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Record music from vinyls to files?

Fishie

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Hi, I am totally new to vinyls yet I have a few pieces of vinyl records at home. Never had the chance to hear them, I would like to ask if there is a way to convert the analog signals in the vinyls to digital files?

I currently have a RME ADI-2 Pro and would like to use it for capturing sound from the vinyls and convert it to digital. Is there any recommendations on a turntable and a phono preamp for the money? Thanks!
 
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Blumlein 88

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Yes, you'll need a turntable, a phono preamp which will provide analog signals to the ADC in the RME. Which will let you record the vinyl sound to digital files.

You might also use some software like this from Channel D. Pure Vinyl. But it isn't a necessity.
http://www.channld.com/purevinyl/
 
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Fishie

Fishie

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Yes, you'll need a turntable, a phono preamp which will provide analog signals to the ADC in the RME. Which will let you record the vinyl sound to digital files.

You might also use some software like this from Channel D. Pure Vinyl. But it isn't a necessity.
http://www.channld.com/purevinyl/
Much thanks for the software recommendation. Do you have any ideas what turntable and phono preamp I should get, and how much they would affect the sound of the analog signal? Thanks!
 

Willem

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I suggest buying the cd or download instead. You would not waste a lot of money on a turntable and if the original was a digital recording in the first place you get much better audio quality.
 

Jas0_0

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I suggest buying the cd or download instead. You would not waste a lot of money on a turntable and if the original was a digital recording in the first place you get much better audio quality.

I sort of agree with this - though how many records do you have? If not that many and you are just wanting to hear the music on the records, you might be better off with buying the CD or downloading files.

If however you have hundreds of records and/or you want to invest further in buying and playing vinyl then there are hundreds of potential turntable/phono stage combinations.

Roughly how much do you want to spend?
 

BDWoody

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Much thanks for the software recommendation. Do you have any ideas what turntable and phono preamp I should get, and how much they would affect the sound of the analog signal? Thanks!

Do you have any friends with turntables? Maybe ask if they'd be willing to help. The Vinyl rabbit hole is a scary one... Can get expensive really quick, and at the end of the day, you are gaining access to a storage medium that was left behind for very good reasons.

I have a couple of TT's, don't use them often but glad to have them. Guests enjoy them almost more than I do. Something about picking out a record with music you haven't heard in ages, and listening to it with all the clicks and pops inherent to the medium that's pretty nice with a cocktail or two. Funny thing... Once the guests leave I will sometimes go and find it online and stream it so I can hear it in true high fidelity.

I don't even know what to recommend in terms of a TT. Obviously depends on budget... I bought both of mine used. How much are you thinking to spend on this foray?

@watchnerd is also a TT nerd, so I'll tag him into this... he may have a suggestion or two.
 
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Fishie

Fishie

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I suggest buying the cd or download instead. You would not waste a lot of money on a turntable and if the original was a digital recording in the first place you get much better audio quality.
Problem is some of those release does not even have a CD version...
I sort of agree with this - though how many records do you have? If not that many and you are just wanting to hear the music on the records, you might be better off with buying the CD or downloading files.

If however you have hundreds of records and/or you want to invest further in buying and playing vinyl then there are hundreds of potential turntable/phono stage combinations.

Roughly how much do you want to spend?
I have around 20 of them, and 6 of those does not have a CD release.


How much are you thinking to spend on this foray?
I guess $500 would be a reasonable place to start? I will surely keep adding vinyls to my collection though.

Thanks!
 

Rja4000

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Problem is some of those release does not even have a CD version...

I have around 20 of them, and 6 of those does not have a CD release.

I guess $500 would be a reasonable place to start? I will surely keep adding vinyls to my collection though.

Thanks!
As said above, it depends why you want a TT.

If your goal is to accurately record 6 LPs, then, indeed, the cheapest way is to find some friend with a decent TT and phono preamp, grab some beer or wine, pack the RME, some cables and a laptop PC and spend a few hours recording the LPs while spending some good time with a friend.
If you don't have such a friend, then talk to audiophiles close to you and you may have new friends after the process.

If you are really in need to purchase some hardware, then buy a good "cheap" turntable, like the Rega Planar 1, a Cambridge Solo preamp and you're ready to go.

I would personally not recommend to buy second hand TT (although I did it myself).
 

Chrispy

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Digital recording of your vinyl will yield an accurate copy, imperfections and all. You can filter some out. Audacity has some basic tools. I got a separate phono stage with usb output (ART Phono Plus) but the process is cumbersome and I largely just decided if I want to listen to vinyl, I'll just put it on rather than try and preserve that last play indefinitely ;)
 
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Fishie

Fishie

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As said above, it depends why you want a TT.

If your goal is to accurately record 6 LPs, then, indeed, the cheapest way is to find some friend with a decent TT and phono preamp, grab some beer or wine, pack the RME, some cables and a laptop PC and spend a few hours recording the LPs while spending some good time with a friend.
If you don't have such a friend, then talk to audiophiles close to you and you may have new friends after the process.

If you are really in need to purchase some hardware, then buy a good "cheap" turntable, like the Rega Planar 1, a Cambridge Solo preamp and you're ready to go.

I would personally not recommend to buy second hand TT (although I did it myself).
Digital recording of your vinyl will yield an accurate copy, imperfections and all. You can filter some out. Audacity has some basic tools. I got a separate phono stage with usb output (ART Phono Plus) but the process is cumbersome and I largely just decided if I want to listen to vinyl, I'll just put it on rather than try and preserve that last play indefinitely ;)

Much thanks for the advices. I will see then!
 

