(Approx. 1,613 words)
Help! My Vinyl is
melting…really!
By Lou Torraca, President
MOAA Computer User Group, HI
www.the-tug.org
Af06hi(at)gmail.com
Obtained from APCUG with the
author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.
If you have the same problem
as I do, read on, a solution is available. I have hundreds, yup, hundreds of
vinyl records, 78s, 33s, and even a few 45s stashed in my garage which is a
pretty hot spot (no, not a WI-FI hotspot) a really hot spot. I’ve thought about
converting them to cassettes (yes, I know, that was a long time ago), then to
CDs and now to DVDs. I just attended a techie conference and one of the many
presentations was on this very subject, so I paid lots of attention and took
notes. The presenter also talked about how to convert other media, e.g. VHS
tapes, but I’ll save that for another column.
OK, just to be sure we are all on the same page…this
is a 78 Vinyl Record and next, this is a bunch of 45s 
And finally, some 33s which usually were what came in albums. 
Now that we are on the same
page, how do you convert all this to a CD or a DVD?
Here is a step-by-step tutorial with some examples of equipment and software,
as well as some urls which you may want to take a look at.
This tutorial is designed to
provide a few tips to help you get the music from your turntable to computer
and ready for burning to CD. It doesn’t cover the complex area of audio
restoration in which software is used to clean up noisy records. Not to
worry…I’ll point you in the right direction at the end of the tutorial.
Equipment needed
The following equipment will be needed to produce a signal capable of driving a
typical computer soundcard.
•A turntable fitted with a good quality cartridge and
stylus. This is one I found via Google for $99
•A Pre-Amplifier with RIAA equalization as well as a front panel. Both of these
cost only $35
However, if you have lots of dough, you can get one
for $1800!
Does look nice, but I can’t
say whether it does that much better than the small 2 above.
Interconnecting cables
Turntable Cartridge
The turntable must be positioned on a solid level surface. The cartridge should
be adjusted near the maximum recommended playing weight and the anti-skating
adjustment checked. For best results you should use a magnetic type cartridge.
If you change cartridge type make sure the cartridge matches the arm type.
Crystal/ceramic cartridges are not recommended.
Stylus Care
Carefully clean the stylus before playing each side of a record. Always clean
from the back of the stylus to the front and use some alcohol if necessary.
Your stylus should be
regularly checked for wear as a worn stylus will permanently damage your
records. A worn stylus should be replaced.
Record Cleaning
Vinyl records must be as clean as possible so that surface dust does not build
up on the stylus. Always use a fine fiber brush to remove dust before each
playing.
If playing the record reveals high levels of background noise, or if the stylus
becomes repeatedly clogged with dirt after playing, you may need to take
additional steps. You could use a mixture of alcohol and distilled water to
remove dust and dirt which is deep in the record grooves.
Pre-Amplifier
A pre-amplifier must be used to amplify the low level signal from the pickup to
a suitable level for your computer’s soundcard. The pre-amplifier must provide
RIAA equalization in order to ensure proper frequency response from the record.
Your system may integrate
the pre- and power amplifiers into a single unit. In this case, it may be
possible to utilize the tape output to send the signal to the soundcard.
If your pre-amplifier has an adjustable output level, use it to ensure that the
signal to the soundcard is not too high. If the output level is fixed, then use
the gain control in the Windows mixer applet.
Interconnecting Equipment
Most soundcards come with a 3.5mm jack as the line input connector. However,
most hi-fi equipment use either phono or DIN connectors. You will therefore
need to fabricate or purchase a connecting lead which converts between the two
connector types.
Make sure that all connectors are of good quality and that they all are seated
correctly. Poorly fitting connectors can produce unwanted noise or hum.
Play The Record
Once you have all of the component equipment set-up, the next step is to play
the record and save a digital copy on your computer. It is best to record one
entire side of an album at a time. You will end up with two large digital files
one for each side of the album. Your software should allow you to separate the
music tracks prior to copying to CD.
Test Recordings
You should make a test recording to your hard disk, to verify that the sound
card is not being driven too hard and causing distortion. Listen carefully for
hum during silent passages between song cuts. It is a good idea to actually
burn a CD in order to verify that all is well. For example, this will help
ensure that your left and right channels are not reversed.
Setting the Recording Level
It is important that the analog signal is presented at appropriate amplitude if
optimum results are to be achieved. You don’t want too low or too high a
recording volume.
Sound recording software will provide a recording level meter which monitors
the signal at the A/D converter input.
The sound level should be
adjusted so that the loudest sections peak in the -3 to 0 areas of the bar
graphs. However, some soundcards will distort at levels somewhat below this. In
such cases, it is best to record at a lower level and then to digitally adjust
the level after recording. (normalizing).
If your pre-amplifier has an output level control, you should use this to
adjust recording levels. In this case, set the applet control to maximum and
adjust the recording level using the control on your pre-amplifier.
The Windows applet is located at Start/All
Programs/Accessories/Entertainment/Volume Control. Select Options/Properties
and then “Adjust Volume For - Recording". Make sure that the ‘Line’ check
box is checked. This will enable a volume control for the soundcard Line Input.
Now check the ‘select’ check box under the ‘Line’ volume slider. If necessary,
you can use the slider to set the recording level.
Next, open your recording program and adjust the recording level using the
program’s level meters.
Vinyl Record Audio Restoration
Once you have successfully transferred recorded music from turntable to
computer, you will probably want to use an audio restoration program to clean
up the sound.
Most old vinyl records will have a certain amount of surface damage which will
affect the sound. During playback, you may hear some surface noise and a number
of click and pops. Particularly annoying are the repeating clicks which occur
when the damage has spanned several adjacent record grooves and which
consequently repeat once per revolution of the record.
Audio restoration software
uses digital filters to help remove the unwanted noise. The one that all the
“gurus” seem to like is Audacity and the good news is, it’s free!
Here’s where to get it: http://audacity.sourceforge.net
Burning
Once you have recorded all the required tracks from an LP and removed any
clicks, pops, scratches or whatever, it is a straightforward task to write the
tracks onto a blank CD/DVD using your CD/DVD writing software.
First decide if you want an
audio CD/DVD or would rather make up an MP3 disc.
A normal CD should play in any domestic player, but an MP3 CD needs a player
that can cope with this format. They are now more widely available than
previously, most domestic DVD players - some in car CD players and some
personal CD players will play MP3 discs. The big advantage with MP3 format is
that of capacity. A normal audio disc can hold say 20 tracks of average length
(80 minutes or thereabouts), while an MP3 format disc can hold between 10 and
20 albums !! This is done using data compression techniques which result in much
reduced file sizes with very little lost sound quality.
Once you have decided
between the two formats, you can use your CD/DVD writing software to assemble a
collection of audio tracks to be burned to CD/DVD. Don't forget to separate the
tracks before burning.
Now for a few other options for the technically challenged (me included) and
for the fiscally unlimited (more dough than u know what to do with.)
For the first category, an all-in-one like TEAC makes
may be for you.
For a bit more than $400, depending on shipping, this little gem will do most
of the work for you and of course, for those with no equipment such as a
turntable, it provides one. Check it out at: http://tinyurl.com/22x2jy
For the second category, here’s where you can go to have all the work done for
you…at a price of course! http://tinyurl.com/34w8oj
BTW, I'd suggest you check
the 'net for other possibilities as there are lots of places that feature both
hardware and software for just this purpose. One of them is www.dak.com
That’s it for now. Remember, be safe out there on the ‘net, but have fun with
all the consumer electronic goodies.
Aloha, Lou
This article has been
provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups.
All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).