In the previous post, we connected the
turntable to the amplifier (in my case, a boombox). Now we connect the
amplifier to the computer, again using the standard audio cables, but with a
slight modification, as the computer input socket is a single one carrying both
the channels. So the connector cable has two prongs on the boom-box audio out
end like this (the left side pair, the left and right channels are colour coded
by a ring of colour, this being a more sophisticated, up-to-date 24-carat
gold-plated version).
On the computer end, the sockets are coded
pink for line-in, green for ear-phones or speaker audio out, and mine has a
blue one which was used to connect a woofer.
The connector ends of the cable are as
shown below; at the boom-box end, the usual red and white RCA standard prongs
(jacks); the yellow third prong is for video signal, and not used here, and
mark the gold coatings!
And at the computer end, both channels are
fused into one black-coloured jack with a single prong that has two segments
(the yellow prong is again for video).
The black jack (my packaging calls it a
3.5mm stereo male jack, and it happens to be grey with a blue band as befits a
24k gold thing, not black!) is then pushed into the pink socket on the computer
as shown here (the green jack next to it is for the computer’s speakers).
Now the computer can receive the audio
stereo input, and if you have also opened the Audacity package and started
recording, you will see the sound-waves depicted in the following classical
fashion (which is why the audio files have a .wav extension!).
You can have a closer look at this screen,
which will be explained in the next post, but meanwhile here’s a picture of the
whole set-up. One feature about my experience in getting this set up was the
realisation that my laptop’s line-in (mic in) socket doesn’t seem to be
working, so I have been forced to use the desk-top. The boombox also works with
tapes, which is a relief, as a bigger music system I used earlier was resulting
in a lot of clipping of the sound waves (apparently some hardware problem, in
either the music system or the laptop). Another point is that an older
turntable (a Garrard) apparently gives such a weak output that it’s unusable.
Perhaps the current turntable has a certain amount of pre-amplification built
in; I am not very sure.
Here’s the whole set-up. And yes, the Violin Concerto is absolutely
the first to get the treatment!
