Vinyl Lovers

preferably freeware that can be downloaded over the internet

Stoppen Sie, Werbegeschenke immer zu erwarten, Bezahlung für etwas im Leben.

would not recommend the software way.

ideally get it done professionally with someone who has a high sampling ADC.

IF quality is not that great a concern most soundcards should have an intrinsic sound in which accepts microphones input. hance a tape out from an int amp can be inputted into that and recorded..but do not expect it to be great !

Hi Arj,

I installed Audacity for him. Found it on the latest PC Quest DVD. It's a freeware with options to remove both clicks and noise from a wave recording.

Yes, I agree that the quality will not be audiphile. But the guy isn't too rich. He wants to copy his records to a CD as a prelude to selling them off. He currently uses a magnetic head turntable. Vinyl is before my time so I can't speak much about his hardware.

Hi Rockamedi,

I don't speak German

Look at EMU and ESI soundcards..
they have AKM ADCs inbuilt( i think?!)..
worth taking a look at them.

I transferred some vinyl's to CD using PolderBits software, but it is not freeware (around $35) http://www.polderbits.com/index.html

I had used Videocon record player (the old 3-in-one, tape, radio, record player), cheap interconnects and fed it in the line-in of my IBM laptop. I got very decent results. The hard disk recording is very close to the vinyl, however the CD recording lost some of the brightness....

Hi Neutral,
If its OK to ask, what kind of 'classical' is it that your friend seeks to dispose?Indian classical or European. Would not a decent cartridge perhaps induce him to hang on to his collection. There are some very decent MM models available which will take the sound way above a ceramic cartridge. He just might regret sacking his collection if he 'discovers vinyl' after the event so to say.

Purnendu

purnendu schrieb:

Hi Neutral, If its OK to ask, what kind of 'classical' is it that your friend seeks to dispose?Indian classical or European. Would not a decent cartridge perhaps induce him to hang on to his collection. There are some very decent MM models available which will take the sound way above a ceramic cartridge. He just might regret sacking his collection if he 'discovers vinyl' after the event so to say. Purnendu

Anyone disposing hindustani classical vinyls, pl. let me know.

Ya Purnendu,

I still miss listening to Sholay and Jim Reeves on a Philips record player. But that was a really long time ago, but the fond memories never depart.

Yes, he is considering upgrading his player, if he can get something within Rs 25,000. But he has a bigger passion - vintage cars. Has 2 in his garage so shells out his bucks on maintaining them.

Sad in a way, but I guess the sheer convenience of CDRs is winning over the audio bliss of vinyl.

His collection is Western Classical (many of the great masters) and oldies of his generation (20 to 50 years ago). Say how long do records last? I will bug him into playing some of them for me this Sunday.

Hi,
Well made 33 RPM stuff can have a very long life provided they have been kept carefully. Which means stacking them straight mainly, this prevents them warping. Other things are secondary. I have some records that were produced in England around 1960, and they play fine. Life is usually not a big problem with LPs, BARRING ABUSE.

Does your friend have a list of his music. Problem with Western classical is that most collections in India are standard repertoire, in simple words, stuff that every one has: Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Handel, Brahms, Bach, etc. My own collection of hundred odd records is just that I suppose. Such standard collections probably wont suffice to pay for the maintenance of a vintage car! However if the collection has music going beyond the standard repertoire,or if it is specialised in some way, eg chamber music/choral/opera, or if it has a historical focus, then there would probably be people interested in it. Outstanding historic performances would also be a plus point in attracting a buyer.

By the way Rs. 25,000 is enough to get a decent turntable , for instance the project xpression which is what I run.

Purnendu

There's all kinds of classical: heavy and light, known and unknown composers, jazz, and even children's songs and Christmas music. Maybe 50 odd records mostly produced in the USA by Columbia and RCA at a time when stereo recordings had just entered the market. A really fascinating collection. Just waiting to hear them! But unfortunately his stereo amp has conked out. So I'll ask him to play them for me on a Sharp 2 in 1.

