Analog to Digital Converters - for vinyl ripping

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by recstar24, Jan 17, 2021.

  1. dividebytube

    dividebytube Forum Resident

    Location:
    Grand Rapids, MI
    I've had good results with the base Focusrite A/D converter. Amazing bang for the low cost of entry.

    My friend, who has a more expensive front-end than mine, made some CDs ripped from vinyl with the same converter that - to my ears - sound better than the standard redbook release. YMMV.
     
  2. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Okay.. he's got 3-80 LED VU meter left. When you get the VU meter, contact the guy and he'll help you put all the VU meter box kit to complete it. Basically the VU meter is already put together. (make sure you tell him that and he's easy to work with) All you need is to connect the power supply and put it in the box. You can adjust the audio led signal with potentiometer. To drive this LED you need a bigger power than the normal. Better to buy what he's got.

    DIY KIT 160 LED stereo VU METER SGVU-L 6Green+1Yellow+1Red
    GBP 45.00

    Complete VU METER box kit, potentiometer, transformer, wirings
    GBP 38.00
     
    Rob6899 likes this.
  3. Rob6899

    Rob6899 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Millom, UK
    I am seriously thinking of one of those.

    By the way I have one of these as well:

    JustBoom DAC

    if you just want a DAC RCA input, like I think you do, these don't need a Pi, just a power supply.

    This affordable, standalone DAC has among the best value for money available on the market and truly reduces the barriers to entry for versatile high quality audio playback. The digital (S/PDIF) inputs include both optical (TOSLINK) and coaxial/RCA connector options. The onboard DAC chip offers a 384kHz/32 bit output (although this is limited due to the input S/PDIF receiver to 108kHz/24bit).

    • Burr-Brown / Texas Instruments PCM5102A DAC chip - 384kHz / 32 bit. Please note that due to restrictions of the S/PDIF receiver the max quality is limited to 108kHz / 24 bit
    • Texas Instruments TPA6133A2 headphone amplifier - 138mW
    • 112db SNR and -93db THD for best-in-class audio
    • Advanced ESD protection on both headphone and RCA outputs
    • Ultra low noise voltage regulator for the best audio output (LDO 10uVrms)
    • 5v microUSB power input requires at least 100mA when using RCA connectors or at least 200mA when using headphone connector. We recommend at least a 500mA power supply


    Very easy and reasonably good quality way of adding a digital input to older amps etc.
     
  4. Rob6899

    Rob6899 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Millom, UK
    I've just set it up as a simple headphone DAC using a power bank , ROON and a Chromecast audio- this may actually fulfil a need for me in a nice case :pleased:
     
  5. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    Since we are on the raspberry pi topic, is there a simple cheap solution that’s just a ADC with usb output and some level of volume input control?
     
  6. Rob6899

    Rob6899 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Millom, UK
    Simple and Raspberry Pi aren't usually synonymous. Always cheap though.

    Its the volume level input control that will probably be the blocker.

    You could use a passive pre amp like the Little Bear MC2 that I use at the moment for my digital set up (4.4mm balanced to XLR to RCA to 2x mono amps)? Put that in-between your source and the analogue input (3.5mm) of the Hifiberry ADC card, mounted on a Pi.

    Then configure Audacity on the Pi to output to USB, no idea if that's possible though- it should be? in fact it will be as you can write your Audacity project to a USB drive. I'll have a play around and see what i can come up with.
     
  7. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    Thank you! I’ll detail my transfer flow below (or what my ideal vision looks like)

    Taking the line level out from my pre-existing phono stage into the input of the ADC

    some level or ability to monitor recording volume would be ideal, but I can see a scenario where even just running the output from the phono stage full on into the ADC could be just fine

    USB output, and if that could just record onto a USB drive of sort, awesome! I could then just do all the tracking and file info on the laptop.
     
  8. Rob6899

    Rob6899 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Millom, UK
    My idea above will work for the input side of things, 100%.Of course you can adjust your input levels from Audacity so don't really need a separate level control on the input.

    You can save your Audacity project where ever you want, USB wise. You just need to install (mount) your USB drive properly. I had it all working yesterday, have tinkered and broke it for now.
     
    Andrea_Bellucci and recstar24 like this.
  9. Andrea_Bellucci

    Andrea_Bellucci Forum Resident

    Location:
    Italy
    Hi Rob!

    It seems you are really in the Raspberry Pi.

    Two weeks ago I bought a Raspberry Pi 400 de kit for 99€. It works but - as you just mentioned - comes with some issues.

    I copied some FLAC and 320Mp3 files from my Smartphone to the Pi. But the Pi is unable to play them flawlessly. You can hear pops and clicks when you play the tracks. I used different software to play them (Rhythmbox, Clementine, VLC).

    Nothing works. I found out that this is a bug, because on a Raspberry Pi with 1 GB RAM it worked, but not with 4 GB...

    I use Ubuntu 20.10 for Pi. I hope that will be fixed with the upcoming 21.04 LTS version.

    Bye Andrea :wave:
     
  10. Joel Cairo

    Joel Cairo Video Gort / Paiute Warrior Staff

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    I thought the end of Adobe Flash support killed these... at least that was the impression that I was given.

    Do they actually still run as before? I've got an SB-1240 that can be salvaged.

    - Kevin
     
  11. Sterling1

    Sterling1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louisville, KY
    I updated my X-FI HD driver for Windows 10 and the unit works for all playback and recording uses.
     
  12. Rob6899

    Rob6899 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Millom, UK
    Hi andrea,

    I would buy a cheap SSD drive, put your music on there and install PiCorePlayer on an SD card and use that in your RPI.

