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Converting LP to digital. Advice please...

I am looking to archive some vinyl onto a hard drive that I can then transfer to CD. I would like to take it from line level output to a A/D convertor then store it on a computer hard drive. Then have a program that will allow me to take each LP side and dive the songs into individual tracks. Suggestions on a/d conversion and software would be appreicated greatly
128x128theo
lewm
13,295 posts
 
I used to think about buying the Alesis when it was best bang for the buck.  Then I switched to thinking about the Tascam. But I know my own habits all too well, which means I know that I will never invest the time it takes to convert even a small fraction of my own 2500 LPs to digital. I don't even particularly want to do that.  I try to keep up with what's happening in that area only because I am attracted to the gadgetry. These days it's difficult enough for me just to get time to listen to music. 
dtc's avatar
dtc
1,047 posts
 
Vinyl Studio is a great program for this process. It can record the data from USB or import a file. You can split the files and do various cleanup operations. One of its main advantages is that it does lookup of album data for several databases including discogs and imports track timings and names. This greatly speeds up the task of splitting tracks and providing names and other metadata. 30 day trial and only $29 for the license. Don't let the low price deter you - it is a great program.
dtc's avatar
dtc
1,047 posts
 
lewm - Removing clicks and pops indeed changes the data. But, I would argue, the clicks and pops have already done that. Getting the signal back to as close to the original as possible has to be better than leaving the click or pop in. All you have to do is look at the waveform to see the distortion that the pop or click creates. If you only have a few pops or clicks you can just go to those specific spots in the file and do the correction on that specific spot. You do not have to process the whole track. Vinyl Studio, for example, lets you fix just a specific area.  The program will fix the selected section or you can do it yourself manually, while looking at the waveform. You can listen to that section with and without the fix. Give it a try.  Attempting to fix a badly damaged section, especially when the flaw lies along the track rather than across it, can do more damage than good. But I find that removal of a typical short pop or click always sounds better than leaving the defect in.
moonglum
619 posts
 
Lewm you've suggested that the sugar cube is interposed between the cartridge and phono stage but that's not how I read it. They've left cartridge optimisation and equalisation to the phono stage and are expecting to either receive a line level signal from it or from the tape monitor output from the preamp. This means minimal  interference with the signal path.

dgarretson
2,603 posts
 

As Lewm mentioned, I’m using a Tascam DA-3000 to record vinyl to DSD128. Performance of the stock unit is fine, and improves significantly after replacing bipolar regulators in the power supply with Belleson SPZ parts. Footers and power cords also make a difference. Get all that tweaking done at an early stage so you’re not tempted to re-record later on... Life is too short.

The process not only produces excellent recordings, it has pushed me to discipline tonearm set-up and record cleaning. Combining Tergi-Kleen on a VPI 16.5 with an Elmasonic ultrasonic machine cleans most records to the point that I don’t think about de-clicking software and the possibility of attendant degradation. I heard the Sugarcube at a show. Unfortunately the system used for the demo was too modest for conclusions.

Since the process is performed in real time, this provides opportunity while listening to gather metadata from the web for the file folder and to append a short PDF that includes recording details such as tonearm and cartridge used and gain/attenuation settings on the Tascam.

After using Tascam’s free software to divide the recording into tracks and wirelessly uploading the folder from PC to NAS, the Roon core recognizes most of it and will discover metadata similar to entering a ripped CD.

Once routinized, the process of recording and storage adds about 50% to the time that it takes to listen to a record. You need about 3GB per LP to make a DSD128 recording. It is good enough that I have no further interest in purchasing hi-res downloads that duplicate my record collection.

The routine can be numbing but becomes part of the fun and tends to keeps one centered on music rather than system-building. This can be a good thing.

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