Which cable to connect from TT to ADC to Macbook?


Hey all,

I'm trying to rip vinyl. I have a Denon DP-300F turntable with a built-in phono preamp, a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 that I'm going to use as my ADC, and a MacBook Pro.

The Scarlett 2i4 has a combination input that can take XLR, TRS (balanced), and TS (unbalanced.) As far as connecting the ADC to my computer, I'll have to opt for a USB cable in order to bypass my Macbook Pro's soundcard.

Since my turntable outputs an unbalanced audio signal, should I use a 2RCA to 2TS cable? Or would a 2RCA to 2TRS or 2RCA to 2XLR be fine? Is there any difference at all between those three?

Thank you so much in advance.
toxicwaterfront
"I prefer to avoid TS and TRS connections when possible, as I've encountered contact integrity issues with them on some (inexpensive) equipment."

I had the same problem as well.

Another way to do this, that has always worked very well for me, is to get a stand alone CD burner, and plug it directly into your TT. Once you have a CD, just rip that.
Any of those alternatives should work ok, assuming they are properly wired. What might be more convenient, however, and might also provide more reliable contact than TS and TRS adapter cables, would be to use two XLR-to-RCA adapters, such as this one, in conjunction with a pair of standard RCA cables.

I prefer to avoid TS and TRS connections when possible, as I've encountered contact integrity issues with them on some (inexpensive) equipment.

Regards,
-- Al