Your Vinyl Transfer Workflow (sharing best needledrop practices)*

The iZotope De-reverb module give magic to the mix. The secret ingredient. Air, depth and 3D by adding just a little bit of "verb" in HF.

 

In my case, I find it very useful for reducing reverb on what I feel is too much on some songs, usually 60s stereo mixes.

 

I have two ways to make needledrops. One way is directly through the PS-HX500 built-in high quality ADC with SNR 118 dB (the same ADC found in TASCAM DA-3000). But the TT built-in preamp is poor. The sound is very detailed but somehow inflated in LF and low MID. More reverb noise there. A lot of post-processing work. The other way is from the TT phono to my Cambridge Alva Duo preamp (very good sound signature) and then through my PC sound card line-in ADC. This ADC is low quality, consumer grade, SNR only 70-75 dB. Recording with Audacity, wellknown for its very dry sound. Here I have no enough reverbs in my needledrop and the overall quality is discutable. Any LP sounds like a '70 disco thing with very few details and poor soundstage. I think my next upgrade will be an external high quality ADC to bypass the sound card and link the Cambridge preamp directly to Audacity.

 

How do you know which are real clicks/pops and which are transients when de-clicking in iZotope?

Change the stereo signal to M/S processing (Mixing-> MS Encoder). De-click only R channel with output clicks only. Boost volume in R channel, reduce volume in L channel. Listen both channels. Mute (Shift+s) the false clicks/pops (transients) in R channel which are perfectly syncronized with the music in L channel. Keep only the random clicks in R channel. Copy R channel (CTRL+c) and paste inverted (Alt+v) in the initial M/S R channel only. For channel L in M/S, proceed symmetrically. Finally, change the M/S signal to normal stereo (Mixing-> MS Decoder). Done.

 

What do you mean by proceed symmetrically?

 

I mean using the same method but change the channel R with channel L and viceversa.

Change the stereo signal to M/S processing (Mixing-> MS Encoder). De-click only L channel with output clicks only. Boost volume in L channel, reduce volume in R channel. Listen both channels. Mute (Shift+s) the false clicks/pops (transients) in L channel which are perfectly syncronized with the music in R channel. Keep only the random clicks in L channel. Copy L channel (CTRL+c) and paste inverted (Alt+v) in the initial M/S L channel only.

 

Some of us here use RX Standard or Advanced for needledrops, but does anyone here also use Ozone?

I had been using Ozone 7 Essentials for the better part of a year. I recently upgraded from Essentials 7 to RX 7 Standard as I posted earlier, but again took advantage of their customer appreciation sale and also bought Ozone 9 Standard. I probably should have spent the extra dough and bought the Advanced version, but that can come at a later day. BTW, their sale ends in a couple more days. If you're already an iZotope user, jump on it! I may even buy Insight at some point.

Vinyl isn't always perfect, and I don't shy away from tweaking things to get it right. I don't always look at the vinyl record as the final word. I see it as a working part. As I have been using Music Rebalance in RX Standard, I have also been enjoying the vintage EQs in Ozone, and especially Match EQ feature. They come in handy. I have used several match EQ apps over the last couple of decades, and the Ozone Match EQ is the easiest and most accurate one i've ever used.

This new software is so good and so much fun that i've been going back and remastering my old needledrops that I felt I could improve. Once I get my new soundcard, I can start doing drops again. I feel that my work keeps getting better and better. I am also waiting for Sound Forge Pro 14 to go on sale again, and really wish Adobe would change their subscription policy, but I don't think that will ever happen. It's a shame Adobe milks its users and priced their once rabidly loyal Audition users right out of their market. It costs much more for one to rent their software than it was to buy it once. Yeah, I know, it's a business, but their model is still unethical from my point of view because I am a longtime user and was a user since the program was created in the 90s. In fact, a lot of people are dropping Adobe products, not because they can't afford the subscriptions, but because the business model is draconian. They have the professional world by the cajones just as much as Avid used to have the recording industry by it too, and still does.

I know the majority of you use Audacity because it's FREE, and don't require much functionality, but I just can't use it. It's not for me. I need pro options.

 

Welp, just now I got a notice from Steinberg that my Spectral Layers 6 Pro trial is about up. I don't think i'll buy it. I just couldn't figure out how to make it do what I wanted it to do.

 

I still use the good old Adobe 3.0 downloaded free years ago from their site. Very useful for filters, basic jobs and 32-bit VSTs.

 

I use CS5.5 that I downloaded free as an update to 3.1. I mainly use it for the multitrack and simple editing now. I just wish I had bought the final version before the evil subscription model changed it all because it restored the scientific filters and included support for FLAC. 5.5 doesn't have those things. I can still install 3.1, but I am finding that I get along just fine without it.

I've seen the latest Audition and it's still very nice, but it's just too damn much now.

 

I used Magix Audio and Music Cleaning Lab Pro for years. However, I started using Soundforge 12.6 a couple months ago. It allows me to record at 192 K 32bit where the Magix Lab only does 96K 24bit. I can't tell the difference. Any way, I'm sticking with the Soundforge 12.6 because I just found too many bugs in the Magix product. Little quirks that made the job tough sometimes. I also have Izoptope RX7 which I use off and on.

Over the last two months I've been needledropping a stack of records that had built up over time. I've been leaning to using less processing on them. Minimal click repair and noise reduction in the tracks. No Eq, no compression, no wonder plugins. The result is music that sounds like it came off an LP.

 

As a general rule, I only do what is necessary when processing vinyl rips...and nothing more. I am pleased with the results.

