On Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:47:33 -0800 (PST), Adrian
wrote:

Time has come to digitize my Vinyl collection. Having successfully
copied tape material to CD, I thought this would be easy!

My equipment is a Denon DP-35F Turntable with a Denon DL-300
Cartridge, a New ART "USB Phono Plus" interface and a Dell Latitude
D810 Notebook equipped with RIP Vinyl.

This past weekend I copied three albums. The signal is clean but not
strong. I have the gain on the USB Phono turned to the max. But, the
meter in RIP barely rises about the quarter way mark. If I look at
the signal in Audacity it is pretty "thin". I could comfortably use
at least 3dB more.


Do you still have the amplifier you used to use when you played vinyl
all the time? It will have an input stage better suited to your
low-output cartridge. Use that as a preamp, feeding Tape Out into
Line In on the ART, switching out the RIAA stage.