Hardware to use to connect turntable to PC for album recording?

[SLObrain]

Does any one have any experience connecting a record turntable to a pc soundcard to be able to record old albums to cd? Also is there any software out there that is cheap or free to use to do the recording with?
I have lots of old classic rock albums that I would love to put to cd but have no experience with this subject.

Thanks.

SLObrain

 

[LordEdmond]

Leave them on vinyl the wiil sound much better that on CD


LE

 

[DaveSimmons]

Since the turntable probably has phono-level out + ground wire, run it to a receiver, then run the the tape-out from the recvr into the line-in of the soundcard.

Your soundcard might have come with "click and pop removal" software, if not I think roxio sells some (bundled with CD recorder software?) or try posting a thread like "click/pop removal audio software" in the Software forum. Google would probably turn up some reviews using those keywords.

 

[WarCon]

You need a preamp with RCA's, and stereo RCA's to stereo mini-plug adapter. Cooledit is a really well written piece of recording software (it is a little spendy though - $69) Cooledit.

I don't know of any good free software that allows you to do this, if anyone else does I would be very interested.

.............edit...............
Do the soundblaster cards still come with that Wave editor program? If they do and thats the sound card you have then you might try and see if its on your CD or even installed already.

 

[LordAccord]

Honestly, I dont see the point in this except for nostalgia or if the songs were ONLY produced on vinyl.

You can probably download all of the songs that you want in a high quality MP3 and then burn them in CDA, and since you own the record its not illegal at all, so theres no shame if morals are going to get to you.

In any case, the Phonograph > Receiver > Computer is the only way to do it effectively... as far as software goes, I would use some shareware wav recorder and then convert the files to MP3 with audiocatalyst or something... Unless you are really really wanting to filter the sound which isnt going to do much anyways if it came off of a record....

LoRdAccord

 

[Bleep]

I just plug my turntable into the input jack of my sound card. I use Goldwave to fix up the junk that is unbearable such as clicks, pops and scratches on the records that are in bad shape. I just use a cheap RCA turntable that has a built in preamp. The results are very good. i dont have very good ears though. i have done a lot of these for other people and they are happy with the result. I use Nero to burn them to CD. Once you get the hang of the Goldwave it works very good, there is a little money to be made doing this.
Bleep

 

[acidvoodoo]

i connect my turntables and mixer to my comp using a phono to minijack cable (from radio shack). if u don't got a mixer just use u're reciver, as that is really just a one channel mixer. to record my scratching i tend to use real producer but if u want the best soud qual go with a different program

 

[acidvoodoo]

if u don't have a reciver with outputs get a cheapo DJ mixer instead