Help with digitizing my LPs. (And is this the best on site forum to post this thread?)

[Echolane]

I have recently ripped all my CDs with the Naim Uniti Core and I am LOVING streaming. It is wonderfully convenient, sounds great and now I want to rip my vinyl. I have hundreds of LPs collected in the 60s, 70s, and 80s and I recently was given 10 boxes of LPs (yes, 10 boxes is correct). I haven’t counted how many LPs that is, but it’s a lot! I can’t find room inside my house to store them properly, so the best option will be to add them to my SSD of ripped CDs and enjoy the same convenience in playing them.

I have already acquired the necessary hardware, but I could especially use some advice on software. And I need some help in confirming how to connect up my hardware.

Here’s what I have in hardware:
Windows Core i7 with dual boot Windows 7 Pro and Windows 10 Home
Rega Fono Mini A2D USB Phono Stage
Rega RP40 Anniversary Turntable
ASUS Xonar Essence STX II Internal Sound Card
Audiomat Arpege Integrated Tube Amp
Spendor S3/5 Monitor Speakers

This is how I propose to chain the hardware, starting with a USB cable between Computer and Rega Fono Mini.
Rega TT > Rega Mini > Audiomat Arpege > Spendor Speakers
I’ve left out the sound card. Can I do that?? I would prefer to bypass my soundcard in favor of the superior Audiomat Arpege, but perhaps it’s not involved in the digitizing process so in that case I need to include the sound card in the chain as below:
Rega TT > ASUS Sound Card > Audiomat Arpege > Spendor Speakers
Comments much needed please!

Software:
I’d like to find software that’ll digitize to at least 16/44, but will also look up Album Title, artwork and track info. So far, I only have Audacity followed by Perfect Tunes on my list of possibles. I am sure there are other options and I’d love to hear about them.

Lastly, I’d welcome advice on whether I need to invest in a linear power supply for the Rega Fono Mini to replace the typical wall wart. And whether I need to invest in something to reduce noise in the USB interface. Or is that overkill...

Janet

 

[astrotoy]

There is a relatively new device called Sugar Cube.

http://www.sweetvinyl.com/

It has gotten quite good reviews.

Larry

PS. I have converted over 10,000 vinyl and tape albums to digital - very high quality and high resolution, but extremely expensive to do it.

 

[Echolane]

Larry,
Thanks for the tip on Sugar Cube. Interesting, clever products! It looks like one is intended to be cabled in with a turntable for permanent installation in a stereo system so that when you play an LP it takes out clicks and pops on the fly without any degradation to the music. Sounds really good! And the other is just what I am looking for with the added ability to record and look up metadata, but the price is an eye popping $3000. Don’t think I have enough treasurable LPs to justify that investment.

I was looking at DeClick and DeNoise and wondering whether they could take out clicks and pops and noise without degrading the music. Unlike Sugar Cube, they didn’t make any claims about lack of effect on music. Making it hard not to lust after SugarCube.

Would be interested to learn what your process and equipment is for converting vinyl to digital.

 

[astrotoy]

Larry,
Thanks for the tip on Sugar Cube. Interesting, clever products! It looks like one is intended to be cabled in with a turntable for permanent installation in a stereo system so that when you play an LP it takes out clicks and pops on the fly without any degradation to the music. Sounds really good! And the other is just what I am looking for with the added ability to record and look up metadata, but the price is an eye popping $3000. Don’t think I have enough treasurable LPs to justify that investment.

I was looking at DeClick and DeNoise and wondering whether they could take out clicks and pops and noise without degrading the music. Unlike Sugar Cube, they didn’t make any claims about lack of effect on music. Making it hard not to lust after SugarCube.

Would be interested to learn what your process and equipment is for converting vinyl to digital.

It took me about six years to do my vinyl ripping project, since everything is real time or slower (declicking, denoising in addition to the ripping). It was to create a legacy in addition to make it easy to retrieve and playback my albums. I hired some consultants to help me decide what equipment, both hardware and software, to use in the project. I ended up using pro equipment, definitely not cheap, but much less than the value of my time, well over 10,000 hours during that time. You can see the equipment in my signature under Digital Rip. Cost of the equipment was much more than the Sugar Cube, mid 5 figures. PM me if you want more details. Looks like you are in California. If you are in the SF Bay area you can see my set up.

Larry

 

[morricab]

I did some rips with my TASCAM DR-100MKIII and they sounded really good. Saves them to an SD card and you can rip up to 24/192 with it. Then you can copy the files over to your computer and done. Costs about $350. It uses the latest AD converter from AKM and has very quiet input preamps, given it is also designed for live recording you have a nice multipurpose device.

