[Audioarchivist]

Originally Posted by creaseycj

I was able to plug my aux cable from my mic input on my laptop to my headphone input on my record player and recorded at loudest volume possible without clipping in Audacity. My question is should I apply an RIAA curve equalization to the recording? The audio sounds good in the highs, average in the mids and poor in the lows which is why I ask. Also, I have a pretty poor record player and the stylus/needle is of rather cheap quality as well so maybe that has something to do with it but I wouldn't image it would be that big of a difference. Should I also Normalize each channel separately or singly and apply a Dynamic Compression?

No offense meant, but, if I were you, I'd just press "delete" on that attempt and try again...
First off, a headphone out has a noisy headphone amplifier circuit. Awful for getting any kind of real clean signal...
Second, that headphone out (if the volume is under control!) is basically at a line level output. The microphone plug on your laptop is meant for a microphone level input, not a line in... Plus, almost all mic inputs are mono.
Third, the reason that a vinyl rip is enjoyed is usually the rich dynamics that vinyl has vs. their CD counterparts that have been dynamically compromised from aggressive "loudness wars" mega-compression. The best vinyl rips are pure and raw. Don't EQ and compress them!
I think your biggest problem is that you've got a "record player" and not a "turntable". I appreciate your eagerness to share, but, nobody will be happy with a sub-par transfer. I recommend some pawn-shop shopping to find a "real" classic oldschool turntable and a vintage amp to plug it into, and getting some sort of external USB soundcard with a real line input to capture sound with some kind of integrity. Making these changes will make a HUGE difference! A slab of vinyl should sound like good music, not the crap that you're describing that it sounds like! haha!
Good luck, and keep trying.