What is the easiest way to digitize my records?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Phono Groove, Dec 5, 2016.

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  1. DigMyGroove

    DigMyGroove Forum Resident

    With the opportunity at hand right now to get the full recoding version for the retail price of the pops and click removal only version I decided to go gor it (with a big gulp!). After reading many threads about the complexity of doing needle drops I knew that I would never bother unless a simpler method came about, and it has.

    While most of my records play quietly, the medium rarely offers perfection, so having the Sugarcube in my system should negate a lot of frustration with new vinyl in particular, whose quality is always a question mark. It's along the lines of owning a Vinyl Flat, warped record, no worries, and no time spent returning the record.
     
  2. RPM

    RPM Forum Resident

    Location:
    Easter Island
    How much is the Sugarcube? Unless there's a lot of noise I'm not a fan of pop and clicks removers as I think they can take away part of the music.

    Anyway, who wants to avoid computer can get a solid state recorder and use it the same way as cassette decks were used.
     
  3. Phono Groove

    Phono Groove Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal, Quebec
    On my musical fidelity a300 integrated I have a "tape monitor" and "tape" input im not sure how this works. Does this mean I can take a RCA to 3.5mm from the tape input to my computer and select tape monitor to record in audacity?
     
  4. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    [​IMG]
    Does it look like this? If so, you can run RCA from either Tape Rec or Pre Out to your computer. On my Windows computer, Audacity shows the input as Line In.
     
  5. Phono Groove

    Phono Groove Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal, Quebec
    Yes thats it! I dont use the built in phono pre of the musical fidelity , instead, I use a seperate phono pre that is plugged into AUX input. So I can simply leave the phono pre plugged into AUX and all I need to do is to run RCA from TAPE REC or PRE OUT to the computer?
     
    dkmonroe likes this.
  6. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    Yes, that's what I do with my integrated (although into a Tascam digital recorder rather than a computer). Benefit of the pre-out is that it allows you to adjust the signal strength with your volume control as needed.
     
  7. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Yes, that should work. I would say that you should use Tape Rec but either one may work.
     
  8. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    In theory, yes, assuming his computer sound card can handle a line-level signal. Better to keep a cleaner signal path and avoid the volume control. My Tascam
    can't handle a line-level signal, so pre-out for me.
     
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  9. PhilBiker

    PhilBiker sh.tv member number 666

    Location:
    Northern VA, USA
    Do not use Pre-Out unless you really need to do so. TAPE REC is the cleanest possible line level signal.
    Disadvantage is that it has to go through the whole preamp circuit and you will "print" any EQ or other changes to your files - unnecessary unless as you point out in your follow-on post you need to use analog volume control as a gain control for recording. This is a clumsy way to accomplish gain control for recording. If possible use the "Tape out" for the cleanest possible line level signal.

    That's not what Pre-out is for. On my Marantz SR4120 I use the pre-out to some external amplifiers for multi-zone speakers. That's what Pre-out is supposed to be used for. Looks similar:
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2016
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  10. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    That's good to know! My amp doesn't even have a Pre-Out, so now I'll not miss it!
     
    PhilBiker likes this.
  11. RPM

    RPM Forum Resident

    Location:
    Easter Island
    Pre-out is variable in volume and eq, rec out is fixed level, bypassing the mentioned parameters.
     
  12. Phono Groove

    Phono Groove Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal, Quebec
    Im using tape out connected to line in of my mac mini seems to work. How do I configure the volume levels for proper recording in audacity? The recording volume is set to 50 percent in audacity should I leave it like that? Does it matter how loud the volume knob on my amp is set?
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2016
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  13. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    Pretty sweet. If I had the cash and was just getting into this, sounds like a nice all-in-one solution.

    The SC-1 sounds like ClickRepairRT, except as an actual hardware appliance that you can drop into the chain.
     
    DigMyGroove likes this.
  14. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    Download the files.
    Ha ha.
    But...truly. I could find and download a number of LPs I had, and with some searching you can find someone who has already done a great, anal-retentive job of it. Unless you really WANT to do all that work.
     
  15. Jack Flannery

    Jack Flannery Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    What I do as well. Those Tascam recorders are very nice.
     
  16. stetsonic

    stetsonic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    Yeah, but... good luck finding a needledrop of this, for example. Plus a lot of the vinyl dubs out there are actually not all that anal-retentive but merely resemblant of anal end-product, soundwise... :)
     
  17. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    Sure, like you probably can't find this
    [​IMG]
    too easily either. So I guess it depends on the dropper's collection. I was surprised stuff I could find, Marc Tanner Band for instance, and September. Some of that was grabbed from YouTube and I just wanted to listen, though, so ultimate fidelity was not a concern.

    Still, it can be a huge time saver to find stuff online or from others and then drop just what you need. I guess there are also services that will do it for you.
     
  18. Aristophanes

    Aristophanes Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Bellevue WA USA
  19. RPM

    RPM Forum Resident

    Location:
    Easter Island
    Get a nice phono preamp that you like, add a solid state recorder like Denon DN-500R - voila. If you want you can clean the pops in a software later (or better not).
     
    PhilBiker likes this.
  20. krisbee

    krisbee Forum Resident

    You know, ClickRepairRT isnt offered anymore? Luckily I built my device before it was pulled.
     
    Gaslight likes this.
  21. krisbee

    krisbee Forum Resident

    Nothing easier than the Tascam/Teac/Zoom digital recorder. I just leave my in line all the time.
     
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  22. krisbee

    krisbee Forum Resident

    But as other said, a good needledrop does take some work... However, you dont have to do all these steps - but the more you do, the better your files...
     
  23. Bobby Buckshot

    Bobby Buckshot Heavy on the grease please

    Location:
    Southeastern US
    Good information here. I, for one, have had terrible luck with the Ion TT, at least in regard to sound quality. I had much better luck with my previous method of recording to CD-R and then burning the CD. The latter is more time consuming and tedious, but the results were much better. Saving this thread as eventually I'd like to try the techniques listed here.
     
    PhilBiker likes this.
  24. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    After I wrote my post yesterday, I actually did this exact setup with my Surface Pro and yes, I couldn't find RT. Luckily I have it on my main PC so I just pulled the EXE / jar file from there. And it works nicely.

    Weird that they pulled it, but at least I have it backed up for future use. I might actually set this up on my main stereo setup, just need some parts I can use for something more permanent. My setup only allowed for 16-bit btw, unless I need different hardware.
     
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  25. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    Shop around as well (@the OP) as I believe I had seen at least one on sale, recently. Good time to buy this stuff.
     
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