 

[Echolane]

I did some rips with my TASCAM DR-100MKIII and they sounded really good. Saves them to an SD card and you can rip up to 24/192 with it. Then you can copy the files over to your computer and done. Costs about $350. It uses the latest AD converter from AKM and has very quiet input preamps, given it is also designed for live recording you have a nice multipurpose device.

Another option, though I think I prefer the Rega I’ve invested in as it needs no battery. The Tascam does rip to higher density than does my little Rega device, but I’ve been told that I don’t need to record at higher density than 16/44, that I really won’t be able to hear any improvement in sq beyond CD quality. I’m a great one for judging by specs, but in this case the advice came from a pro and I decided to go with that advice.

 

[Bruce B]

but I’ve been told that I don’t need to record at higher density than 16/44, that I really won’t be able to hear any improvement in sq beyond CD quality.

Don’t believe everything you hear......

 

[Echolane]

Don’t believe everything you hear......

LOL - In reality, my natural instincts rebel whenever I write that bit about 16/44 but I probably lack the resources to prove otherwise. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

For example, I’d love to try recording to DSD using PS Audio’s Phono Converter, but alas, I still live in a PCM world and would find it difficult to use and listen to what I recorded in DSD! And is DSD the right way to go? I’d like to think so, but perhaps some PCM resolution would be better. I wish I knew.

But besides that, is my proposed recording equipment, turntable and cartridge* good enough to justify recording in higher resolution? Is my playback equipment good enough to hear better res than CD?**
Again, I wish I knew!

*Rega RP40 Anniversary with Elys40 Cartridge and (Rega Phono Mini A2D) or (maybe a different ADC in which case maybe my own Phono Stage, Audio Note Zero/II)

**Quad ESL-63 speakers, Audiomat Prelude Reference Mark II integrated tube amp, Audio Alchemy DDP-1 DAC, Naim Unity Core Network Server

 

[Bruce B]

Everything counts. DSD can be played back by many software options. Even if it was recorded in DSD, it can be played back in PCM.
If you are going to do any post processing for clicks/pops, then PCM would be your best option. Most of these programs work in the background at 24/96 or better. Give your recordings a fighting chance. Don't give up from the start. Even with modest equipment.

But..... here's the big but..... the more you take care in the prep, the less you need to do in post processing. There are several CD's that were Vinyl transfers that needed little to no post processing, because care was taken in the set up. We have tried many software programs to remove ticks/pops and we have found none that are totally transparent. This includes Cedar.. Algorithmix.. iZotope... and others.

The sample rate doesn't make as much difference as bit depth. At least record in 24bit. Larry and I have transferred 10's of thousands of LP's. We've been there.... I believe Larry had to a lot of his over again.

 

[morricab]

Another option, though I think I prefer the Rega I’ve invested in as it needs no battery. The Tascam does rip to higher density than does my little Rega device, but I’ve been told that I don’t need to record at higher density than 16/44, that I really won’t be able to hear any improvement in sq beyond CD quality. I’m a great one for judging by specs, but in this case the advice came from a pro and I decided to go with that advice.

Ok, but Tascam has a built in Li ion battery system. You can add additional batteries for even longer life. It’s not only about bit rate and sampling rate...but I don’t know this Rega device so perhaps it’s really good.

 

[Echolane]

Don’t believe everything you hear......

LOL - In reality, my natural instincts rebel whenever I write that bit about 16/44 but I lack the resources to prove otherwise.

But..... here's the big but..... the more you take care in the prep, the less you need to do in post processing.

I’ll focus on this. I, too, think it’s very important. I once was treated to a record cleaned by Audio Desk. It was TRANSFORMATIVE. I can not overstate the magic created by that cleaned record. Audio Desk has come out with a new (better) version and unfortunately even more expensive. I’ll have to find something cheaper. If you have some suggestions, I am interested.

The record I was referring to is Beverly Sills singing Bellini and Donizetti Heroines. It was almost new with only 2 or 3 plays on it and yet I could hardly believe how much it was improved. I have often wondered by which magic it was recorded. In fact, I was conversing about a DAC I was interested in with a salesman and when he learned I was an opera lover, he brought up an opera LP he had chanced to listen to. He said he wasn’t an opera lover at all but when he heard that recording he was bowled over by the recording quality. He asked if I knew it and it was the very record I thought was so special, I will use it as a test of the quality I can get.