Your Vinyl Transfer Workflow (sharing best needledrop practices)*

The manual de-click is a good thing. Quality processing. If the record is well cleaned the manual de-click is enough. I abandoned the automatic de-click because of too many false positive clicks (transients) and because the high frequencies you can hear start to roll off and diminish to nothing.

 

would a zoom h4n pro be good for making drops?
woot has them right now for a decent price and it looks like all i'd really need is an SD card (have plenty) and an rca cable to go from the tape loop or directly from the phono stage

trying to connect my laptop to the amp wasnt going so hot ran into usb device issues, etc and gave up.

 

It should be excellent, especially if you will also use it for live recording. But you will need an attenuator to connect a line output to the "Mic In/Line In" input, which is really only a Mic In input. I have commented about this several times around here, but my comment linked below seems to be my best shot, and is based on using my Zoom H1 and H2 and Tascam DR-05 (original versions not newer "n" or "x" versions) and everything pretty much applies to the H4N:
ZOOM H1 Recorder for line-in recording

I can amend that now with: instead of a "headphone volume control", get a one-knob "car volume control" from the auction site or an auto parts store, just because it is better constructed and easier to use and visually verify. But the headphone thing works too. Or $50 per channel specific attenuators, but these $10 or $2 solutions work well.
The Zooms and Tascams under $500 have virtually identical excellent recording quality - if you get the levels right. If you will use this for only needledrops this way and no live recordings, the lower price Zoom H1N and Tascam DR-05x have identical excellent recording quality to the higher models, they just have fewer features and are stereo only.

 

I so want to get the new RX8 Advanced, but it's out of my price range. It has a new wow and flutter correction module that works great for correcting off-center pressings and unstable turntables. I guess if I wait long enough, the feature will filter down to the Standard tier, or iZotope will offer a user's upgrade discount.

 

thanks that helps a lot.
no live shows for me, just needle drops was looking for an easier solution than connecting the laptop via usb adapter to the output on the amp or phono. for some reason the adapter just stopped working and it would be easier to just have a small device and a sd card anyway.

i'll look at the cheaper ones, the model i mentioned is on a woot deal for i think $175 but i've seen tascams for closer to 100.

 

now i'm down the rabbit hole! looks like tascam dr-40x the mic/line input now has a toggle switch to tell the device if its line level so it can handle the hotter signal coming in.
or can use the balanced inputs on the bottom. costs more but that sounds like some nice features.

 

Looking for a best practice here. Some records from the 1960s in particular, sound bright to me. So bright, that on certain instruments on certain sections of a title, the brightness is piercing. I've changed out XLR cables in an attempt to tame that. And perhaps it is my cartridge or turntable.

Two records that are particularly bad for me in making a dub are an original release of Surrealist Pillow by Jefferson Airplane and the original release of Moby Grape's debut.

Has anyone ever encountered that?

Moreover, if you have, how can you tame that in post-recording processing?

 

Both these two albums on vinyl are very bright. This is how they were recorded back in the 60s and there is very little to do about that.
As far as how can you tame this in post-recording processing, I will leave that to the more knowledgable members to answer.

 

You'll come across records that sound too bright, maybe too muffled, sometimes too bass heavy - but that one is rare.

Easiest way to fix that is to use a parametric equalizer. You can reduce or increase the frequencies until it sounds right for you. In my experience you don't need much adjustment. A little bit goes a long way. Also, be aware your adjustments may sound different on headphones versus monitors. I usually use my speakers to monitor the changes I make.

Experiment with equalizer and you'll get the hang of it quick.

 

Yes, understand that and why. Thanks. Still looking for a solution.

Thank you. Don't have a parametric equalizer and prefer not to get one to address just a few lps.

What I was looking for was a computer-based program I could use. I have not done extensive looking, yet I have IzotopeRX7.

Any other suggestions? Much appreciated.

 

The Ortofon 2M Black adds brightness on the top of the recording, replace it with something better and more accurate such as a Cadenza Blue, a Koetsu or if funds are limited, an ART9.

