Burning vinyl

[jmjk]

What's the best way to burn an lp? Best sound quality? Specific computer programs? How about for home audio burners. Is a preamp needed? My lp transfers sound pretty lame, and I'm wondering if I need a complete system re-haul or if there's an easier fix.

I know this was discussed a while ago at the BN, but I don't have any of those discussions archived.

[Peter Johnson]

Thanks for bringing this up, JMJK--I too would like to figure this out, because my attempts thus far suck!!!!

Peter J

[Claude]

Two links, the first with basic info, the second very detailed:

http://www.pcabusers.net/vinyllp/vinyllp.htm

http://www.delback.co.uk/lp-cdr.htm

[Jim Alfredson]

Not having the time to read those articles (hehe) I would first ask how are you doing it now? What's your turntable? How are you connecting it to the computer? What sound card do you have in the computer? What software are you using?

I have a VIP turntable running into a dedicated phono pre-amp (McCormack) then out to the computer into a regular Sound Blaster AWE64 card. I've also run the turntable into my music computer which uses a M-Audio Audiophile 2496 (great card). For editing I use Cool Edit.

All the above are fairly expensive, but I would think there are cheaper alternatives.

So, what are you using?

[Shrdlu]

A cheap, but excellent piece of software is Musicmatch. The CDrs that I have made of my LPs sound identical to the LPs, to me (scratches and all ). Musicmatch is very user-friendly, and is designed for an amateur like me. You can put any analog source onto the hard drive with it. Once the files are on the hard drive, I trim the ends with good ol' Nero, which is also user-friendly.

I cart our turntable into the room where the PC resides, and connect it to the "line in" jack on the sound card via a little stand-alone pre-amp. (You need a pre-amp to lift a turntable up to line level.) You also need to run a wire from the ground terminal on the turntable to the metal case at the back of the computer (next to the line in plug hole will do fine), otherwise you will get a loud hum.

This whole process is time-consuming, mainly because you are copying in real time.

Musicmatch is about $20 from their website, but mine was free, as my son got it for me! Its results crap all over Ron McMaster's CDs from a dizzy height.

[rockefeller center]

www.goldwave.com

Good wave editor, easy to use. The free demo version has all the functions you need.

Usage Limit

The toll counter in the status bar gives you a rough idea of the benefit you have received from using GoldWave. This shareware version is limited to 150 commands each session. When the limit is reached, a toll message will appear whenever you use a control in the Device Controls window. Exiting and restarting GoldWave will let you use another 150 commands without interruption. By registering, you will receive a license that removes this toll counter completely.

[jmjk]

I appreciate all the replies, and thanks for the links to those articles.

Jim,

I burn lps with my home audio burner. I have a very basic set-up. My turntable is a Pro-Ject 1.2. I take the phono signal from the output of my receiver (a cheap SONY), and throw it into the input of my Harmon Kardon CDR-20. I set the input on the HK to analog, and away I go.

All of my equipment could certainly stand to be upgraded.

What I'm trying to determine is if the barely adequate results I'm getting are because my equipment will not allow for better transfer, or if there's some "sweetening" that can be done that I'm missing.

I have a computer burner too, but logistics prohibit bringing the turntable and receiver closer to my CPU. Right now, computer burning from lp source may be tough for me, but I may be able to do so in a few months.

[Shrdlu]

Luv that picture, Rocky!

[J Larsen]

On my stereo-component burner, I just set it to analog mode and record the album. I don't do anything fancy at all. I think my vinyl burns sound great. Maybe the HK deck just doesn't do analog mode very well?

[rockefeller center]

My avatar? Thanks, Schrdlu. (A colleague of mine has drawn this on a piece of cardboard a couple of years ago, before I went on vacation. He told me that this thing will eat me after my aircraft crashed into the Atlantic.)

[J Larsen]

I can see why you said "colleague" and not "friend".

