Converting Vinyl Records to CD
For seasoned audio purists, nothing compares to good old-fashioned analog recordings on vinyl records. But those old records are fragile... here's an illustrated step-by-step guide to help you convert vinyl to CD so you can enjoy them for years to come.
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How to Convert Vinyl Records to CD
Ahhh... the warm tonal attributes, those faint pops and crackles, the life-sized artwork, just the act of setting needle to groove, they all bring to mind an immersive experience of days gone by. Although advances in audio technology may bring about improved sound quality, they also result in a new set of difficulties that music enthusiasts must overcome.
With the appearance of compact discs (CD's) in the early 1980's, the production of vinyl records began its decline. Compact discs were not nearly as susceptible to degradation from repeated playback, dust and scratches. And as digital audio reproduction improved, the CD with its greater storage capacity, physical durability, and general portability, quickly became the preferred format, leaving vinyl records to slowly fade away.
The number of recordings that ceased to exist with the declining popularity of vinyl is huge. For some audiophiles, this presents a very real problem; because of the inherently fragile form of vinyl records, as well as the slight degeneration of sound quality that comes with every listen, not to mention the fact that many simply can not be replaced, owners of these relics often leave them unplayed for years at a time, collecting dust, and relying on nostalgia to fill the void.
But just as the compact disc was largely responsible for the demise of vinyl, it is this same medium that can help resurrect and preserve these analog veterans from deterioration and obscurity. Let's look at several techniques for copying vinyl records to CD format.
All-in-One Solutions
There are a few all-in-one or combination systems that make it relatively easy to transfer your vinyl recordings to compact disc. The Teac GF-350 Turntable CD Recorder Player (about US$250) offers simplicity, while the Audio Technica AT-LP2D-USB LP-to-Digital Recording System (about US$200) provides a kit to help you create CDs or MP3 files from vinyl recordings.
Roll Your Own: Required Audio Components
Chances are, though, you already have the necessary hardware to breathe new life into your old records. Nearly every household has a computer with a writable CD drive (CD burner) that will accept CD-R (record-once) or CD-RW (rewritable) media. If you don't have a CD burner, external CD-R/RW drives that connect with USB or Firewire cables are readily available, priced at US$30 and up.
Of course, a record player is also required. Thanks to the popularity of hip-hop and electronic music DJ cultures, there still remains a niche market for the production of turntables with both consumer and professional use in mind. Most lack built-in amplification, so a stereo amp or receiver is required to boost the signal from the player to the computer. If you need a turntable or receiver, you can find them at most large electronics stores, starting at around US $100.
Most turntables have a pair of red and white RCA output jacks, often accompanied by a grounding terminal. Connect the color-coded outputs from the turntable to the corresponding inputs on the stereo receiver using a stereo RCA cable, ideally one that includes a third wire with U-shaped connectors that can be secured to grounding terminal screws on each component.
Your stereo receiver should include a pair of main or auxiliary outputs, which need to be connected to your computer via either a stereo RCA or RCA to 1/8-inch cable, depending upon the inputs of your computer's audio card.
NOTE: All of the techniques above apply equally well for transferring cassette tapes to CDs. Just substitute your cassette player for the turntable. If your cassette player does not have RCA-style audio outputs, use a 1/8-inch to RCA cable shown above.
Audio Software
In terms of software, the only real prerequisite is a simple two-track audio editor. Of course, investing $1,100.00 in a ProTools system will certainly do the trick, but it may be a bit more than you need. Instead, many shareware and freeware audio editors are available that will allow you to record, edit, and export your newly digitized audio to be burned to disc. A quick search on a software update web site, such as VersionTracker will produce hundreds of audio editors for both Windows and Macintosh platforms. Audacity is free audio software that comes highly recommended.
Most audio editors function in a similar manner. Consult the manual or help screens of your preferred application for capabilities and specifics. Many programs incorporate a standard array of buttons, often resembling the controls of a cassette deck, which will make the process relatively straight-forward. Be sure that your editor is set to record the incoming signal as a 16-bit stereo .wav or .aif audio file with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz, so that additional file manipulation will not be necessary prior to burning the audio onto a CD. It's also a good idea to clean the record that you are about to capture, removing as much dust and residue as possible in order to minimize noise.
Plug and Play!
Once all the wires are connected and you've fired up your audio software, just press the Record in your editing program, drop the needle in the groove, then sit back to enjoy your seldom-heard recordings. When playback is complete, stop the audio editor, at which point you will see a waveform display, serving as a visual representation of the audio signal. From here, you can keep the audio completely intact, perfectly mimicking the record itself, or you may choose to divide the recording into its constituent songs.
Either way, the audio can now be burned to a CD with the aid of software such as Windows Media Player, Nero for Windows, or a selection of products from Roxio for both Windows and Macintosh. While these CD-burning applications are designed to be as intuitive and user-friendly as possible, it is important to make the selection to create an Audio CD (rather than data or video) and that you enable Disc At Once (DAO) as opposed to Track At Once (TAO) burning. This will ensure that your CD's are compatible with the majority of CD players. In addition, when choosing blank CD media, opt for high-quality, name brand discs; it would hardly be worth the energy if the entire process had to be repeated in just a few short years. (See Lifetime of a CDROM for more info.)
Got comments about converting vinyl records to CD? Post your thoughts below...
