Equipment to transfer vinyl etc. to CD

Noticed a big ad in a paper recently which offered a sort of record player which had the function to transfer a vinyl LP recording to a CD (without using a computer). It would also copy audio cassette tapes to CD. Has anyone tried this type of machine or had any reports on its effectiveness? The ad suggested that the price of £199.99 would be saving the purchaser £100. Any alternative methods known?

Comments

  • pocatellopocatello Posts: 8,813
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    Cheap decks have cheap cartridges.
    Yes they work, but they transfer crap onto cd, defeating the point.
  • c4rvc4rv Posts: 29,538
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    If you have a PC with a CD writer then you could use something like this. quality is not going to be up to sondeck quality but its OK for basic transfer.

    http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=gsih&xhr=t&q=usb+turntable&cp=5&wrapid=tljp1297727763991012&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=6734915952730462252&ei=ecFZTYvgJdCGhQe6tKylDA&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQ8wIwAQ#

    You can use something like Audacity to clean up the recordings and split the tracks up.

    http://audacity.sourceforge.net/about/
  • pocatellopocatello Posts: 8,813
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    Main thing is you cannot put garbage into the recording device. If you are spending the time to record a vinyl record, you should do it right with quality equipment. Otherwise you are just producing completely inferior sound. No special equipment required, even old record decks can be used to record to cd.
  • c4rvc4rv Posts: 29,538
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    TBH, I havn't used a record player in a while so I am not going to be able to comment on how much difference there is. If I remember quality of the pressing makes as much difference as the player. And if you are talking about very old records, chances are the quality is not great to being with.

    Thing about this of course you could this pretty much for free if you have a record player connect to a amp with headphone socket that you can connect to the audio in on your PC. Then use Audacity for doing the recording.

    TBH, my first choice would be to download the tracks rather then convert them.
  • Glawster2002Glawster2002 Posts: 15,189
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    I kept all of my vinyl so I still have a decent turntable. To convert vinyl to digital I use a Terratec PhonoPreAmp which connects to the Tape Out connections on my amp.

    It comes with Algorithmix Sound Rescue software, which is a tool for removing noise, etc.

    I found the easiest way is to record the whole side of vinyl and then use Sound Rescue to "clean up" the recording and edit the single recording in to the individual tracks.

    The recording is a WAV file so it is uncompressed, so then it is a simple process to convert the tracks from WAV to, for example, mp3.
  • TeeGeeTeeGee Posts: 5,772
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    There is no easy answer to this. Copying the record still seems to leave noticeable crackles and down loading (as previously suggested) takes time.

    I tend to look for the tracks I want on sale price CDs. Sad as it may sound I got 75 tracks of Elvis Presley for under £6 recently from Play.com
  • radioman2radioman2 Posts: 1,562
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    TeeGee wrote: »
    There is no easy answer to this. Copying the record still seems to leave noticeable crackles and down loading (as previously suggested) takes time.

    I tend to look for the tracks I want on sale price CDs. Sad as it may sound I got 75 tracks of Elvis Presley for under £6 recently from Play.com

    If you could track down a "Wet"record cleaning machine you could clean the vinyl with suitable cleaning liquid and effectively vacuum nearly all of the crud away.This will make for a far cleaner sound without the need to rely on electronic filtering which invariably degrade the sound you'd end up with.
  • pilgrim42pilgrim42 Posts: 326
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    radioman2 wrote: »
    If you could track down a "Wet"record cleaning machine you could clean the vinyl with suitable cleaning liquid and effectively vacuum nearly all of the crud away.This will make for a far cleaner sound without the need to rely on electronic filtering which invariably degrade the sound you'd end up with.

