Transferring LPs to CD

[Bernard]

I have to transfer a bunch of LPs to the CD format, and as a test I transferred one LP to CD and it sounded reasonable on my system. I gave it to my sister-in-law, who requested the transfer, and she said it sounded crappy on her boom box (lots of hiss, etc.). Cheapo systems aside, I do realize that a limiting factor is the cheapo sound card in my PC, together with the crappy RCA to mini-plug adapters that are endemic to the configuration. Then along comes Pro-Ject, with their Phono Box II USB, which bypasses the sound card entirely, and allows you to use decent cables to the box.

Has anyone tried the Pro-Ject box, and if so, what are you using for software, and does the software allow you to clean up the recording (eliminating clicks, pops, etc) ? The box is $179, and I expect that the quality of the phono section is far inferior to the phono section of my ARC. Any opinions ???

 

[greg_slo]

crappy sound card and rca -> mini plug adapter aside, if the cd sounds okay in your system, but NOT on a boom box...it seams its the boom box thats really the limiting factor.

on a more helpful note: i am often asked about transfering LP to CD where i work, and yes your sound card is the main downside in your sitch., even more than cable. ive mentioned this before, but luck with anything sound related from USB under a few hundred bucks has been pretty terrible. my suggestion would be a sound card upgrade. M-audio has some pretty good solutions that take analog input. so an output from the ARC into that sound card (about 100 bucks) and maybe some after market software to help tune down the hiss and pops.

also to note, i dont have direct experience with this phono box from pro-ject, so its all just based on past experience with usb audio devices, and what has work for other people i have help with this type of transfer.

on another note, pro-ject = prety good. not the end all in phone box, but definatley a good value that performs basic phone box related needs.

sorry about the verbage, but i cant sleep, and this passes time while hopefully being helpful...or at least a worth while read.

~greg

 

[Bernard]

Thank you, sleepless-in-san-luis-obispo. Very definitely helpful as I was wondering about the quality of anything through a USB. A recent issue of TAS does mention a good sound card with 1/4-inch jacks, so I might go that route.

I looked at the Pro-Ject site, and noticed that the sampling rate was 48KHz. I was wondering how that would transfer into a recording for red book CDs.

 

[Satch]

I think I saw something in the Musicians Friend catalog by M-audio that came with Pro Tools software to get rid of crackles and pops. I'd be interested in whatever solution you come up with. I want to be able to make good digital copies of albums... Good luck and please share what you find out.

Satch

 

[slowGEEZR]

So, can one just swap out their current PC sound card for a better one? Is there anything else involved in upgrading a sound card? Thanks.

 

[Bernard]

I did more research on the subject, and the best I came up with that does away with considerations of sound card quality, etc. is a Marantz professional CD recorder called the CDR300, for about $700. You connect it to your audio system and make a CD on a RW CD, then manipulate it on your PC to break it up into individual songs and get rid of the rice crispies. An expensive solution, but I think it is the best so far. You can also use audiophile cables, without worry about degredation due to mini-plug converters.

I was wondering about a business opportunity here as a few people have offered to pay me to transfer their LPs to CD. However, there MAY be a copyright issue, but I'm not so sure about that. If you are making a copy for the original owner of the LP, I don't see a copright violation. Opinions?

 

[jtwrace]

If you are making a copy for the original owner of the LP, I don't see a copyright violation. Opinions?

I believe that you are 100% correct. As long as you return the original and copy and don't make a copy for yourself.

 

[Satch]

Hey Bernard,

I found the Marantz DDR-632 in the Music Direct catalog for $699. Is that different from the CDR 300?

Another one I'm looking at is the Tascam CC-222SL Pro from the Musicians Friend catalog. With this one you can copy cassettes also.

Any +/- thoughts on these?

Satch

 

[mcmd]

I did more research on the subject, and the best I came up with that does away with considerations of sound card quality, etc. is a Marantz professional CD recorder called the CDR300, for about $700.

The CDR300 is discontinued according to this site:

http://www.d-mpro.com/users/folder.asp?FolderID=1548&Tab=Data+Sheet

But no worries, there's still the CDR310, CDR420 and CDR632. :rocker:

 

[Bernard]

Hey Bernard,

I found the Marantz DDR-632 in the Music Direct catalog for $699. Is that different from the CDR 300?

Another one I'm looking at is the Tascam CC-222SL Pro from the Musicians Friend catalog. With this one you can copy cassettes also.

Any +/- thoughts on these?

