Converting 33 LPs into MP3s

[Tim]

Has anybody converted their 33 Long Playing records into wave files or MP3s? Over the last month I have been doing just that. My mother gave me about 5 Readers Digest record sets. Each set has 10 records inside. Some titles are “Mood Music for Dining”, “Popular Songs”, “Glen Miller Jazz”, “South Pacific” and “Music for Listening and Relaxation”. I never realized how good these records where. But then I am a lot older now and music tastes have changed. It takes about four hours to do each set of 10.

I have also been converting some of my old Rock & Roll albums into MP3s. Each side of an album is one wave file. After recording the files I separated the songs and name the songs. Then I put them through a filter which removes most of the needle noises and scratches. This is about another hours worth of work. After all is said and done, I figure I could load about 90 of the old time 2 ½ minute oldies in MP3 format on one CD. I can pick which music fits the occasion. This would give me about 4 hours of non stop oldies.

After everything is complete, the end product is not that bad. I plan on using the MP3 CDs during parties and get togethers at the home. This would give me endless music with more time for BBQing and socializing. I think the guests will never know the difference.

[ted s]

Tim, I would like to do that myself, what kind of in'yer'face are you using to get it into the computer ?

thanks

Ted

[Tim]

Hey Ted – I am using an inexpensive program called Cakewalk Pro 2004. It allows you to listen to music, convert to and from MP3, WAV and WMA formats. You can rip and burn audios to and from a CD. Rip and burn MP3s. As I mentioned you can make CDs from both vinyls and cassettes. You can clean up noisy or crackling audios. It can be used for backing up data or copying a data CD. It will also copy files to a portable unit such as an MP3 player. I am not sure about IPods. Finally, you can break up audio files and even add audio effects (echo, reverb, and delay along with an EQ). It will not do DVDs. I do not remember the price, but I think it was under $50.00 (USA). I am sure there are other inexpensive programs that will do the same thing. I hope this helps.

[ted s]

Thanks for the reply Tim, good info. there.
How about the actual connection from turntable to PC ?

[Tim]

Oops! Sorry about that. There are two methods. The phonograph has RCA plugs coming from the unit. I go into my “phono in” jack on the back of my amplifier. I then come out through the headphone jack into the stereo microphone jack on the back of the computer. This allows me to control the EQ and volume of the music being recorded into the computer.

Method #1

I purchased 2 each connector wires. At one end is a stereo male plug. The other end has two RCA male plugs (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2479016&cp=2032058&f=Taxonomy%2FRSK%2F2032058&categoryId=2032058&kwCatId=2032058&kw=rca+%2F1%2F8+stereo+cables&parentPage=search ). Make sure one is 1/8 male so it fits into the computer microphone jack. There is a cheaper set.

Then I bought two connectors with female sockets at each end (see the $8.95 set at bottom of page: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2421173&cp=&pg=2&sr=1&origkw=rca+female+connectors&kw=rca+female+connectors&parentPage=search ). They come 2 to a set.

Next you insert one stereo male plug into the amplifier. The other stereo male connector goes to the back of the computer microphone socket. Now you connect the 4 RCA plugs together using the 2 female connectors. Left to left and right to right. Run the software as instructed.

Method #2

Or you could come out of the phonograph directly into the computer using most of the wiring except one of the stereo/RCA connectors. I found that with my soundcard does not provide enough volume for a good recording, so I use the above method.

I hope this makes sense to all. Once figure out, you can save those oldies from the past.

[ted s]

Gotcha, thanks again.

[pie_man_25]

I've been doing that a bit myself, but here we use a program called musicmatch jukebox, we run the turntable through a haethkit preamp and into the line-in port on the sound card, the program is designed to record the records and automatically detect the silence between each song and start a new track, which is pretty convenient. Although its not as good as the all-analog LP, the mp3s are at least permanent and we can put them on our mp3 players, cds etc.

[Bloozcat]

Tim,

Couldn't you just use a cord with a 1/4" stereo male jack at one end for the headphone jack, and a 1/8" male stereo jack at the other end to plug into the stereo microphone jack on the back of the computer? I don't understand where the male RCA jacks go if the turntable (or cassette deck) is already plugged into the receiver (amplifier).

What am I missing here?

[Tim]

Ringgggg! Boy what a wake up call. You'r not mising a thing Bloozcat.

I should have thought about that when I explained it to Ted. Yes, you are correct. A 1/8/ to 1/8 male cable could be used (with a 1/4 adapter for the amplifiers headphone jack).

My problem is I already have the 1/8 to RCA plugs installed to the back of my computer. My computer table does not allow quick access to change out the cables. So I rigged it as explained.