    I've recently transferred a dozen vinyls to a Brennand JB7 home "Juke box" system from a Dual CS 5000 deck with an Ortophon cartridge through my Kandy L3 amp. and the results were astonishingly good, although it was a long-winded procedure. Particularly striking was a 42-year-old Bert Kaempfert recording (OK,OK, it was popular back then) which sounds like new: no surface noise and only one track I had to miss out due to a scratch from long ago.How glad am I that I held on to the old kit. Since it was a one-off operation, I lightly sprayed the vinyl with distilled water as it played, to eliminate lingering static. Worked a treat.
    Cheers, Mike
  • spiney2spiney2 Posts: 27,058
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    Plug an easy cap into the output of any record deck.

    Select "audio only".

    http://easycap.co.uk/
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,328
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    spiney2 wrote: »
    Plug an easy cap into the output of any record deck.

    Except there's no phono preamp in the Easycap, so almost all record decks won't work with it - only the tiny number of modern ones with built-in preamps.

    Just buy a phono preamp and plug it in to the sound card input on your PC.
  • pilgrim42pilgrim42 Posts: 326
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    Except there's no phono preamp in the Easycap, so almost all record decks won't work with it - only the tiny number of modern ones with built-in preamps.

    Just buy a phono preamp and plug it in to the sound card input on your PC.

    Good point, Nigel. A lot of the young 'uns don't realise the output from the deck needs equalisation to get it right.
    Mike.
  • grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
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    pilgrim42 wrote: »
    Good point, Nigel. A lot of the young 'uns don't realise the output from the deck needs equalisation to get it right.
    Mike.

    El cheapo crystal cartridges will be OK. It's the quality moving Magnet or Moving Coil ones that need preamplification and RIAA equalisation.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,328
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    El cheapo crystal cartridges will be OK. It's the quality moving Magnet or Moving Coil ones that need preamplification and RIAA equalisation.

    The EasyCap is unlikely to have a high enough input impedance for a crystal (or ceramic) cartridge, they require inputs in the megaohms. A normal line input (as the EasyCap) will be MUCH too low, and result in a severe lack of bass.
  • Richard46Richard46 Posts: 59,830
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    I favour just playing vinyl on a half decent deck.
  • radioman2radioman2 Posts: 1,562
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    The EasyCap is unlikely to have a high enough input impedance for a crystal (or ceramic) cartridge, they require inputs in the megaohms. A normal line input (as the EasyCap) will be MUCH too low, and result in a severe lack of bass.

    The equalization will be way out as well although it's fairly easy to buy Phono preamps although it makes the Easycap rather redundant.I did wonder whether the electret condenser cartridges once used in some top end Toshiba turntables might work,these were fitted in the days of Quadraphonic L.Ps so there probably aren't many of those still in use.
  • spiney2spiney2 Posts: 27,058
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    ok, sorry, I wasn;t specific enough.

    A ceramic cartridge has flat output, and the easycap a buffer amp. However, good point about the RIAA response, if a mag cartridge.

    Yeah, just plug straight into pc sound card (mike or line input), then use recording freeware, that should also work. Mike level would be ok for mag cart, and you can pre-equalise for riaa.
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,328
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    spiney2 wrote: »
    ok, sorry, I wasn;t specific enough.

    A ceramic cartridge has flat output, and the easycap a buffer amp. However, good point about the RIAA response, if a mag cartridge.

    I can't find any spec on the EasyCap, but I would be VERY confident it doesn't have a high input impedance - it would be a poor design if it did for it's intended useage.

    Both ceramic and crystal pickups require 2 megaohms or so, I would expect the EasyCap to only be around 50 kohms.
  • puchicapuchica Posts: 447
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    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Steepletone-SMC386-Recordable-5--Turntable/dp/B002T99UOC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1297802611&sr=8-6

    Amazon have this for £144 although mine was £120 before Xmas.

    It works a treat and allows you to copy vinyl or cassettes to USB stick or sd card.
    It does not have a cd burner but as I have all my tracks on my PS3 (which I selected for music storage over the over priced Brennan ) or IPOD I felt I could miss out on the cd burner .
    Of course once you have all the tracks on the sd card or memory stick you can burn a cd using the PC if you really want one.

