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Digitizing Vinyl; Suggestions Please

I’m moving out of country and will be selling my vinyl, about 300 discs
So I want to digitize them, then sell them prior to leaving the US .....

TT-Arm-Cart: VPI Scoutmaster II, VPI JMW 10.5i tonearm, Classic 3 Headshell, Ortofon Quintet MC Black
Phono cable: Furutech Ag 12, 1.2m ----> into a
Phono PreAmp: Manley Chinook Phono (4 Tubes) --> into
----> Shunyata Zitron Cobra ICs. ----> Aesthetix Calypso - (4 tubes).

I don’t own/run any recording software on my Mac at home since I live off-grid with no wifi or cell.
Ive always wanted to use the Pure Vinyl Vinyl App to record, but I don’t want to invest in it now.
I guess I do have JRiver, but really haven't used it since my computer was stolen 6 mo ago. 

I’m just looking for a simple and easy way to digitize . That said, I have a Sony PCM D100 portable audio recorder that also has an ADC. The ADC recording is a bit flat to my ears, so I want to make sure it records some of the tube qualities that I like- rich tones, ripe bass, airy top end.

Right now Im experimenting with using the Sony to record. Ive tried two methods so far to check for SQ.
1. Recording right out of the Chinook Phono Pre with an IC having 2 RCA terminations on one end and 1/8’ term on other end.
2. Allowing the signal to run into the Calypso PreAmp, then recording out of the "Tape Out"

--> The 1/8" end plugs into the Sony. Records in 2.8 DSD and 24/192 and its derivatives
The 2 RCA- 1/8" IC was made by Belkin. It is good, but not up to par with the VPI and Chinook.

So I decided to buy the Nordost Heimdall 2 likable IC in the same configuration.
It was a ridiculous price, but it appears head and shoulders above the competition.

Any suggestions so far?

Last, Im looking for an audio editing App mainly to cut up the songs, add track marks and song names, maybe take some distortion out if I can, If it is relatively easy to correct.

E.g. the SQ from my 2 different recording methods above are slightly different.
There is actually more "vinyl hiss distortion" when recording out of the Chinook than the Calypso.
But recording out of the Calypso covers up the hiss with a sound that is tube-like,
but not always better than recording right out of the Chinook. Following me??? LOL>

Ok, thanks for your input!


1graber2
johngpilot
3 posts
 
During the time while digitizing,  I would separate the single wave file into the individual song wave files then save and rename them. I looked at each waveform and isolated the pops. If there was hiss or some kind of noise you could sample ( say between notes, during pauses, you could use that to clean up the audio. If you had a record that was was crappy or scratchy you can use a function in Audition to remove that noise on a track by track basis.
once both sides were done providing I had recorded them at the same level I would combine them to master on to the CD. Finally after about 50 albums I just sent my brother the wave file for each side and named it that way.. " Beatles - Revolver Side one"  (I actually didn't copy the Beatles but you get the idea. 

glupson
7,842 posts
 
"...but I was under the impression that it wouldn’t take 2x the time."
Depending on how picky and meticulous you are with metadata, it will take that much, if not more.


I used KORG DS DAC-10R to make DSD copies. I doubt it would be as good as your system now, but it did the trick quite nicely and I have no complaints. There is one "open box" on amazon right now for $299. I would do it again.

https://www.korg.com/us/products/audio/ds_dac_10r/
tkr
100 posts
 
@1graber2

1) I digitize my LPs through a Metric Halo ULN 8 pro soundcard at 24/96, and use Audacity as DAW.
2) Workflow: I always clean my LPs before digitizing. IMO this is not optional, but an absolute necessity. After digitizing I usually normalise the recordings to -1 dB, each track independently. I don`t declick, as I never liked the results. After adding metadata, I save them as 24/96 rips to harddisk. (BTW, a 24/96 file takes a LOT of space!)


glupson
7,842 posts
 
To add a ballpark figure to tkr’s post above, An album copied in DSD (64x) will be anywhere between 1.5-3 GB, depending on length of course. 24/96 may be somewhat less but will still take a lots of space. Get a bigger hard drive than you initially thought you would.
1graber2's avatar
1graber2 OP
303 posts
 
Thx @glupson and @tkr

Memory shouldn't be a problem, I have lots of memory on my Mac, and I can also offload onto ext. drives 

Wow, that Metric Halo looks stellar, high quality at all the right parts-
-inputs, power supplies, filters, ULN: ultra low noise, options to add "gooey tube" sounds digitally if wanted . The only thing holding me back is the price, using it for 2 months, then having to sell for a substantial loss before I leave the US.

-I also find it interesting that the Metric Halo is used with Audacity rather than Pure Vinyl, which would auto-populate all the song titles and metadata, rather than the time and effort of inputting this manually.

- I guess Im looking for great ADC sound, but also ease of function and workflow.
- Right now Im experimenting with 3 different NOS quads of tubes in my Chinook Phono Pre: 60s Siemens 12AT7 variant with low noise and some tube warmth and relatively higher gain than the other 2 NOS quads of Amperex 60s 6922s- an all-around great tube, but lower gain than say the Siemens or an Amperex 7308. Last quad is a 60s Tungsram 7DJ8.

Im recording both an old album with a poor recording that has been remastered- Dylan- the Basement Tapes,
and a modern band with a clean, modern recording - Air, Moon Safari.

-im recording these combinations right out of the Chinook into the Sony PCM, and also out thru the Chinook through the Calypso tubed preamp. When Im done, will compare them all. Ive also got the Nordost Heimdall coming (2 RCA terms to one 1/8" termination).

Im spending the rest of the afternoon bringing myself more up to date with potential recording software:
Adobe Audition,
Audacity,
Pure Vinyl
GarageBand- LOL, IM a lil out of touch, Garageband is only for mobile iOS platforms now, not laptops.
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