[RaggaMuffin]

Hi guys, so my setup it a Technics 1210 hooked up to a pro-ject phono box usb going into my macbook via usb. When recording in usb or audition my left channel is always a few db louder. I've gone through everything, cartridge alignment, using different carts, different turntable and when I swap over the rca cables from the turntable to the phono box (plugging red in white etc.) the left channel is still louder. Am I right in thinking that this must be a problem with the phono box and not my turntable or cartridge? It's brand new and I can't work it out. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[SteveHiFi]

That sounds familiar - I've done my fair share of vinyl ripping and found the same. I put it down to the way the tonearm is weighted (the anti-skating) - the one on my Goldring GR1 tends to want to move towards the outside of the record, opposite to where the groove takes it. Presumably you get a bit more pressure on one of the channels, hence more volume. It makes sense that the left channel equates to the left side of the stylus (or the right as view it from the front). I'm guessing 100% though.
 
I manage by doing the recording anyway, and maximising each channel during the post-rip clean up which balances them out. I expect that the stylus/tone arm is weighted that way for a purpose but fiddling with the anti-skating might help.

 

[riffer]

I don't know the technical reasons, but many (most?) cartridges have a channel imbalance as built.  Even my fairly expensive Ortofon Rondo Bronze is spec's with a 1dB imbalance.