    The unit also has a button to divide tracks into indivdual tracks on the USB but you need to sit there in real time so I copy the whole vinyl to USB then use Wavepad Sound Editor ( free program)on the PC to do all the division but if you don't want to use the PC it can do the whole job if necessary.

    There are thousands of vinyl tracks that are not available to download legally or illegally and I got fed up with searching so I got one and its been great fo hear the old vinyl albums I've not heard for years although the crackles and pops of used vinyl still make cd preferable if possible
  • RobPyattRobPyatt Posts: 114
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    I do all my recordings using my hi fi gear, connected to a second hand laptop.

    For software, I use Audacityfor all the recording, cleaning up (you can remove obvious cliks very easily), and splitting up into track.

    The results are, obviously, dependent on the quality of the original record, but usually sound fine.

    The same laptop also acts as a media centre for playback, and also has spotify on it for even more music!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 10,327
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    RobPyatt wrote: »
    I do all my recordings using my hi fi gear, connected to a second hand laptop.

    For software, I use Audacityfor all the recording, cleaning up (you can remove obvious cliks very easily), and splitting up into track.

    The results are, obviously, dependent on the quality of the original record, but usually sound fine.

    The same laptop also acts as a media centre for playback, and also has spotify on it for even more music!
    Pretty much ditto.

    I feed my turntable (Pro-Ject Debut III fitted with a Goldring 1010 magnetic cartridge) via a NAD phono-amp into my AV receiver and take a line-out from there into my PC.

    I too use Audacity to record and split the tracks, which are then converted to MP3 320kbps files. These files are copied to my MP3 player, so I can play them in the car.

    Very very rarely do I feel the need to tamper and erradicate ticks and pops.

    Ticks and pops can be relieved by keeping your LPs free of static and proper use of a wet cleaning regime.

    The wet cleaning needs to be done properly, though, otherwise you can end up with sludge in the grooves. Even so, you don't need to spend more than £40 on a wet cleaning device, and the occasionally £15-£20 on solution and distilled & deionised (both) clean water.

    My albums are cleaned about once every 10 years or so!

    I wouldn't be seen dead with an Ion or (worse) a Steepletone anything. Toneams and stylii that rely on weight to stay in the groove have the same qualities as a hot plough through cream. The friction involved melts the groove slightly and after just a few playings the more minute detail is simply worn away.
  • ThePenkethPedanThePenkethPedan Posts: 347
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    Thanks,guys -will attempt to assimilate all your info, and come to a conclusion. I note that no-one seems to have used ths system on offer.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 10,327
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    Thanks,guys -will attempt to assimilate all your info, and come to a conclusion. I note that no-one seems to have used ths system on offer.
    That's because you don't say what system you're talking about, just a generalised description (unless you've already addressed this point, beneath your original question).
  • pocatellopocatello Posts: 8,813
    Forum Member
    radioman2 wrote: »
    If you could track down a "Wet"record cleaning machine you could clean the vinyl with suitable cleaning liquid and effectively vacuum nearly all of the crud away.This will make for a far cleaner sound without the need to rely on electronic filtering which invariably degrade the sound you'd end up with.

    Or you can simply cover the record with elmers type childrens white glue, let it dry, and peel it off, taking all the crud with it.
  • 2Bdecided2Bdecided Posts: 4,416
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    pilgrim42 wrote: »
    Particularly striking was a 42-year-old Bert Kaempfert recording (OK,OK, it was popular back then) which sounds like new: no surface noise and only one track I had to miss out due to a scratch from long ago.
    I bet it's available on CD. There are over 100 Bert Kaempfert tracks on Spofity (though bizarely none actually on the Polydor label - maybe they've blocked Spotify)


    This is the definitive vinyl > PC/CD information source IMO...
    http://www.delback.co.uk/lp-cdr.htm

    c4rv wrote: »
    TBH, I havn't used a record player in a while so I am not going to be able to comment on how much difference there is. If I remember quality of the pressing makes as much difference as the player.
    With over 10000 discs and over 50 players, I don't agree at all! ;)

    Cheers,
    David.
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