my computer. I also have a Spectral DMC-6 pre amp with phono in.
It has adjustable cart. gains which I have adjusted to within 1/100 dB
(!) at 1K using LinearX LMS. When I record through the line in on the
M-Audio, the level is a little to high. With the mic ins, I can lower
it but this leads to my question.

it be better to plug the Spectral record out in to LINE IN (no level
adjust) of the Maudio instead of the MIC IN (which has level adjust) of
the Maudio?

Yes.

I'll tell you, so far, through the mic pre's with the -20
DB pad it sounds excellent.

Well, you can't argue with success. M-Audio doesn't have even a block
diagram or manual on their web site so there's no way to confirm this,
but on much equipment like this, the line inputs go through the mic
preamp stage anyway, there's just a fixed attenuator to get a line
level signal down to the range of the mic input and to raise the
impedance to something that a line level output is comfortable driving.


Sometimes the mic input attenuator switch is sufficient to take a line
level input down before it hits the first gain stage, but other times
it isn't, and you'll end up clipping the mic input before it gets to
the gain control.

Thats great.
Thanks Mike.
Dave