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Topic: Recording Vinyl to CD |
Billy Easton
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 6 Sep 2014 10:13 am |
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Hi Everyone...
I have about 500 vinyl albums, mostly steel guitar music that I want to convert to CD. I know this will be time consuming as it will be a real time transference, but now that I am retired, I want to try it out. A few years ago, I bought one of those all in one "Innovative Technology" units with a turn table, AMFM Radio, Cassette Player, CD Player/Recorder.
So I finally got around to trying it for the first time, and it did indeed record 4 1/2 minutes from a vinyl LP to an audio CD. Then it just stopped; I was able to replay those 4 1/2 minutes on the same unit, but when I try to play it on any other unit, like my stereo, computer, or car CD, it will not recognize the disc. I find this unit to be pretty worthless for what I want to do.
So....does anyone have a suggestion as to what equipment I can download and burn audio LPs to digital CDs? There are a couple of USB turntables on the Amazon website with software for a little less than $100....is this the answer? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks in advance for your response.
Billy Easton
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Billy & Meriul Easton
Nashville, TN |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 6 Sep 2014 10:47 am
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The USB turntable is one handy way.
You could also hook up your existing turntable's line out to the microphone input of your PC.
The USB turntable might come with software to record CDs, or you can use recording software: audacity is well-liked and free.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Craig Baker
From:
Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 6 Sep 2014 10:47 am recording to CD
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Billy,
Several people I know have used the USB turntables with success. A problem that most folks are not aware of is: "homemade" CDs have a life span of only a few years and start to break down and become unusable.
My suggestion is to build your music library on a hard drive and back it up on at least one other hard drive. At the radio station, our business rides on the music. We keep five copies of our music library and have it stored at three different locations, on three computers and two external hard drives. This way, you can always create a CD of songs that are of special interest, but keep the entire library safe from any loss. Hope this idea is worthwhile for you.
Lane,
Going into the mic input bypasses the necessary RIAA equalization curve. Without the proper EQ, the music would have way too many highs .
Best regards,
Craig Baker 706-485-8792
cmbakerelectronics@gmail.com
C.M. Baker Electronics
P.O. Box 3965
Eatonton, GA 31024
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"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 6 Sep 2014 10:53 am
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If your box lets yyou choose the burning speed, don't let it go faster than 8X. Higher speeds have higher error rates, and audio files are more finicky than most other file types.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 6 Sep 2014 11:21 am
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If you use a USB turntable that will give you the interface to the PC. Otherwise, with a regular turntable you need an RIAA Preamp (or a stereo system with a phono input) and you use the Blue color "Line In" NOT the Mic Input. The Mic input is mono, not stereo. The Line In is stereo. (The Mic uses a stereo plug, but the ring connection has 5VDC for a computer (condenser) microphone).
You need a program that will "record" to the hard drive. The popular and free "Audacity" program will do that and in fact I have a USB turntable and the Audacity recording program came with the turntable.
Audacity can be downloaded HERE
When you record to Audacity (or whatever program), if you want to make regular Audio CD's you need to save the songs as wav files. If you save them as MP3 files, MP3 is "something less than full fidelity" and if you convert MP3 to wav you do not regain the fidelity.
If you want to make a CD that will play in any audio CD player, you must make an "Audio" CD, not a data or MP3 CD. Depending on your audio CD player, the CD burning speed can be an issue. I do a lot of audio CD burning for my recording studio clients and my burn speed standard is 8X. Use CD-R blanks, not CD-RW or DVD.
If you don't have an adequate CD burning program, the free CDBurnerXP will do the trick. Click Me |
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Billy Easton
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 6 Sep 2014 6:30 pm
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Thanks Guys for all the good information. I think I will be checking out a turntable and software with USB capability. You guys are the best!
Billy
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Billy & Meriul Easton
Nashville, TN |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 7 Sep 2014 1:06 pm
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| Once the disc has been burned it will have to be "Finalized" - i.e. a file directory constructed and added - or it will be unreadable once it is removed from the burner. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 7 Sep 2014 1:41 pm
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The "finalized" is only for video DVD's or if the packet mode is used with CD-RW's and that mode and the RW's are to be avoided.
With an audio CD burning program, such as Nero BurningROM, CDBurnerXP and similar programs any needed "finalization" is automatically done. No extra burning steps are needed.
I use Nero BurningROM for my Audio CD production. I use "disk at once" which allows burning the CD Title, song titles and artist, along with the audio data. I have a production facility and can burn 5 CD's at a time (8X burning speed). I only use Taiyo Yuden ink jet printable CD-R's. I have a Primera Bravo SE disc printer. I've burned over 400 CD's this year so far, for my recording studio clients and reproductions for others. |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 9 Sep 2014 10:48 am Recording vinyl to CD
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| I had 3 albums that I wanted to put on CD about a year ago. Walmart had a turntable with a USB out for $69.00. I didn't want to spend that for just 3 albums, so I just went to a friends house that had a good stereo system that could play the vinyl. I just placed my Zoom H2 hand held digital recorder in front of the speakers and recorded away. Then I down loaded from the H2 to my computer and burned the discs' from that. I still have the albums on the SD card if I ever need to make more copies. Not the best way to get high quality, but they came out pretty darn good. |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 9 Sep 2014 12:31 pm
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| Quote: |
| The "finalized" is only for video DVD's or if the packet mode is used with CD-RW's and that mode and the RW's are to be avoided. |
Ah, gee, what can I say, the poster is entirely mistaken on all counts.
While some consumer-grade copy-and-burn products now perform this task automatically in the background, this feature is not a universal constant, nor is the need for disc "finalization" limited to video or RW discs, in fact virtually all professional-grade audio disc recorders require this step to be executed independently by the operator.
If your home-burned discs do not function on other devices it may well be due to a failure in the finalizing process, either manual or automatic. |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 9 Sep 2014 12:41 pm
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Billy, I have converted 100s of vinyl to my itunes...I have an ION turntable and use audicity...it works very well and with the ipod you dont have to lug around all of those cds, you can categorize it by genre...and with itunes you can convert from a wav file to mp3 or its equivalent and off you go...works like a charm,,,i have had my turntable unit for years and never had a problem,,,and you can also use it to convert cassettes, reel to reel, heck even 8 track tapes, if you still have an 8 track player that works, which I do. Good luck and hope this helps...hope to see you down the road soon my friend.
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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Billy Easton
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 9 Sep 2014 2:08 pm
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Thanks for all the replies....you are certainly very helpful. I am re-trying my stand alone unit before I spend the $$ for a new USB turntable.
Billy
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Billy & Meriul Easton
Nashville, TN |
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Michael Haselman
From:
St. Paul
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Posted 9 Sep 2014 3:02 pm
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I've recorded dozens of vinyl albums with my old JVC turntable and Marantz receiver. Used the tape out of the receiver to line in on the computer. You need some adapters and computer geekery but it works great.
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Mullen RP D10, Peavey NV112, Hilton volume. Hound Dog reso. Piles of other stuff. |
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