Questions about recording vimyl to computer?

@cleeds

I’m not doing this to preserve the LP’s. Just like cassettes that I used to record too, these will be played on a different (& easier) medium. I too have 50-60 yr old records. And you are correct that they play fine. But at 69 yrs old I sometimes just want to listen rather than go through the vinyl ritual. This is the only reason to digitize. FWIW my vinyl setup is quite good and I listen 90% vinyl. But i foresee a time that I just may want to press a button and let the digital player play it for me. It probably won’t be as good as my vinyl. But its better than not playing m,y music. Besides, I have some music which is not on digital.

artemus_5

I’m not doing this to preserve the LP’s. Just like cassettes that I used to record too, these will be played on a different (& easier) medium.

Understood - I only mentioned the preservation aspect because so many cite it as a reason to digitize an LP. Yesterday's cassette or reel-to-reel mixtape is today's playlist.

... at 69 yrs old I sometimes just want to listen rather than go through the vinyl ritual. This is the only reason to digitize ... i foresee a time that I just may want to press a button and let the digital player play it for me. It probably won’t be as good as my vinyl. But its better than not playing m,y music. Besides, I have some music which is not on digital.

Same here. For convenience, you can't beat digital. But digitizing an LP is so tedious and time-consuming I'd typically rather stream or play my existing digital files than endure the LP-to-digital transfer process. But there are exceptions, and it is possible to get virtually perfect digital files from LP.

@cleeds


But digitizing an LP is so tedious and time-consuming I’d typically rather stream or play my existing digital files than endure the LP-to-digital transfer process

I’m beginning to see your point. The more I learn, the more I see the work involved and time consumed.

Yes the digitizing is time consuming, but to my ears, well worth it. I now have ca 400 album vinyl rips on double DSD through the Tascam DA-3000. I can play them back very conveniently through my new Teac NT-505 streamer/dac, over my home (ethernet) network. Sound is very good. Almost as good as the direct analog playback itself, and for less bother and cost in cart replacements, tubes etc. So in my case, it is well worth it.Most of my analog recordings are better than Tidal masters - to my ears. Lesser formats need not apply.

Almarg made a good point in the beginning of this thread. Make sure that the ADC is good enough, before starting to invest much time on recording from analog. This is like the source of the Nile, so to speak, when recording from analog sources like LPs. In my case, the Tascam DA-3000 ADC is quite good from what I hear (and read) allthough not the best. The "secret anxiety" of anyone using time on this is, is that maybe in some years, my recordings won't be good enough;I should have changed the ADC, or some part of my analog chain, like the cartridge. So it is a bit of a risky gamble. Ten years ago I recorded with the Korg MR-1. I don't listen much to these recordings today, since the DA-3000 recordings, going from single to double DSD (plus balaned connections, a better cartridge, etc), are clearly better. So I think it is a good idea, first, to ensure that the analog chain is fairly well made up and settled - don't record if you have a new and better cart or phono preamp coming soon. And that you are satisfied with the ADC. The conversion back from digital - the best DAC - is something you can come back to that later. In that respect, your recordings are (like what was said of DSD) "future proof".