    This uses Logitech Media Server (on the RPI if you want)to store and sort music (and Streaming) and outputs either USB to a DAC or to a DAC Hat (on the RPI) you could buy. This will do everything you need out of a digital music player, at a basic but simple manner.

    piCorePlayer

    I did this for a while, with my LMS on a laptop, but now use ROON with Ropieee which is better suited for my needs. PcP is recommended though.
     
    Andrea_Bellucci and jamesc like this.
  13. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    I got the M4 last night. I played with using my old software and did a transfer to analog recording. man.. wow. This sounds much better than the output of my $500.00+ streamer dac. Im so blown away. Whatever I record coming out of the motu in "diag-alog" format, that's exactly what I got on my 2 track recorder plus its warmer and thicker! Yes-sir-rieeh.
    I'm gonna try to get some sleep early tonight so I can play with this unit since I'm half day tomorrow and off for the weekend. This is gonna be a lot of burning candles with miles and miles of tapes....:fly:
     
  14. jamesc

    jamesc Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Haha! Sounds like you've got a fun weekend ahead!
     
  15. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Yep its exciting. It feels like being born again. Oh man I'm telling you, I haven't looked at the computer analysis but once I start ripping files I'll see more in visual. But I been on hi-end digital-analog for a long time using the same equipment. This is all like in a sweet spot and I can tell from the VU meter that the sound is all hitting solid not "halfway to transparent signal" in +5 db.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2021
  16. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    great timing! After a lot of hemming and hawing I finally put on the big boy pants and ordered the darn thing, in this case the motu M2. Just came in today! I went ahead and bought the vinyl studio software and glad I did, made my first rip pretty smooth and easy. The auto tracking and click repair appears to have worked nicely! My rip sounds pretty darn good, especially for a newb. I can actually hear that my vinyl rig and cart has pretty darn good stereo separation :) My vinyl rig is upstairs in the main family room as the main rig, but I’ve got a little digital squeezebox rig with KEF LS50s for a basement rig, and it’s nice to spin rips down here as needed.
     
  17. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Oh cool.! The guy from motu told me the chipset of the m2 and m4 is exactly the same. As the days and weeks passes by, let me know if you find some neat feature on the software you're using. Lets just say auto-level. That's always been the hassle on my end. If not, Ill continue doing the old school. Congrats. I am really blown away with the sound too. Keep posting and enjoy..:fly:
     
    recstar24 likes this.
  18. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    Someone off topic - I have a question for any vinylstudio users out there:

    what are your thoughts/usage of the auto click repair? I did two rips yesterday - the first one full scan auto click repair default settings, my 2nd one using it more selectively and judiciously, highlighting only those small sections where a loud click may occur, and being more selective with the click repair settings (sensitivity, percussion and brass protection). I do feel my 2nd rip as a result sounds more natural like the actual vinyl, and while my 1st rip maybe sounds cleaner, I think there may be a cause where if you go too crazy with this auto click repair, it can almost have a dulling effect. Hope I’m making sense! Any advice you could offer a newb is greatly appreciated.
     
  19. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    The recording turned out really nice. The only thing I need to work on is the loop. I tried using 2 in and 4 out in the analog and its not balanced. I gotta get back on this after lunch.
    Any takes?

    [​IMG]
     
  20. ivor

    ivor Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I picked up a refurbed DA-3000, and when I turn it on there's a quiet hum, like a fan is running inside. Are there other DA-3000 owners that can comment if this is normal?
     
  21. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Are you using or can you use the motu "on the fly" with your turntable? If so its interesting.
    I have the m4 and I'm trying to loop / routing using 2 ins and 4 out. I'm having a bit difficulty on that part. Maybe I should install the performer lite?
    So far I got the first 2 channel dead on but I wanna use the 2 track out to monitor speaker vox and the remaining 2 track to the hifi system. As much as possible I don't wanna use headphones.
     
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2021
  22. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    Yes, I am able to record using the motu on the fly. My phono stage, a pass aleph ono, has an RCA and an XLR output which are both active all the time. The XLR feeds my main rig and the RCA output feeds the recording setup. I’ve got my workflow down to the point where I can just open laptop, open vinylstudio, and hit record as I’m listening to whatever record I happened to be listening to.
     
    Classic Car Guy likes this.
  23. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Oh man.. That's the answer that I been praying for. Thank you.
    In regards to the question you have about the vinyl clicks and drops, I don't play vinyl a lot but I'm doing exactly what youre doing on the output recording. I use the software to patch up the part that has errors. I'm basically remastering and pretty sure youre in that level. I haven't open the performer lite yet.
    the easiest way to do this is lets say on time 2:04 and 2:07 is where the clicks are, Ill copy a section that has a similar or use another file and copy that section then patch it in with a 1/2 a second fade in and out. If you do it right you wont hear a discrepancy.
     
    recstar24 likes this.
  24. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    I been recording since Friday night in analog format. This is just so unreal! I have tried, Normal bias tapes to high fidelity normal bias, ferri-chrome, chrome, high position without using any dolby system. The playback output is digital-analog very warm and thick. I notice the basslines has more punch and more holographic 3d sound including the mids and highs. Its a music that you want to listen to for a long period of time of pure silk clarity. It just feels like youre inside the music! :targettiphat:
     
  25. DaleClark

    DaleClark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    A couple of questions

    1. If you will be using the software RIAA , do you still need a phono preamp? Can one just go direct in to "line ins" (if unit has it) from TT to record?

    2. has anyone compared RIAA from phono pre vs software sound quality?
     

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