Satch

Satch, according to one comparison shopping site, the CDR632 can be had for $484; I just have to determine where. On cursory examination, it looks like the 632 is the non-portable version of the 300. With any recorder if you can copy LPs you can copy cassettes as the feed to the recorder would be from the record out of the preamp.

Tascam is TEAC's professional series, I think, but I have not looked at what they have.

 

[tonepub]

Korg makes a couple of pretty cool products for this. One is more rack sized and the other is iPod sized. Records in DSD format!

 

[Bernard]

Korg makes a couple of pretty cool products for this. One is more rack sized and the other is iPod sized. Records in DSD format!

I don't think that with Korg you can transfer the stuff to Redbook CD.

 

[User211]

M-Audio Transit B. I have one as hinted at earlier. Costs about $100 and will record at 24/96. Stereopile recommended component. Also used by Hi-Fi News and highly recommended. It also does USB to Toslink conversion - which I use to connect my laptop to my Tri-Vista DAC section.

Get one and don't spend anymore for a few albums.

Anyway - you said the recording sounded OK on your system. It maybe that her boom box has a frequency lift at an unflatterring point for vinyl replay.

The few recordings I have done with the Transit have played back well in the car.

 

[Bernard]

M-Audio Transit B. I have one as hinted at earlier. Costs about $100 and will record at 24/96.

I want to be able to record per redbook.

Timely that Golden Records has its banner on thie thread. However, for some reason my laptop has a mic input but no line input, which would involve my purchasing an external sound card with possibly an USB interface, and I read somewhere that USB is not the best for transfer of audio.

 

[tonepub]

I don't think that with Korg you can transfer the stuff to Redbook CD.

One of our guys is using one. I'll find out what he's doing to get to Redbook from what he's capturing.

Anyone here using adobe Soundbooth?

 

[User211]

I want to be able to record per redbook.

Bernard - would I give you bad advice? Of course not. You can record at 16/44.1KHz with it - in fact you can select all sorts of combos.

Just looked at the dollar price - you can get it for much less than $100. I urge you to try it, it is so cheap. And it will do a sterling job for a boom box, if not your own system. Very portable and light too. If it was duff, Hi-Fi News would NOT have used it for all sorts of tests. IT IS VERY GOOD. One of these things that is cheap but works well - they do exist! But having said that I can't say whether it will be much better than your soundcard or not.

Buy her a better boom box - don't waste loads on a recording setup, unless you genuinely want to archive lots of stuff. Also, vinyl noise reducing s/w is pretty drastic stuff, which involves quite severe filters - there is no other way to do it. So avoid if possible.

A couple of more points to note - when I play a CD in my laptop, or via the drive in the SACD player, I cannot hear one iota of difference. So the USB to Toslink conversion as performed by the Transit is 100% transparent.

I have heard bad stories about the MF X-DAC's USB input being below par, but I have no idea why. It is a digital comms link - about the only thing it can suffer from is jitter. Maybe that is the case here.

Also, the Transit USB does use mini jacks. But that is fine... just use a reasonable quality mini jack cable.

 

[Satch]

Classic vinyl lp > Scheu Analog Cello TT > Cary SLP 98p (phono) tube preamp > (?????) > (?????) > ReadyNAS NV+ > SB III > Benchmark DAC 1 usb > Cary preamp > Ayre V-5xe > ML Vistas w/ Depth i > *Also have MacBook

Sleepy,

I will figure out how to set up the ReadyNAS NV+ one of these days and I promise not to stick sharp pencils in my eyeballs...

Satch

 

[Bernard]

Bernard - would I give you bad advice? Of course not. You can record at 16/44.1KHz with it - in fact you can select all sorts of combos.

OK, I'll give it a whirl.

I don't just want to do the transfer for a boombox; I also need to archive some of my own LPs. There was one occasion when I dropped my Discwasher brush onto an LP that is not available on CD; it cracked the LP. Took me a long time to find a replacement.

I like the concept of the digital recorder as I can use good cables as well as have a permanent setup, but I don't have the money to throw around right now.

 

[Bernard]

Here's a site that has the Marantz CDR632 for $479
http://www.summationtechnology.com/marantz-cdr632.htm

 

[Bernard]

M-Audio Transit B. I have one as hinted at earlier. Costs about $100 and will record at 24/96.

Justin, it is not listed as being compatible with Vista. Do you know if it is? Vista is what I have on my laptop.

BTW I could only find an M-Audio Transit, i.e. no "B" designation.