 

[QUOTE
What I was looking for was a computer-based program I could use. I have not done extensive looking, yet I have IzotopeRX7.

Any other suggestions? Much appreciated.[/QUOTE]

Use the "EQ" in RX7. It is a parametric equalizer.

 

Use the "EQ" in RX7. It is a parametric equalizer.[/QUOTE]

Awesome!

 

Awesome![/QUOTE]
I like the one in Ozone 9 even more. The EQ module is very sophisticated, but if you work with it, you get the hang of it. I especially like the vintage EQ.

 

I like the one in Ozone 9 even more. The EQ module is very sophisticated, but if you work with it, you get the hang of it. I especially like the vintage EQ.[/QUOTE]

Thanks. I earlier this year stepped up to IzotopeRX7 from Audacity. I'm not very good at it, not super computer literate as an older geezer. Kinda need a fair amount of hand holding, sorry to say.

 

The nice thing about the professional programs is that you don;t need to be computer literate. You just have to learn your way around the program.

I want to upgrade from RX7 Standard to RX8 Advanced, but it's way out of my price range at $499. I could build a new computer for that. I can upgrade to RX8 Standard for $149, but all the goodies I want are in the advanced version, like the Wow and Flutter correction.

 

Likewise, I have the RX7 Standard. Do you know what are the upgrades to the RX8 Standard? Not sure given what I do its worth the upgrade.

 

Well, I need as many tools as possible to get the very best results I can.

RX 8 Features

 

I know many rock/pop records from the 60's most likely 50's too sound thin to me. I have surrealistic pillow both reissue and scratchy used both sound thin. I always though back then these records were mastered to sound good on AM radio. I have Jazz records recorded in the 50's that sound wonderful so it's not like they couldn't do better they just didn't.

Grant once you bite the bullet and upgrade to advanced your upgrade cost goes way down. I can upgrade to 8 advance for $299. So if you want it just find a way and all your upgrade will be manageable after that one.

 

Awesome![/QUOTE]

So you discovered it.

What you're looking for to remove tinniness is something like:
Enable only "bell 3"
Freq: 3000 Hz
Gain: -3dB (up to -6dB or more)
Q: 1



Warmth can be a +3dB Q:1 at 80Hz, clarity, a "lowpass" at 15000, but +6dB and Q:2

 

I know, but I really don't have the money.

 

I get it! Pre-covid I had more money for this now I'm stick with 6.

 

One thing you might try to get more mileage out of your audio editing programs is to look for free VST plugins. There are some nice ones out there. They add to your toolbox and the cost is ..... free.

 

I’ve learned a lot from this thread. I’ve been an RX user since RX 3 and because I have a small audio production business I made the upgrade from RX 7 standard to RX 8 advanced. I edit podcasts and do radio style production. Getting my vinyl digitized is on the agenda.

That said if you have RX5, 6, 7 standard, I’m convinced you won’t need to upgrade if de noise, vocal de noise, de reverb and de click are what you use.

I’m also a long time user of Izotope’s Ozone products.

I found a couple other ‘plug in’ products I like. For EQ there’s PSP Audioware Master Q2. And if you need an alternate dynamics plug in, consider the slightly bizarre ‘Magic Death Eye.‘

My interface is an Audient ID22, you can bypass the regular inputs and send audio directly to the converters (they use a Burr-Brown chips).

BTW I record/edit on both Pro Tools And Sound Forge. Thank you.

 

I don't necessarily agree. Companies are always improving the modules we use for restoration, and adding new ones that are quite beneficial.

I’m also a long time user of Izotope’s Ozone products. It's not just for the basic restoration aspect, it's also about enhancement should the music need it.

I found a couple other ‘plug in’ products I like. For EQ there’s PSP Audioware Master Q2. And if you need an alternate dynamics plug in, consider the slightly bizarre ‘Magic Death Eye.‘

My interface is an Audient ID22, you can bypass the regular inputs and send audio directly to the converters (they use a Burr-Brown chips).

Yes. There is no army swiss knife of a program. No one program will do all that one could need. I use Sound Forge, Audition, and even Magix Audio Cleaner on occasion, but the GUI is horrible!