 

Hello arisinwind, I haven't seen you active in a long time. I learned that the in-depth de-noising of my needledrops is the most important process. The SplineEQ VST (linear and transparent) is a beautiful toy. A good example is my latest Genesis needledrop posted on my YT channel. Top of the list.

 

Yes, but now you're qualified to operate an airline cockpit control board, probably just as complicated. Right?

Why do they have to make software interface so complicated? The programmers KNOW what we want to do and get done!

I want THAT! Put it in a button I can push to get what I want!

 

The audio bloatware with millions useless buttons has a unique logic. Higher price.

 

I was thinking of getting iZotope but I'm afraid I don't have an up to date computer and OS to take advantage of its features much less be compatible.

Just curious about your spectrum isolation HF reverb application tip, does this make drum tim-tom hits sound thin and lose their bell tone? Or is this just unavoidable when trying to bring life, head space and clarity to murky transfers?

It's been my experience so far editing CD music.

 

The iZotope de-reverb has four working bands: BASS, LOW-MID, UPPER-MID and HIGH and the "Learn" button. After learning the selected audio, I deactivate all bands but HIGH and I give a very little verb boost on it. The cymbals are more clear, with tail and there is a better instruments 3D arrangement. As if you increase the stereo image from 8-10 KHz up.

 

One of my complaints with Magix involved a button. One of those mysterious buttons you 're not positive what it does.

A little over a year ago I was playing with iZoptope RX7. The display of the music in a two tone graphic fascinated me. I loaded a needledrop and there was the music's frequency and intensity in blue and orange. The orange graphic reaching way above 20,000hz nudging 48000hz. I'd close one audio file out and look at another curious as to how much of the music data was above 20,000hz. I loaded one needle drop and I thought I made a mistake. The orange stopped at 20,000hz. Cut sharp like you see with mp3s. I checked the file and it was labeled 96000 24 bit. I played the file and it played as a 96000Hz file. Yet the music was cut-off at 20K. I dug out the original recording. It showed as and played as a 96K file. How did it's finalized version get cutoff? I figured I must have selected 44.1K as the final product saving it. I processed the original raw file and it came out good. 96K with orange graphics reaching for 48K. I looked at several more needledrops and started finding several at 44.1k Some of their original files were showing 96k some showing a 96K wave package with 44.1k data.

I spent the next week going over my 300+ needledrops and found almost a quarter of them showing 44.1 data in a 96k package. I went over my workflow using the program's manual yet I couldn't find where I went wrong. I selected 96K as the recording sample frequency and I saved the file at 96K selection. The files looked like 96K file yet the data was not. I searched the internet and found a few others had this issue as well. Yet there was no solution. I went back to my workflow saving the audio file and checking it's characteristics at every step. The music went from 96k to 44.1 almost at the beginning of the workflow. The original recording was fine but as soon as opened it and saved it again it changed. After several weeks of digging around I focused on a button "Playback Parameters" under Options. The default setting was 44.1K no matter what the audio was recorded or saved at. Therefore, when I opened a 96K file the program would import the music at 44.1K. I would save the file at 96K and have a 96k envelope with 44.1 music. You have to select 96K in "Playback Parameter" to get a 96k file with 96k sample rate music.

I had recorded the music at 96K, viewed it most of the time at 96K, and saved it at 96K. The one instance I viewed it at the default 44.1K the program down sampled the music.

I contacted Magix support sending them a workflow diagram and screenshots. They contacted me back the next day. Over the next two weeks I walked them through the process and showed them how the file changed. They did not realize their program did that. They offered me a copy of their latest product Soundforge for free. I downloaded and immediately checked it and it had the same issue. The Soundforge version they had looked a lot like Magix Audio Cleaning Lab. I checked legacy copies of Magix Audio Cleaning Lab and the issue was there going back several versions. I declined the new software.

The last I heard from them they had their people looking into the issue.

Some of the files I had showing 44.1K I recorded again and processed being sure the "Playback Parameter" was set to 96K. Others the original file was still at 96K so I just had to process it again without recording the music again.

You don't see such a button or selection in Audacity, iZotope, Soundforge (pre Magix and just after Magix acquired Soundforge from Sony).

While doing needle drops now I often wonder how many people use Magix and are not clicking "Playback Parameters"? They record music at 96K, save it at 96K, think it is a high rez file, yet the music only goes to 20K.

 

I just need professional tools, what the pros use. Some people don't need as much.

 

The price is reasonable and justified, IMO.

 

iZotope will run on Windows 7. I have an ancient processor but I can still use it.

 

I very rarely use reverb to enhance anything. But, one must be careful about increasing the stereo image as it can cause phase issues. If I use it, I constantly A/B the source, and switch to mono.

 

Interesting! I don't recall having ever seen that button. Even so, I think the program was much better when Sony owned it. Magix Sound Forge is indeed a powerful program, but before they acquired it, they made cheap rinky-dink stuff for the unwashed masses.

 

Hello BrilliantBob - I haven't been active much lately but hope to catch up. I was ill for awhile but am much better now. Your needledrops are some of the best I've heard. You do an incredible job.

 

Anyway, until the software post-processing stage, for a high quality needledrop some preparation and additional equipment are required.

1. Wet cleaning the vinyl record as best as possible.

2. The quality of the recording chain is very important too.
- a good preamp with an accurate RIAA correction.
- a DI box to convert the RCA unbalanced output from the preamp to TRS balanced signal (better SNR and THD+N).
- an USB audio Interface with whatever high quality ADC.

Now I'm look for the MOTU M2 2x2 USB-C audio Interface but is out of stock due to the lockdown.