Digitising LPs, simple/best solution?

[Deleted]

I may be one of the last peeps here to have this tedious task laying ahead of me.
The convenience of digital is finally gnawing into my butt, when I choose a recording I'd like to listen to but then think "nah, can't be arsed with LP tonight" so pick a cd/any other format instead, it's definitely time to do something.

My current thought is to simply attach the tape out of my amp (wot 'as the record player attached like) to the laptop line in and thence to a seperate drive.
1) Am I better off with a low cost usb interface instead, if so which one?
2) What is the programme of choice to do the job?

In case it matters, I've only about 600 LPs to work through so should get the job done before I keel over

[elysion]

Since I don't have LP's at all, I'm probably not the right person to give a good answer.

Maybe this here is a (really cheap) option:
www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UFO202.aspx


I've made very good experiences with the Behringer UCA222 interface and AFAIK they use Burr-Brown chipsets with all cheap USB interfaces. I can't talk about the UFO202, but at least the UCA222 sounds very sweet and is never nerving. Those cheap USB interfaces are really no high-end devices, but the UCA222 was a very good bang-for-the-buck. The greatest problem with the UCA222 is the resolution. Everything sounds very sweet and soft, but if I compare it with better interface like the FCA202, then I really hear that the resolution sounds limited. The signal-to-noise-ratio is also not very good, but the sound from the UCA222 is always a very pleasant listening.

[Deleted]

Christian,

thanks for that, I didn't know about that one.

Anybody know this or others and have experience of using them? I was hoping for a solid recommendation of high quality transfer (from the point of view of not needing the turntable again once done) if someone has been down this road.

Thanks

[XTRProf]

Aug 14, 2010 12:31:01 GMT @cjarchez said:

Christian,

thanks for that, I didn't know about that one.

Anybody know this or others and have experience of using them? I was hoping for a solid recommendation of high quality transfer (from the point of view of not needing the turntable again once done) if someone has been down this road.

Thanks

Chris,

Why don't you go to vinylengine.com to ask that question. There are lots of very experienced LP lovers there. I'm an infrequent contributor there due to time constraint. But that has to be the best vinyl site that I have ever visited. Better than even audioasylum.com vinyl section, IMVHO.

[Deleted]

Chong,

seems like a sensible idea

I've done exactly that.

Thanks,

Chris

[Deleted]

Having consulted with the freindly chaps over on vinylengine, as advised by Chong, I have plumped for one of these .

Mine was second hand for 34 squiddlies! (that's £34.00 to non-uk folk). New = £129.00.
I'm happy, just waiting for delivery now.

[XTRProf]

Sept 5, 2010 23:19:22 GMT @cjarchez said:

Having consulted with the freindly chaps over on vinylengine, as advised by Chong, I have plumped for one of these .

Mine was second hand for 34 squiddlies! (that's £34.00 to non-uk folk). New = £129.00.
I'm happy, just waiting for delivery now.

Great! Glad you found your solution ..........

[tg]

I have used the Firewire version of that unit with pretty good results, although I fed my phono stage direct into it. Tape out should be good too. Audacity (freeware) can record in 24/96 if you want that and "click repair" from Brian Davies is pretty good though not free. A trial version is available. I put some old mono recordings on CD by recording @ 24/96, running click repair on them and then downsampling to 16/44 for CD.
Thirty four squids sounds like a mighty fine price - nothing to not like there.

[Deleted]

It's arrived.
I need to have a play to get used to it, I can't go for LP immediately as my player is all packed up at the moment, as are the LPs for that matter.

I intend to use it with Audacity as tg said.

Yertiz!



with enough connection options to keep me happy

[derekrumble]

I use the internal PCI version of this, the Audiophile 24/96, and have had great results. I haven't bothered with click reducing s/ware - I just manually tweak any very large, cyclic clicks and leave the rest alone. I like to add fade-ins and outs in order to avoid a sudden rush of hiss when I play the files back. Derek.

[derekrumble]

I have uploaded a sample 45rpm single to yousendit which will ba available until 23 Sep. PM me for the link if anyone is interested.

This recording was, however, made at 24 bit 48kHz as it's intended to be played via my streamer, which is not 24/49 capable. Also I didn't have the time this morning to upload what would have been a much larger file at 24/96! I can do a 24/96 upload later if anyone is curious.

Derek

[XTRProf]

Sept 16, 2010 9:24:29 GMT @derekrumble said:

I have uploaded a sample 45rpm single to yousendit which will ba available until 23 Sep. PM me for the link if anyone is interested.

