motu 828 mk2 and recording with logic

incoming signals from my 896HD are fairly low as well,

try changing the input level to -10, for starters. and make sure the motu shows
a healthy signal on the input meter display.

if still too low, your turnables might be something like -30db. if this is the case, you'll need some sort of line level booster/converter(analog).

a straight ahead turntable require a specisl RTAA preamp to boost the very low signal to line level. these also have an correctional eq curve in them.

re mics: same thing; there's a good chance they a dynamics and the motu only has about 40db of clean gain so you signal could show up low.

in logic, record at 24bit. the resulting recorded waveform overview might look a little small but should still be useful, and can be boosted easily.

re motu outs: try to drive the output as high as pos. and turn down your monitors. it sounds better this way.

Turn tables don't have preamps, and the back inputs of the 828 is not preamp driven, there needs to be some kind of higher level coming in. The volume control on those inputs is only to control the leve, but not boost it. The font inputs are +4db and can be boosted up higher since they are preamps, and therefore that's why you hear the signal clearly.

I believe you can buy turn table signal boosters, so essentially external preamps, to do what you want to do. Plugging mics in the back is just not going to happen of course unless again you buy some mic preamps. I think either you change your motu to something that has enough preamps in it, or buy external preamps for each piece you want to connect.

R

David is right, and a very important part of the phono preamp is the decoding of the RIAA curve.

This is stupidly steep and cannot be satisfactorily compensated for using EQ. Just compensating for level alone will still leave your audio with virtually no bottom end at all.

I got a little RIAA pre-amp off of ebay that plugged into the mains. It hummed very badly. I converted it to run off of a 9volt battery as its comsumption is miniscule. It is now very clean and hum free.

Adding to all the other advice, this gadget will get you going.

http://www.frontendaudio.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=7522

There are many others, but this is cheap.