How to increase the gain of Korg DS-DAC-10R phono input?

[jkortela]

I have Korg DS-DAC-10R for ripping vinyls. The sound quality is really good, especially because you don't need any cable between the RIAA and the sound card. I am currently using Shure V15 type IV phono cartridge (MM type).

 

Is there a good way to increase the gain of the phono input to the line level (maximum in digital domain)?

 

DS-DAC-10R Setting Tool has the setting of input level from -60dB to 20dB.

 

In Audiogate 4.5.2, phono gain is -49.5 to 31.5 dB

 

However, from 0 to 20dB, there is noise, what I think is digital noise (because I think there couldn't be so much analog gain).

 

With the setting 20dB the the recorded audio of the vinyl is about in line level (maximum in digital domain), when Shure V15 type IV phono cartridge (MM type) is used.

 

However, with the setting 12dB, the recorded vinyl has about 9 dB to 6dB headroom, when Shure V15 type IV phono cartridge (MM type) is used.

[jkortela]

One option could be to change to Hegel v10 RIAA. It has -84dB noise (MM) and 52dB gain (with XLR). 

[jkortela]

Solution: I used VinylStudio for Macintosh hiss filter to filter the noise. The result is really good because, because the hiss was pure hiss from the phono input of Korg DS-DAC-10R converter.

[jkortela]

Logic Pro X Denoiser (the legacy filter activated by pressing the Option key when inserting the Audio FX effect) does even better job with Noise Type value 0 (white noise).

[jkortela]

Correction: I think VinylStudio for Macintosh hiss filter does perfect job (better than Logic Pro X). I applied hiss filter after applying RIAA correction.

[jkortela]

The main problem was that headphones that were connected into Korg DS-DAC-10R. I disconnected them when I was recording and the hiss level went down.