Good catch there Bloozcat.

Sorry Ted!

[WackyT]

If your turntable is a conventional one, you'll need something, either a receiver with a phono in or a standalone RIAA phono preamp, to equalize and amplify the signal coming from the cartridge before injecting it into your computer. Now if your turntable already has a preamp built-in and has a regular line level output, then it can go directly into your computer as is.

[Bloozcat]

Ringgggg! Boy what a wake up call. You'r not mising a thing Bloozcat.

I should have thought about that when I explained it to Ted. Yes, you are correct. A 1/8/ to 1/8 male cable could be used (with a 1/4 adapter for the amplifiers headphone jack).

My problem is I already have the 1/8 to RCA plugs installed to the back of my computer. My computer table does not allow quick access to change out the cables. So I rigged it as explained.

Good catch there Bloozcat.

Sorry Ted!

Thanks, Tim.

I'm fresh off re-wiring my whole stereo/surround sound system last week when we got some new furniture, so I'm still in wiring mode! Talk about a rat's nest! A turntable, a cassette deck, a CD changer, a VCR, and a DVD player all wired through a stereo receiver. It's amazing how an entertainment center as large as the one we got, could have such a cramped cabinet where the electronics go. I'd rather eat glass than to try to get to the back of that stereo receiver again. I'm glad this can all be done from the front access headphone jack.

[Tim]

The next time I re-wire my home entertainment center I plan on being a little neater than my last job. Spaghetti is not the correct word to use on my last handy wiring job. LOL ! My plan is to go to Home depot and buy a bout 10 foot of the black sleeve insulation that is used on air conditioning return lines. You know, the spongy stuff. I am going to cut it down length wise and nail 4 ft of it down the back of the center's case. The other 6ft will be attached across the length above the center piece. As I connect the systems, I will place each wire inside the sleeves. The extension plugs will be fed through the vertical sleeve to a power strip. Once all the wires are inside the sleeve it will naturally return to it's closed position. Hopefully this will make for a neat and tidy wiring job.

[Tim]

I took a count today of the number of 33 LP albums I have converted into wav files. So far I have completed 43 each albums. I am looking at a stack of at least 15 Christmas albums which the wife wants me to convert. These are the old original Christmas songs form the 60s and 70s. Most of these crooners have past away except for Tony Bennett. Oh yea, I can't forget old Frankie. I got a few of his too. There is also a few Mantavani, Henry Mancini and Ray Conniff LPs that need to be saved. So I still have a lot of sitting and listening to LP as I convert them to wav files. No wonder it cost so much for someone else to do it for you. There is a lot of time involved. I have not even started on splitting up the wav files and providing the names to all the songs recorded.

[Bloozcat]

I did that on my computer, Tim (where there's more room to work!). It worked quite well, and yes, the insulation sleeves do close up once the wire is inside...provided that you don't try to run too much wire through it, and that you don't bend it to much. It is a lot neater...;)

[Tim]

Hmmm! Great minds?

[SuperSwede]

Tim, I really should get started with this too.. I have loads of old LP´s that desperately needs rescuing!
Do you have to lift the needle between every track, or is the application smart enough to know when a song ends?

[Tim]

The program I use allows you to record one complete side of an LP. You must be present when the record is complete or it will continue to record whether the record stops or starts over. After, the recording is presented in a sine wave format. The breaks between the songs are represented by a zero on the sine wave pattern. From there you break up the sine wave into sections. You save this work and a number is given to each song. After you go back and rename the number with the correct name of the song.

It is time consuming. Each side of an LP is between 15 to 25 minutes.I walk around with a timer that goes off 5 minutes before the record is finished playing. I do a little each weekend. After a while it starts to add up.

I believe Pieman stated that Musicmatch Juke Box will separate the breaks for you. I never did learn how to use that program. Hope this helps. If not get back with me.

[SuperSwede]

I believe Pieman stated that Musicmatch Juke Box will separate the breaks for you. I never did learn how to use that program. Hope this helps. If not get back with me.

Ok thanks Tim!

[ted s]

just to fall back a few posts.. do I need to pre-amp the turntable before going into mic. input (on a Mac) ?

[SuperSwede]

just to fall back a few posts.. do I need to pre-amp the turntable before going into mic. input (on a Mac) ?

iMac? If so you already have a pre-amp built in. Not sure about the latest iMac models though.

Check this out too (USB turntable)

http://www.numark.com/ttusb

[ted s]

Thanks S.S, can always count on you for my Imac questions. Been a little over a year with it and learn something new all the time.