This recording was, however, made at 24 bit 48kHz as it's intended to be played via my streamer, which is not 24/49 capable. Also I didn't have the time this morning to upload what would have been a much larger file at 24/96! I can do a 24/96 upload later if anyone is curious.

Derek

I'm interested. I'm interested in the 45 single you have ........... So pm me, So pm me the links .......

Danke ........

[Deleted]

Sept 16, 2010 9:24:29 GMT @derekrumble said:

I have uploaded a sample 45rpm single to yousendit which will ba available until 23 Sep. PM me for the link if anyone is interested.

This recording was, however, made at 24 bit 48kHz as it's intended to be played via my streamer, which is not 24/49 capable. Also I didn't have the time this morning to upload what would have been a much larger file at 24/96! I can do a 24/96 upload later if anyone is curious.

Derek

Hi Derek
It does sound pretty good, but I don't have that track on CD to compare it against. Back then, CDs weren't painted with the loudness brush, but judging by the vinyl to 24bit 48KHZ conversion you did, if you neglect a few shortcomings (like your namesake) in the first 7 seconds, it does appear to show that convertiing better than average vinyl tracks to a higher bit rate and resolution than normal CD is worthwhile. You are wise not to automate "click and crackle" removal, and edit the larger glitches yourself, especially if you are going the high res route.
Alex

[derekrumble]

Sept 16, 2010 11:40:17 GMT @sandyk said:

Sept 16, 2010 9:24:29 GMT @derekrumble said:

I have uploaded a sample 45rpm single to yousendit which will ba available until 23 Sep. PM me for the link if anyone is interested.

This recording was, however, made at 24 bit 48kHz as it's intended to be played via my streamer, which is not 24/49 capable. Also I didn't have the time this morning to upload what would have been a much larger file at 24/96! I can do a 24/96 upload later if anyone is curious.

Derek

Hi Derek
It does sound pretty good, but I don't have that track on CD to compare it against. Back then, CDs weren't painted with the loudness brush, but judging by the vinyl to 24bit 48KHZ conversion you did, if you neglect a few shortcomings (like your namesake) in the first 7 seconds, it does appear to show that convertiing better than average vinyl tracks to a higher bit rate and resolution than normal CD is worthwhile. You are wise not to automate "click and crackle" removal, and edit the larger glitches yourself, especially if you are going the high res route.
Alex

I know my turntable could be set up better; I should experiment with motor suspension and a better support maybe. But as you porbably recall vinyl isn't a key music source for me - just a means of playing soem legacy recordings now and again. A lot of the noise is probably in the pressing; 45s are usually pretty poor.

I have some 24/96 dubs of The Wall on vinyl but I'm not uploading any of that! I have kept each side as one complete track and at 24/96 that makes for very large files! Compares pretty well with the CD version I have.

Derek (Rumble)- always wanted to work in a Hi-FI shop

[XTRProf]

Sept 16, 2010 14:55:58 GMT @derekrumble said:

Derek (Rumble)- always wanted to work in a Hi-FI shop

Hey, you and your family are born for TT sound. Long live vinyl .........

[XTRProf]

Nice music in that 45 and shows what the vinyl revival is all about. It sounds like we are in a club or concert and at ease with the music ....... How apt for the song title. THIS IS TOMORROW pointing to the vinyl revival. Wow, it will be even better at 24/96 ..........

Regarding the clicks, just wash the record with a RCM that has a vacuum, like the Keith Monk, and it will be even better. Anyway, the clicks are at very unintrusive level even without washing ........

Thanks for the upload.

[Deleted]

Hey, you and your family are born for TT sound. Long live vinyl .........

Most adults have grown out of Kellog's Rice Bubbles too !
They found they could live without "Snap, Crackle and Pop"

[derekrumble]

Sept 17, 2010 2:49:13 GMT XTRProf said:

Nice music in that 45 and shows what the vinyl revival is all about. It sounds like we are in a club or concert and at ease with the music ....... How apt for the song title. THIS IS TOMORROW pointing to the vinyl revival. Wow, it will be even better at 24/96 ..........

Regarding the clicks, just wash the record with a RCM that has a vacuum, like the Keith Monk, and it will be even better. Anyway, the clicks are at very unintrusive level even without washing ........

Thanks for the upload.

I am busy this weekend but next week I will share something recorded both in 16/44.1 and 24/96 so you can see how the M-Audio Soundcard performs.

Please don't refer to the track names on here - I may get prosecuted for illegal file sharing! lol. I have a particularly nice 12" single which I may use for the test. It's a popular track and well pressed to.

