OT- How to convert a record (vinyl) to mp3 or wav?

My dad's bday is coming up and he wants to put his old records on cd and on his computer. I was told their is some technology you can buy that easily converts the music. Anyone know where to buy this contraption and roughly how much it costs? He is a biker, so it's not totally unrelated to the cause here....

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Permalink Reply by Anne B. on March 3, 2013 at 1:46pm

Cool! Thanks for the suggestion.

AM 9.5 said:

If you have or have access to a decent turntable, this is the way to go:  http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/USBDualPrePS

This is basically a pre-amp with a USB port and it's relatively cheap.  It comes with OK software that allows you to create a raw file of each side of the album, and then you need to go back and split the tracks.  It's a little time consuming, but the sound quality will be nearly as good as the vinyl and you get to spend some time listening to an LP from beginning to end.

Permalink Reply by Gecko on March 6, 2013 at 6:02am

Vintage equipment ftw.

If you know what you're looking for, you can get a really nice setup for relatively cheap (thrift shops are my favorite for old stuff, especially in the 'burbs).  Although they're not super top shelf quality, look for an older all-in-one turntable/amplifier setup like these.  Then it's just a matter of finding some speakers, and since those amps don't put out huge power, you can find a good set relatively cheap.  In all, you could end up only spending around $100 for everything.  I got my turntable (without amp) for $15 and a really nice set of 70's Realistic Nova speakers for $20.  I've seen decent old amps (without turntables) for $50-75 or less.

Make sure to find an amp with red and white "line out" jacks on the back, then just buy a cable that converts from the line out jacks on the back of the stereo to a regular headphone jack to plug into the computer's microphone port.  Once it's all hooked up and working, I've used Mp3MyMp3's free software to import directly to mp3.  You can set options for audio quality, level, and file size according to your needs or limitations, and it's pretty easy to use.  So far I've converted quite a few records, and a few cassette tapes to mp3 using this method, and I even used to hook my guitar amp up to it and record my practice sessions.

Granted, this isn't the easiest way, nor the least expensive, but you get good quality sound and longevity from the stereo/speakers/turntable.  You may have to tweak and tinker with the settings on the software/stereo before you get perfect quality, but once you find the settings that work best with your setup, you can just rip and go.

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on March 7, 2013 at 9:14am

Any turntable will work. I have a vintage 70's complete with lighted dial for Stereo FM radio!

Just hook this up to the Record player, Tape player, VHS player  to the computer and as long as you have hours/days to upload in real time it works great.

Permalink Reply by mark stetson on March 16, 2013 at 1:07pm

I've used both high quality turntables and a cheap USB Audio Technica turntable to transfer lps to digital.  I use Cakewalk Pyro software with both.  I really don't notice any difference in sound quality between the 2 turntables once it's processed (you're losing a lot of information with compressed digital files no matter what the source is), but the AT turntable refuses to play certain lps without skipping, even ones in mint condition.  It is cheap and comes with the software, but it's frustrating when it won't track.  I'd recommend it as a good option for someone who doesn't have a turntable now except for that.

Permalink Reply by Anne B. on March 23, 2013 at 3:29pm

Cool- thank you so much for the info! Oh, got a link to that product or brand name? I tried googling it but all the links that came up were for new turntables. 

Mike Zumwalt said:

Any turntable will work. I have a vintage 70's complete with lighted dial for Stereo FM radio!

Just hook this up to the Record player, Tape player, VHS player  to the computer and as long as you have hours/days to upload in real time it works great.

Permalink Reply by Anne B. on March 23, 2013 at 3:30pm

Thanks for the info! 

mark stetson said:

I've used both high quality turntables and a cheap USB Audio Technica turntable to transfer lps to digital.  I use Cakewalk Pyro software with both.  I really don't notice any difference in sound quality between the 2 turntables once it's processed (you're losing a lot of information with compressed digital files no matter what the source is), but the AT turntable refuses to play certain lps without skipping, even ones in mint condition.  It is cheap and comes with the software, but it's frustrating when it won't track.  I'd recommend it as a good option for someone who doesn't have a turntable now except for that.

Permalink Reply by David P. on March 24, 2013 at 4:08am

Anne,

If you google something like 'USB RCA cables' you'll find cables like the ones shown. If you are trying to find an older turntable, try searching for, say, Technics turntables. I have a Technics SL-D20 from the early '80s.



Anne B. said:

Cool- thank you so much for the info! Oh, got a link to that product or brand name? I tried googling it but all the links that came up were for new turntables. 

Mike Zumwalt said:

Any turntable will work. I have a vintage 70's complete with lighted dial for Stereo FM radio!

Just hook this up to the Record player, Tape player, VHS player  to the computer and as long as you have hours/days to upload in real time it works great.

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