Some names:
Tchaikovsky
Berlioz
J. Strauss
Smetana
Wagner
Humperdinck
Schubert
Sarasate
Liszt
Mendelssohn
Lehar
Rossini
Herold
Verdi
Handel
Ponchielli
Bizet
Offenbach
Ravel
Gounod
Suppe
Weber
Paganini
Grieg
Mozart
Puccini
Borodin
Dukas
Debussy
Offenbach
Elgar
Mussorgsky
Arthur Sullivan
Brahms
Saint-Saens
------
Lionel Hampton
Roger Williams
Kid Ory
Philadelphia Orchestra
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Henri Vieuxtemps
Henry Du Mont
Moussorgsky
Andy Williams
Derek Collier
Daphne Ibbott
Josef and Johann Strauss
Russ Conway
Prokofief
Lyubov Timofeyeva
Beethoven
La Traviata
Swan Lake
Emperor Concerto
Henri Coene
Allama Rasheed Turabi
Rosemary Clooney
Lair de Paris
Rochester Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein

These are just a few of the records that I have gone through. Don't know most of the composers, artistes, and their music. So they are all exotic to me. A pretty priceless collection in my opinion. Waiting to hear it

Thanks for the list,
That sounds like a real nice collection, and certainly goes beyond basic repertoire. I wouldnt sell it if it were mine. In the meanwhile, happy listening, even if its on a Sharp 2-in-1.
Purnendu

Ya Purnendu, I would be sad if he has to give it away. But first these records have to be digitised. So I can enjoy them till then. A chance for me to get to know so many new (or rather old) composers

Neutral-jee

Vinyl to CDR conversion has a lot of pitfalls if not done properly and employing very high quality equipment/software/technology in the process.

I have been doing such conversion for last 4~5 years. Not only the learning curve is high, but you also need a certain amount of hands on experience before you actually get result which will do justice to the original vinyl. I will list how I do my transfers:

Turntable:
Thorens TD150 with SME 3009 tone arm and Ortofon MC15 Moving Coil Cartridge. A Lundhal step-up transformer with a Valve RIAA preamplifier is used.

The TD150 has been heavily modified. The plinth is constructed with granite, hardwood and FRP. The suspension was analyzed in Catia and counterweights added to dampen the resonant frequencies. The MC step-up trafo and Phonostage sits inside the TT in shielded and isolated chamber. This ensures short leads to the cartridge which prevent external hum and noise induction. The full contraption weighs around 50kgs. I have spent close to Rs.75,000 and almost 10 years in tweaking this TT. It can’t get any better at this stage.

Outboard AD Converter:
Apogee Rosetta acquired cheaply from a recording studio that went belly up. SPDIF output is fed to a SB Audigy 2 Platinum EX box.

Software:
This is the tricky part. You need a complete arsenal here. No single package is good enough for all situations. Some are good in eliminating wide-band noise, while some are great for reducing click and pops. But almost 90% of time I use CoolEdit (RIP) with various plug-ins. Here your experience counts. You need to decide just how ‘clean’ you want the final transfer. Theoretically it is possible for to clean each and every click/pop/scratch and other wide band noise. However, the result, while sounding very clean and analytical, will loose much of its soul. You don’t want that. I personally aim for a balance. In reality that translate into virtually CD like noise floor if listening via regular speakers, but revealing some noise if heard via high def headphones. In the end I run thru the final result with a Valve simulator to put back ‘warmth’ that is eroded due to all those digital trickery. Final burning to CDR is done by Feurio on a Yamaha burner using Audiomaster setting.

This is a time taking process. Highest level of processing requiring a lot of manual cleaning (e.i. picking up each and every spike in the wave form) can easily require almost 30 minutes of system time for each minute of recording. I have never done that yet. A reasonably good job will typically require 2 days of post recording PC use. I am a finicky guy on these matters, but I’m usually pleased by the end product.

Do let me know by PM if you wish to convert some of your LP’s. We can reach a mutually happy barter of services/goods : )

raftuq schrieb:

... fed it in the line-in of my IBM laptop...

raftuq-jee
Then say goodbye to the stereo sound
Laptops have mono AD convertor. Cost cutting.
I dunno if you used an outboard sound card though.