Rja4000

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Much thanks for the advices. I will see then!
Just one point:
If you follow my advice above and follow the 'audiophil neughbour' path, be tactic: don't try too hard to convince them on anything about audiosciencereview.
Or you may end up with a new enemy and lose a few precious plates in the process.
They may become aggressive if you contest the "meaning of life" (audiophoolery conviction) too heavily.
 

Soniclife

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I have around 20 of them, and 6 of those does not have a CD release.
Try posting here, or on similar forums asking is someone in your area would be prepared to help, and you pay them for their time. I'd also post the details of the 6 that are not on CD, and see if someone else can find them.
 

EJ3

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Yes, you'll need a turntable, a phono preamp which will provide analog signals to the ADC in the RME. Which will let you record the vinyl sound to digital files.

You might also use some software like this from Channel D. Pure Vinyl. But it isn't a necessity.
http://www.channld.com/purevinyl/

Thank you for replying to Fishie. It happens that this is exactly what I want to do with my many hundreds of LP's (many of which are not on CD's, some from as early as 1927 [yes, I know, I will need a different stylus for those but my TT#2 {a DUAL 1229) can handle it].) I had never heard of this software but it looks fantastic. The Channel D. Pure Vinyl indicates using an all in one ADC/DAC. But in my OPPO 205 there is a great DAC. Can I set up with just getting a good ADC hooked to a computer to run my Phono Pre out into? Then run it through the OPPO"s DAC to play? Thank you for your consideration. Also: what is RME?
 

EJ3

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I was able to listen to https://pro-jectusa.com/product/essential-iii-digital/ the other day through both the analog and digital out and couldn't tell which output was being used. I have a Debut Carbon that I have been happy with.

If I were starting out that seems to be a pretty nice rig. I particularly like the optical out as that can have no ground problems. I mentioned my #2 TT (which can deal with the 78's). I did not mention my #1 TT (Technics SL-M3 on board computer servo controlled linear tracking TT). That is for the rest of my LP's. Each TT runs into it's own resto-modded APT/Holman preamp.
 

Rja4000

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what is RME
https://www.rme-audio.de/adi-2-pro-fs-be.html

RME is a German manufacturer, specialized in Pro Audio interfaces.
Quite famous actually.

The Box we speak about here is an (instrument-grade) ADC + (double) DAC interface.
It's used by several people to tests and measure hardware, in a similar (if less standardized) way to what Amir is doing here with his 40kUSD AudioPrecision analyzer.
But it's of course also a perfect device to perform any line-level stereo recording.
(I personnaly do both)

Or to record (and playback from recording) LPs, if you add a Phono preamp.
 
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EJ3

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https://www.rme-audio.de/adi-2-pro-fs-be.html

RME is a German manufacturer, specialized in Pro Audio interfaces.
Quite famous actually.

The Box we speak about here is an (instrument-grade) ADC + (double) DAC interface.
It's used by several people to tests and measure hardware, in a similar (if less standardized) way to what Amir is doing here with his 40kUSD AudioPrecision analyzer.
But it's of course also a perfect device to perform any line-level stereo recording.
(I personnaly do both)

Or to record (and playback from recording) LPs, if you add a Phono preamp.

Being new to being back in the USA (after being gone for 18 years, I thought that it was an abbreviation [like DAC]) that I did not know.
The audio company I do know & there is a device that I would like to have from them but I don't have a handy $1600 at the moment.
 

pma

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Hi, I am totally new to vinyls yet I have a few pieces of vinyl records at home. Never had the chance to hear them, I would like to ask if there is a way to convert the analog signals in the vinyls to digital files?

I currently have a RME ADI-2 Pro and would like to use it for capturing sound from the vinyls and convert it to digital. Is there any recommendations on a turntable and a phono preamp for the money? Thanks!

We live in the times of over compressed music sales, discs or streams make no difference, and I have to say that my vinyl collection is one of the best sources of good and dynamic sound, speaking about pop, rock and jazz, to me. So I am converting everything with some quality into digital, being bored of listening to streams of remastered music. The ADC is not so important, there is a plenty of good ones now. More important is noise and hum free phono preamp. I use Technics SL1200-MKII with Ortofon 2m blue cartridge. The phono preamp is my own design.

Technical parameters of digital sources are quite unimportant in case they are killed by the quality of the music files, which is the case in times of loudness wars, usual DR 4-7 of the over compressed music. This is the real distortion we hear, not the SINAD of only 90dB..... The world is crazy.
 

EJ3

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I agree and (other than the fact that 25% or more of my music isn't available on CD) that is why I want to convert my many albums to digital. As to what I want to use to do it: For ancient records (1927 or so) & ethnic (like the folk music fro where I was born [Salzburg, Austria]) restored DUAL 1229 with a solid American Walnut encasement with the stock tonearm and a SHURE V15 IV and NOS stylus, running into the phono section of a resto-modded APT/Holman pre-amp. For more modern records I use a Technics SL-M3 with a SHURE Ultra 300 and NOS stylus running into the phono section of a second resto-modded Apt/Holman pre-amp. now all I need is a good ADC. (I have a good DAC inside my OPPO 205 for playback).
 

AnalogSteph

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Realistically, you just need a decent ADC. 96 kHz sampling, highish input impedance would be good. 21 years ago, I was using a CS4231A based ISA soundcard (85 dB input dynamic range, digital filter passband ripple 0.2 dB p-p or +/- 0.1 dB, ultimate rejection >74 dB above 0.6 fs, 48 kHz max), and those recordings still sound decent even though I would never use anything with such modest specs for serious recording today.

What do you have for a PC? (Operating system and motherboard / type of available slots or ports in particular.)
 
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