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Check out other articles in this category:Posted by Bob Rankin on February 6, 2007 04:51 PM
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Most recent comments on "Converting Vinyl Records to CD"
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AAHHHHH YES.....VINYL...!!! NOTHING BEATS IT..... BUT IN CASE IT'S QUALITY OF SOUND YOUR CHASING....I GOT A PROGRAM THAT WILL ELIMINATE CLICKS AND POPS AND RE MASTER THE SOUND THAT COMES FROM THAT AWESOME WAX. ADOBE AUDITION. USING THIS PROGRAM, YOU CAN HONE IN ON CLICKS AND POPS (BECAUSE EACH CLICK OR POP HAS ITS OWN CHARACTERISTICS AND THERE'S A FUNCTION ON THE PROGRAM THAT FINDS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH POP INDIVIDUALLY) PLUS YOU HAVE UP TO A 30 BAND EQ FOR SOUND RE MASTERING AND COMPRESSION THAT CLEANS THE SOUND THEN THE HARD LIMITER TO BRING IT TO FULL VELOCITY.....JUST POSTING THIS FOR THE MUSIC AND SOUND LOVER. TRY THE PROGRAM......IT REALLY WORKS MIRACLES!! |
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I'm having a problem with the "Audacity" software using a USB plug-in turntable. The program runs well for about 5 to 15 minutes, then the recording process suddenly stops to show the error message "ERROR: Error when operating sound device. Please, check the input device settings and the project sample rate." The program locks and I must restart the computer. I've reloaded the program a couple of times, but the problem persists. What settings can I establish to avoid this problem? EDITOR'S NOTE: Seems to be a known problem. If you have a Mac, try upgrading to Audacity v1.2.4. If you're on a Linux box, it could be a problem with the sound card driver software. |
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I continue to search for the 'All-In-One' vinyl to CD recorder that meets some sort of audiophile standards. The crucial element in these machines is the phono cartridge/stylus. I own the Crosley CR248 and find it grossly inadequate secondary to the "tinny" recorded sound quality associated with the inexpensive included cartridge. I have looked at all of the available units in this category and it seems they all suffer the same flaw. It would seem that the cartridge would be of supreme importance when concocting one of these devices. |
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I have a Dell Inspiron 9300 laptop and I want to use it with Audacity to convert my LP's to CD's. I have the proper RCA to 1/8" plug but what jack do I use to connect my stereo reciever to my laptop? (I have read warnings not to use the "Mike" Jack.) There doesn't seem to be any sound card jacks. A real bonehead. EDITOR'S NOTE: So you have a Mic jack, but no Audio In? What have people said about not using the Mic jack? Perhaps an RCA to USB solution would work. |
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I am a bit of a slow learner at 70yrs old, but I want to convert some vynel records on to audio CDs via my computer, can anyone advise. I dont want to spend many pounds galore , Im not that keen, but dont mind a few quid. Can anyone advise me? EDITOR'S NOTE: Did you try any of the suggested methods in the article? |
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In response to John Nielsen, I, too, have learned the limitations of not only cartridge, but USB turntables. After a lot of research, I bit the bullet and ordered a Technics SL-1200 Mk2 turntable with a custom higher-end cartridge from KAB USA. I also ordered some modifications he does to the turntable and tonearm. Since my original Philips turntable is beyond repair and I have a collection of pristine LPs, I didn't want to risk damaging them when I convert to digital. Not only that, I know I will play them from time to time and wanted a turntable that will last. Now I'm looking for the right software and board to do the conversion. I'll check out the Adobe Audition Andre mentioned. I'll post again when I have experience to report. |
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Bob: I am going to let you make my mind up for me. After 3 days of visiting every site imaginable regarding the transferring of vinyl to CD, my head is about to explode. My main problem is I don't own a computer. So here is my question: If you were going to buy one product that will transfer vinyl to CD, which product out there would you purchase? I have read so many pro's and con's about these all in one systems that my head is about to explode and I wonder if any of them are worth the money. Thank you for your time. Try to keep me in the $200-$350 price range Bob! EDITOR'S NOTE: The TEAC G-350 I mentioned is a great unit. But don't buy through the TEAC site (which redirects to Hamacher Schlemmer). You can get it on Amazon and elsewhere for around $250. |
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Hi, I have a turntable with the built-in RIAA pre-amplifier. What is my best option to connect to the PC. ie, on-board audio, PCI sound card? I have read these can result in noise. Is a USB turntable a good option? Cheers, Don |
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The do it yourself systems are convenient but they have some serious flaws both in the hardware and the process. There is an article about exactly that at http://reclaimmedia.com/article_at_home.html |
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I just wanted to add that if people have collections that are too large to convert to digital themselves, I own a small business that does the transfers to digital. We are for the people who have so much vinyl or so many cassette tapes that it would take too many hours/days/weeks/months to do themselves. We are for the people who have tried and thrown in the towel. We are for the institutions who want Library of Congress standards applied to every digital file we create and they need it in bulk and fast. We are for the radio stations and government departments, for the record collectors and the mix tape junkies who have bucketloads of music (I hope they've never actually been stored in a bucket). For example, we converted over 16,000 LPs for Santa Monica radio station KCRW. They said it woulda taken them 9 years to do it themselves. We did it in under 10 months. We are faster, cheaper and prove a higher quality than most people realize. I just wanted to make sure you knew that something like what I do does, in fact, exist! http://www.reclaimmedia.com Thanks for letting me share! |
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