Neutral schrieb:

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

These folks can murder worlds best speakers. In some passages the dB level is astonishingly high. MoTab can be used as your reference recording to audition sound systems.

screamgigi schrieb:

raftuq schrieb: ... fed it in the line-in of my IBM laptop... raftuq-jee Then say goodbye to the stereo soundimages/smilies/insane.gif Laptops have mono AD convertor. Cost cutting. I dunno if you used an outboard sound card though.

Not sure about the mono thing; Laptop specifications say that the line-in is stereo.... Could be a brand/model thing - I have a IBM X22.

screamgigi schrieb:

Neutral-jee Vinyl to CDR conversion has a lot of pitfalls if not done properly and employing very high quality equipment/software/technology in the process. I have been doing such conversion for last 4~5 years. Not only the learning curve is high, but you also need a certain amount of hands on experience before you actually get result which will do justice to the original vinyl. I will list how I do my transfers: Turntable: Thorens TD150 with SME 3009 tone arm and Ortofon MC15 Moving Coil Cartridge. A Lundhal step-up transformer with a Valve RIAA preamplifier is used. The TD150 has been heavily modified. The plinth is constructed with granite, hardwood and FRP. The suspension was analyzed in Catia and counterweights added to dampen the resonant frequencies. The MC step-up trafo and Phonostage sits inside the TT in shielded and isolated chamber. This ensures short leads to the cartridge which prevent external hum and noise induction. The full contraption weighs around 50kgs. I have spent close to Rs.75,000 and almost 10 years in tweaking this TT. It can’t get any better at this stage. Outboard AD Converter: Apogee Rosetta acquired cheaply from a recording studio that went belly up. SPDIF output is fed to a SB Audigy 2 Platinum EX box. Software: This is the tricky part. You need a complete arsenal here. No single package is good enough for all situations. Some are good in eliminating wide-band noise, while some are great for reducing click and pops. But almost 90% of time I use CoolEdit (RIP) with various plug-ins. Here your experience counts. You need to decide just how ‘clean’ you want the final transfer. Theoretically it is possible for to clean each and every click/pop/scratch and other wide band noise. However, the result, while sounding very clean and analytical, will loose much of its soul. You don’t want that. I personally aim for a balance. In reality that translate into virtually CD like noise floor if listening via regular speakers, but revealing some noise if heard via high def headphones. In the end I run thru the final result with a Valve simulator to put back ‘warmth’ that is eroded due to all those digital trickery. Final burning to CDR is done by Feurio on a Yamaha burner using Audiomaster setting. This is a time taking process. Highest level of processing requiring a lot of manual cleaning (e.i. picking up each and every spike in the wave form) can easily require almost 30 minutes of system time for each minute of recording. I have never done that yet. A reasonably good job will typically require 2 days of post recording PC use. I am a finicky guy on these matters, but I’m usually pleased by the end product. Do let me know by PM if you wish to convert some of your LP’s. We can reach a mutually happy barter of services/goods : )

Wherever are you based ScremGigi? I am at Chennai. You seem to have converted the conversion process from analog to digital into a fine art.

My friend's equipment is much more modest. I wish my friend would buy an amp soon so that I can really listen to those records. I will listen to the Mormon Tabernacle last as I will go deaf during the high parts so I won't be able to appreciate any of the other records

My friend has Nero on his computer and I installed Audacity for him. They should be good for cleaning. I definitely won't bother with each click. The digital output is to be played on Bolton speakers, not studio-quality Dynaudios.

Hi All,
Teac are making a record player with a digital output. Has anyone seen it or used it. Its available in India I am told. There are some 78 rpms that I want to get done.
Purnendu

purnendu schrieb:

Hi All, Teac are making a record player with a digital output. Has anyone seen it or used it. Its available in India I am told. There are some 78 rpms that I want to get done. Purnendu

Purnendu, do you mean that it has a built-in ADC? Or that it has a built-in preamp? Then one won't need those rare MM/ MC inputs on the preamp. Do clarify.