I finally got around to building a new computer with the help of a friend.  I'd like to start transferring some of my Dad's vinyl to CD.  Are any of you using software that really impresses you?  Thanks-

Jeff

First, I'd recommend you *not* transfer the vinyl. It's time-consuming. Better to just play the vinyl itself. If your turntable isn't the greatest, invest in a better one. You don't want to make your transfers using a cheapie turntable anyway.

But if you must transfer, I recommend SoundForge.

I have many LP's that I do not have on CD. Plus I'd like to have the ability to load them into my iMac computer jukebox for the office and use my LP music collection in the car. I think those are very valid reasons for wanting to make the transfer.

I know this is possible, but still haven't found anyone doing the transfers on a consistent basis. I wonder what the main concerns are? Would you need to compress (I'd rather not), is pop and click reduction viable?

M

Surely you have enough CDs that you can play when you have no access to a record player.

It's going to take at least a couple of hours to transfer an LP well. That quickly adds up when you have a stack to transfer. I've made numerous transfers over the years and it gets old.

I would do it now only if I had limited access to some extremely expensive record that was totally unavailable in another format.

If you want a quick and dirty way, just buy a standalone CD recorder and that's as easy as making a cassette.

Parrot,

I totally agree that there is nothing like listening to the vinyl itself.  But, there are some early rockabilly and soul 45's that my Dad and I have never found on CD.  It'd be nice to have these songs available for more convenient listening while I'm in the car, cutting grass, or exercising.  Granted, I could simply choose from the 3,000+ CD's I already have, but there are some gems that I just can't live without. . .

I appreciate the recommendation of SoundForge, I'll check it out more tonight after work. 

Jeff

I have been using Magix Audio Cleaning Lab for quite some time now. The program runs about $50 and does a pretty good job.
It does a great job of eliminating annoying lp noise. It has a Denoiser, Dehisser, Decrackler, and Declicker as well as many FX for adding reverb, eq, compression etc.
It also has the ability to add aftermarket FX processors vis VST.
I really like this program and have transferred a lot of vinyl to CD for my dad and his friends.

How do you plug TT into computer? Do you just run TT through receiver, then use a tape or aux out into the computer straightaway? Any conversion device there at all?

M

Michael,

I picked up a two channel M Audio soundcard that has RCA's on it.  It was recommended by a forum member for doing recording. From what I've been reading in the manual (yes, I sometimes read manuals!), I should be able to plug my TT right into it. 

Jeff

Here's a shareware designed for vinyl, it's called Wave Repair.  I have it but havent used it a lot, too lazy

http://www.delback.co.uk/wavrep/

How about iMac, I can't fit a sound card to it. Do ya just plug into the 3.5mm stereo mic jack from receiver?

You could use an Ipod docking station which have a line out jack, just like portable CD's and then get a 1/8" line out to rca adaptor and use your aux inputs.

colterphoto1:

How about iMac, I can't fit a sound card to it. Do ya just plug into the 3.5mm stereo mic jack from receiver?

Michael,
Do you happen to have a recever/integrated with phono inputs and optical out? If so, I believe the iMac 1/8 inch stereo jack also doubles as an optical input, the same as the Sony MD recorders. The ADC in the receiver is probably better than the analog in on the iMac. Or you can get a fairly inexpensive analog to usb device and get the audio in that way.

The Magix stuff is pretty good. It is all a trickle down from their professional recording software, made for Joe Consumer. It works well. Soundforge is also great, but will set you back a lot of dollars. If you are a student of faculty/staff member at a school, you get get fabulaous discounts on most software.

Michael - what browser are you using in the iMac? I just installed Camino on a Mac Mini I am borrowing from school. Same render engine as Firefox, but written specifically for the Mac. Blows away Safari quite handily.

Bruce

I use Sony Sound Forge with noise reduction when needed for the very high end hiss. I can add silence to the end and beginning (groove rumble) , change equalizer settings on the fly, normalize the levels in both channels to peak after application of the click and crackle remover, repair one channel by using the info on the other good channel, cut out a very severe pop, but you can't remove wow and poor transients from the phono cartridge. You can slightly change the pitch if needed but you have to maintain the 44.1 standard for CD's. Of course this is assuming you have Klipsch computer speakers, but even then it sounds different on the big horns, so you have to adjust.

 

JJK

fletcherkane:

job of eliminating annoying lp noise.
 Denoiser,
 Dehisser,
Decrackler,
 Declicker

those are all the reasons Idon't use my turntable anymore ......

I like to use NERO, It has all the "effects" also and it is very easy to edit the sound track to get any play list you would like. I just take the signal from the "tape out" jacks on the preamp and feed that to the line in on the sound card. Simple. And yes, I use the 1/8" plug into the sound card jack.