[rockefeller center]

I can see why you said "colleague" and not "friend".

hehehehehe

[wolff]

I went the home audio route. Denon 1500 cd recorder is great for ease of use and sonics.

You will need a pre-amp with a phono stage and of course tape out. Your receiver could contain all these.

It's just like making cassettes in the old days.

Are you putting tt signal into phono inputs of your receiver?

Are you going from the tape out of receiver to analog inputs of your cd burner?

Some cd burners do not have seperate analog inputs. These can sound bad.

[JSngry]

On the old GIGO premise, make sure that your turntable is set up right, your stylus is in good shape, and your cartridge connections all good. And make sure that the vinyl itself is ok.

Have you experimented w/different recording levels?

[Jim Dye]

I just picked up a turntable again. I haven't been able to buy a phono pre-amp yet so I haven't had the chance to do any transfers. It's a Pioneer PL-10. I'm sure I'll have some questions soon. I have a few records I can't wait to hear.

Anyone heard of this phono pre amp?

http://www.btech-usa.com/bt926.htm

Edited July 25, 2003 by Jim Dye

[wolff]

Jim Dye: Never heard of it. The price is right. The permanently attached interconnect is an interesting idea, but it means your pre-amp will have to be close to it.

If LP's are not going to be an every day thing it should be fine. If you plan on really getting into LP's buy something better($150-$500). Phono pre-amps make all the difference in the world.

[jmjk]

I went the home audio route.  Denon 1500 cd recorder is great for ease of use and sonics.

You will need a pre-amp  with a phono stage and of course tape out. Your receiver could contain all these.

It's just like making cassettes in the old days.

Are you putting tt signal into phono inputs of your receiver?

Are you going from the tape out of receiver to analog inputs of your cd burner?

Some cd burners do not have seperate analog inputs.  These can sound bad.

I'm not sure if my burner has seperate analog inputs. I'll certainly check that out. I believe my receiver has a built-in preamp in the phono jack, because if I try to run the turntable in another input (aux, cd, VCR), the signal is almost absent---if memory serves. I certainly have a tape out, which is from where I feed the signal to the burner. Could I benefit from upgrading my wiring? Would the sound improve if I bought new patch chords with gold hardware?

Jim Sangey wrote:

"On the old GIGO premise, make sure that your turntable is set up right, your stylus is in good shape, and your cartridge connections all good. And make sure that the vinyl itself is ok.

Have you experimented w/different recording levels?"

My turntable was set up to the best of my ability. I had to do it myself, as when I bought it, the salesperson indicated that if he set it up in shop, it would be out of alignment by the time I reached home. This may be a large factor affecting my sound quality---which, of course, leads to another question--- how do I know if my turntable is caliberated properly? And what to do if it isn't?

Also concerning the GIGO premise, I feel that my receiver may need an upgrade sooner than later. Would the quality of my receiver influence the sound quality of the transfer?

My HK CDR20 has very sensitive input/recording levels, and I've ran experiments with these---it's easy to distort, so I generally keep my level in the mid-to-high green, never hitting the red (sorry, I have no numerical signal measurements to mention---just red and green level indicators).

[Claude]

A few links on turntable setup:

http://www.audiophilia.com/features/cartri...ridge_setup.htm

http://www.vandenhul.com/artpap/phono_faq.htm

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/mes...ssages/819.html

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/freestuff.htm (printable alignment protractor)

[Clunky]

I use an Edirol UAID USB cable . It takes digital input's. My turntable uses the D/A converter of my minidisc player out-putting through this device to the hard drive on my laptop ( no need to shift the stereo) . I use Cubasis for editing. I mainly use this set up to copy live mini discs to CD, it works equally well for LPs.

For the minidiscs it allows all digital signal with no unnecessary D/A A/D conversion . Works for me.

[DrJ]

I have a Sony burner, just use the analog input (Technics turntable to Denon AVR-3300 receiver to burner) and nothing else fancy and they come out sounding great.

Edited July 28, 2003 by DrJ