Ripping vinyl

[Philtax]

Anyone ripping his or her vinyl albums to digital? If so, what hardware / software combination are you using? I have an iMac so I can't install a sound card, need something external. Can't plug an analog source directly into the new iMacs.

Phil

 

[Bruce B]

First, what is your budget?
For something full featured, get something like Sony Soundforge and a Lynx Hilo to go from your phono pre.
For bare bones, use Pure Vinyl and an inexpensive USB A/D converter.

I use Pyramix and Merging Horus from a Doshi phono pre at DSD256fs

 

[dminches]

I think you would be better off spending the money on the same music in a digital format. You will have to spend a lot of money to end up with something better.

 

[Philtax]

I think you would be better off spending the money on the same music in a digital format. You will have to spend a lot of money to end up with something better.

Hi Dminches,

You could be right but I've got a pretty large record collection and I'm not quite ready to give up without starting...

Phil

 

[dminches]

Hi Dminches,

You could be right but I've got a pretty large record collection and I'm not quite ready to give up without starting...

Phil

I assume you still have a nice turntable and phono pre? If so, I would then get a digital recorder, like a Korg MR-1000. You can record a bunch of albums at a time to the internal hard drive and then do the work flow to create lossless files.

 

[Philtax]

I assume you still have a nice turntable and phono pre? If so, I would then get a digital recorder, like a Korg MR-1000. You can record a bunch of albums at a time to the internal hard drive and then do the work flow to create lossless files.

Thanks Dminches - looks like the Korg is no longer made, but there are others out there such as this one - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/891608-REG/Tascam_HD_P2_Portable_Stereo_CF.html

Do you have any experience using them for this purpose?

Phil

 

[dminches]

I do. I do a lot of analog to digital transfers, both from cassette, reel and vinyl.

Feel free to PM me for questions.

 

[asiufy]

I've used the Korg quite a bit too, and it's fairly simple and straightforward, and at DSD128, the results were incredible. It's very rewarding to replicate great sounding vinyl, and be able to access them with the convenience of good digital.

There's a desktop version of that Tascam that's supposed to be pretty good. IIRC, there's even a thread here on WBF about it...

 

[dminches]

I've used the Korg quite a bit too, and it's fairly simple and straightforward, and at DSD128, the results were incredible.

+1

I generally down sample to 24/192 but the results are similarly great. I have done a good number of 15 ips 2 track reel transfers for friends.

 

[Philtax]

Thanks for the comments - Someone I respect also recommended the Apogee Duet for this purpose. Apogee has a Youtube video showing how to do it. Is it generally better to record on a separate device rather than using thttp://www.whatsbestforum.com/newreply.php?p=329893&noquote=1he computer itself?

Phil

 

[cjfrbw]

Alesis ML-9600 Masterlink CD Recorder, records to hard disc, burns to Redbook (16/44) or CD24 (96/24) formats self contained.

They can be picked up used as low as $250 on ebay. I have heard vinyl CDs recorded with these, and they sound great, are very versatile, allow normalization etc. Just hook it up to the analog outputs from your phono preamp.

 

[Philtax]

Thanks cjfrbw.