Note I'm not doing this show how good I feel vinyl is - just to show how the soundcard performs. In fact I may take a hi-res disc, DVD-A or SACD, and record the analogue output - that would be an interesting excercise. The analogue out from my Sony SACD player is actually very very good and may act as a good reference source for testing the soundcard.

Before coming to work this morning I started playing through half a dozen or so 45s that I had dubbed into 24/48. I particularly enjoyed Frankie Goes to Holywood (Relax) and Bruce Hornsby (The Way It Is) both from excellent 12" single originals. I also got stuck on a Vivaldi Cello concerto with Pierre Fournier - an old and scratchy DG Privilege LP - but what playing! Just Googled it up and found it at..

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLLXXsURk9A

PLEASE check this out. Kubric used this in Barry Lyndon I believe.

Then, not only was I late for work but I had also to wear a shirt that I wasn't keen on because I didnt have time to iron a fresh one. Wish I didn't love music so much.


edited for typos = hoep I got them all

[XTRProf]

Sept 17, 2010 11:46:33 GMT @derekrumble said:

Before coming to work this morning I started playing through half a dozen or so 45s that I had dubbed into 24/48. I particularly enjoyed Frankie Goes to Holywood (Relax) and Bruce Hornsby (The Way It Is) both from excellent 12" single originals. I also got stuck on a Vivaldi Cello concerto with Pierre Fournier - an old and scratchy DG Privilege LP - but what playing! Just Googled it up and found it at..

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLLXXsURk9A

PLEASE check this out. Kubric used this in Barry Lyndon I believe.

Then, not only was I late for work but I had also to wear a shirt that I wasn't keen on because I didnt have time to iron a fresh one. Wish I didn't love music so much.

I do understand why you were late for work as I was also like that when I was much younger playing those bloody infectious 45 singles. See my motto (not mojo, btw ) Mr Pink assigned me near my avatar picture.

Ah, Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax was and still is a reference 45 single for me. So those just out into the vinyl world, please grab it when you see one. It will be one of your reference single after grabbing it. It's that good ......... Another one is Yes - Owner of A Lonely Heart here ............





If any member finds one in very good condition and a good price, please notify me as I'm looking out for one again after a break of nearly 15 years before coming back into hifi due to life and family uncertainty of those years ..........

[Deleted]

See my motto (not mojo, btw ) Mr Pink assigned me near my avatar picture.

Did Mr. Pink do that ?

[XTRProf]

Sept 20, 2010 8:25:07 GMT @sandyk said:

See my motto (not mojo, btw ) Mr Pink assigned me near my avatar picture.

Did Mr. Pink do that ?

Yup, I did say at one time that ..............

[XTRProf]

Sept 20, 2010 8:31:48 GMT XTRProf said:

Sept 20, 2010 8:25:07 GMT @sandyk said:

Did Mr. Pink do that ?

Yup, I did say at one time that ..............

Btw, don't get me wrong. I love what Mike had given me .......... That is meant to be funny ............, ok?

[derekrumble]

More on the M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 PCI card......

I was prepared to do my vinyl dubbing yesterday but found that my turntable motor suspension needs some TLC. The motor on the faithful old Connoisseur BD1 is held in place by an arrangement of rubber bands; one of them has perished and is no longer doing its job. It's a fiddly job and will take an hour or so....

I used my Sony SACD SCD-XE670 player as the source after all. It has a very smooth, unfatiguing, yet detailed, sound and a character which is very analogue like. I chose a track which I believe comes from a pure DSD source (according to the sleeve notes anyway). The track shows good output at least to 30kHz before the inevitable rise in ultrasonic noise kicks in; this particular Sony player rolls off above 40-50kHz.

Too keep the signal pure I first tried to play the SACD player straight in to the M-Audio but the player's output is too high and overloads the input causing terrible clipping. So I had to use my MF X-PreV3 as an intermediary - which sounds very good anyway. I wanted to avoid using the soundcard itself to control the input.

I played a track into the M-Audio (via the X-Pre) and captured it with Adobe Audition 2.0; firstly at 24/96 and then at 44.1/16 so anyone who is interested can see how it performs at these two settings.

I'll begin the upload to my yousendit.com account later today.

Derek

[derekrumble]

OK - uploads complete. Anyone wanting to hear how the M-Audio card performs at 24/96 compared with 16/44.1 (albeit NOT with a vinyl dub, sorry) then PM me for the links.

sandyk & xtrprof, I have already sent you both a message.

Anyone else?

Derek

[derekrumble]

I suppose this is now off-topic as my postings here have nothing to do with digitising LPs !! Although the principle is the same.

D.