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Mark E
Lokahi
USA
186 Posts |
 Posted - 04/27/2007 : 8:21:53 PM
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Aloha All!
I'm trying to put my vinyl records on CD and would appreciate any advice as to the simplest and best way to do it. Recording onto the Zoom H4 and then into the PC and then burning the CD probably isn't it. I looked at Polderbits and maybe that is. Or Audacity? Or Cubase LE?
Also, there is a link somewhere in a discussion to a brief video on home recording and using a DAW which I can no longer find. Having worked with the H4 now, I think I might understand it better if I could see it again.
Can anyone help?
Thanks so much,
Mark E
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2007 : 10:07:05 PM
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I think you're pretty close with your current technique. I understand the the H4 can function as a USB interface, which would allow you skip one step, you would be recording direct onto your PC hard drive.
You could simply record two "tracks" on the CD, representing each side of the LP, but of course it would be inconvenient if you want to deal with individual songs on the CD. So I'm afraid you simply have to manually separate the songs in your recording software. My solution has been to record one side, select each song and then export the selection. Name that export to match the song, then burn the collection to CD. I just checked and Audacity has an "export selection as .wav" option under the File menu.
I had an application once that attempted to identify the gaps between songs, but it didn't do that great a job. I had originally planned to convert my 2000 LPs to CD, I burned out after about 4 <grin>.
If you have any specific questions about problems you're having, I'd be glad to try to help.
Fran |
E ho`okani pila kakou ma Kaleponi
Slack Key Guitar in California - www.kaleponi.com
Slack Key on YouTube
Homebrewed Music Blog |
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2007 : 06:11:27 AM
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The simplest setup is to hook a turntable to the PC and record via soundcard and something like Audacity. The hitch is that you need go through a phono pre-amp to match the sound card's analog line-in, but if you have a lot of records, maybe it's worth the trouble. (I've read that the free-standing phono pre-amps now available are quite good and not all that pricey.)
The other way (which I use a good bit) is to simply record from the stereo to a digital device of some sort (I use a Minidisc), then transfer the files to the PC, convert to WAV (if necessary), edit/process, and burn to CD. Audacity has editing features that will let you divide a whole-side file into the separate LP tracks, which you can then name appropriately before feeding to the burning app. (I do my PC editing with CoolEdit 2000, which is an excellent audio editor, but it was bought by Adobe and made way too expensive. Audacity is not as slick but can do the job.)
Or--if you can borrow a unit--there's always the audio CD recorder route, which hooks up directly to your stereo but requires special audio blanks (to pay the record-company pipers).
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2007 : 09:45:29 AM
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The most important thing about transferring Vynil to CD or Mp3, etc., is whether you should do it at all!
To do a decent job of transfer, you need good equipment and it will take you several hours per disc by the time you finish, especially if you want to do any click-removal or other clean-up work before burning or saving.
If you can find a CD with the same recordings available on line or from a used CD store (or where-ever) you will save both time and money! And you will usually get a CD made from the original master recordings which will have much better quality than ANY vynil transfer you can make.
I haver transferred quite a few discs, but all were out-of-print, not available used, not available in CD form, etc.
As far as a DAW, since there are only 2 tracks, you can use Audacity (free), or Reaper ($40 honor-system). Reaper has better tools than Audacity in general and supports most all the free DX and VST tools. That being said the tools for either of these apps are no where near as good for "restoration" as Audition ($350). You will need wide-band FFT based noise reducton and very robust de-click and de-scratch tools (and you will need to know how to use them!). Audition has these but I have not found anything for Reaper or Audacity that even comes close. Note: if you use these tools your transfer time will increase to about 5 to 20 hours per disc!!
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Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
Edited by - Lawrence on 04/28/2007 09:55:31 AM |
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`Ilio Nui
`Olu`olu
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2007 : 1:52:10 PM
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I agree with Lawrence. It all depends on the quality you are willing to accept. I have the equipment and a small cadre of clients that are willing to accept my basic $250 per album charge. Even at that , when you subtract the time to do it, I'm lucky to make a profit. But, I do have a great selection of out of print work, mostly jazz.
BTW; All the Freeware mentioned above will do a nice job, but nothing touches Bias PEAK Soundsoap 2 or Waves restoration bundle. It's not the clicks and pops that get you, it's the hiss. Not to mention the RIAA curve.
Best of luck,
Dave |
Edited by - `Ilio Nui on 04/28/2007 1:54:19 PM |
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Bwop
Lokahi
USA
244 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2007 : 3:48:46 PM
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| Ho,brah! You guys waap my jaw! Here I am feeling sorry for myself that I have to record 800 albums before we move to Hawai'i. My tedious protocol is, numbah one, a record bath (I was not that good about record care in my halcyon days), real time recording onto CD (the floor is getting skid marks from the inter-song dashes), importing into iTunes (back-up, and so I can print a label for the CD). The only thing that really hurts is when people say, "CDs aren't permanent, or quality. Vinyl Records are best.". What's a lolobuggah like me to do?? |
Bwop |
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2007 : 3:50:12 PM
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I suppose it depends on how new one expects a transfer to sound. I don't expect 30- and 40-year-old LPs to sound like they did when they first came home--I mostly need to get the music up to my office, where I can listen to it while I write about it. In fact, I rarely bother to burn a CD, since a Minidisc gives good enough results for non-audiophile listening. (And I've heard some pretty mediocre digital transfers of old Hawaiian LPs on commercial reissues, so it's not like I'm spoiled by professional products.) As much as I'd love to find pristine LPs to work with, I'm old enough to be habituated to surface noise, tape hiss, and even the results of too many plays.
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dr. cookie
Lokahi
USA
299 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2007 : 8:46:14 PM
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You can't go wrong with this simple set up: http://www.xitel.com/USA/prod_inportdl.htm
USB connection to your PC from sound system; comes with a nice long cable (30') to run between computer & sound system; includes special software to identify and create/trim separate tracks as part of the process. Only about $80. I've had great success with their basic (not "Deluxe") version which usually sells for about $50.
Simple and does the job. May not be what you'd call studio quality, but it does the trick! |
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Mark E
Lokahi
USA
186 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2007 : 5:27:00 PM
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Thank you all for your very helpful responses. I'm going to try several of the suggestions and see what I get - I do have some hard-to-find LP's such as a number of Johnny Smith ones. (Let me know if you like him and would like to hear what I arrive at.)
Mahalo nui loa - it's great to have your help.
Mark E |
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2007 : 06:49:37 AM
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It took about 15 seconds to find six Johnny Smith recordings on CD for around $9.99 each at this seller:
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/card/0,,494435,00.html
May not be the CDs you want but you could find a lot more with a little more searching. Remember, you will save both time and money if you can find an existing CD recording and buy it, and 99% of the time you will get a far better recording.
I was amazed at the stuff I could find on CD, for instance I am about to order one CD with two complete Rick Roberts recordings on it, "Windmills" and "She is a Song" (circa late 70's). I have already have both LP's, and a Top-End Thorens turntable with a Top-End Stanton cartridge with a very good preamp and ADC Converters, but I also know the ordered CD (at $30 from Japan) will have much better quality than anything I make.
You can do an experiment and order the CD, and also do a transfer yourself, and then compare the two, unless of course, you cannot find the CD in which case transfer is the only option.
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Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
Edited by - Lawrence on 05/03/2007 07:00:27 AM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2007 : 2:59:09 PM
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I bought Paul one dohickey kine thing for Christmas..it is a USB turntable and comes with software to record to CDs. Not very expensive, either. Found it on amazon.com
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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