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Digitizing LPs

I know this is an analog section, but I thought perhaps folks with a analog LPs might know more about this so I’ll ask if anyone has expertise in copying/digitizing LPs, the software needed, the equipment needed. And maybe most importantly, how tough is this job to do and get good results?? I don’t want to create CDs, I just want to send a copy of each to hard drives so I can stream them. I am digitizing my CDs too.

I should say I have a good start on it, a Windows 7 Desktop with attached Musical Fidelity Preamp with phono stage, Adcom amp, Spendor speakers, and ASUS Xonar Essence STX soundcard, and a choice of turntables. Still, I know I’ll need another piece of gear. Is that a USB DAC? If so, how good does this have to be? Or put another way, do I need to spend a lot of money on this?
echolane
tkr
100 posts
 
@dgarretson

3.5 GB is a huge file! 
I considered ripping my record collection, but we are talking about 2500 hours of music on LP. Let´s stipulate that an hour of music on vinyl would take about 1.5 to 2 hours to rip, divide into tracks, label and declick/normalise, we are suddenly looking at 4000 to 5000 hours of work......
I simply decided that it wasn´t feasible, or at least not worth the time.
On top of that, I´m not really sure that wearing down the stylus of a cartridge with 2500 hours of vinyl playing, really is a sensible way of saving wear and tear on the cartridge.
dgarretson
2,613 posts
 
Admittedly it's a long-term project at any pace. But worth doing just once and well-- and buying the best equipment that one can afford for it. The results are good enough that I will not revisit the vinyl, and sell LPs off along the way. Any bids for a complete Savoy Brown collection?
tkr
100 posts
 
To each his own. I am certainly not picking a quarrel with you, but for me it is simply not worth the time and effort.
My estimate of my listening habits is that 70% of my listening is digital, 30 % analog. Let´s say 10 LPs a week. In that case, it´s probably better to simply listen to my vinyl system without digitizing my LP collection. (Mind you, I have tried out digitizing some LPs, and the result is quite good)
dgarretson
2,613 posts
 

I have no bone to pick either. I will only submit that if you’re 70/30 leaning toward digital, then recording those LPs will eventually get you to 100% digital, and at a potentially higher level of satisfaction and lower cost than replicating an LP collection with hi-res downloads. Moreover, if you have 2500 hours of vinyl in your collection and a 30% attention span with analog, the likelihood is that you will never listen to most of those LPs in any case. The recording process is a pleasant re-engagement with that collection.

Another time consumer in the digitization process is the cleaning of LPs prior to recording. I find that I’m willing to accept more noise in the course of normal listening than for the purpose of archival recording. Recording makes me think harder about cleaning records and tonearm/cartridge set-up, and more critically about the quality of the analog source. I just purchased a Lyra Etna for this purpose that I would not have normally considered. This may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on one’s degree of fanaticism and resources with respect to the LP. However, long after that Etna stylus is toast, I’ll be enjoying its recordings.

In any case, I find it interesting that analog-oriented audiophiles are beginning to think about this.

echolane's avatar
echolane OP
115 posts
 
Thanks tons for such useful feedback.  I must say I am thoroughly discouraged!   The equipment to do it properly is expensive and babysitting  the process uses  gobs of time.  Just cleaning each LP is a time consuming process!  A good cleaning machine would make that part  much more palatable, but a good one would be  thousands more.  
  One real positive is it’s a good way to listen to one’s collection!  Even so,  I calculate it’d take me YEARS to do the job.  It’s been fun and instructive to think about this, but, sadly, at my age it’s not a realistic project.  
  Kudos to those of you who have done this!

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