USB Turntables
"I want to buy a USB turntable to convert some vinyl record albums to MP3 format. Are there any specific turntables you can recommend?"
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USB Turntable Reviews
It seems the death of vinyl has been greatly exaggerated. There are lots of USB turntables available now, and they are perfect for the task of converting those classic vinyls to digital format. I've compiled a list of my top five USB turntables, along with reviews. From professionals to those on a budget, there is a turntable out there to help you convert your old LPs to digital music via your PC. (For related help, see Converting Vinyl Records to CD.)
• Probably the most trusted company in this arena is ION. Their ION TTUSB Turntable allows transference of music from 33 1/3, 45 or 78 records to your computer. Once there, you have the option of recording your old tunes to CD, send it to your MP3 player or just listen. Because it needs no preamp, you can hook the TTUSB up to your stereo system as well. One of its best features is an input jack so you can also turn your old audio cassettes into CDs.
ION offers a free EZ Vinyl Converter with Gracenote MusicID technology (helps identify the song titles) to simplify the process. Expect a basic turntable here, without the bells and whistles, at an affordable $149 price point. ION's site features other turntables to fit every need, including an LP Dock that transfers your tunes to your iPod. I should also mention that ION has other USB turntables that convert vinyl records directly to CD (see the ION LP2CD pictured above right), USB stick, USB external hard drive and even SD cards -- no computer required.
• The Stanton T.90 USB Turntable was made for pros and those who are aspiring DJs, although if you do not know your stuff, most of the features will only confuse you. This turntable has a direct drive motor and an s-shaped arm for better tracking and lower distortion. It has 3 playback speeds and the unique Master Tempo Key Lock.
The T.90 is so precise it has a pitch control slider, 2 start/stop switches for mixing, and S/PDIF output as well as the USB. Stanton has included Cakewalk Pyro 5 software for you to edit your tunes. You will pay more for this one though as it lists from $299.00 to $450.00, depending on where you shop.
• You may already know that I tend to favor Sony, as most of their products are reliable and built to last. Their PS-LX300 USB Turntable is no exception. This one has only been around about a year, but its simplicity makes it easy to convert your music to digital. While it cannot handle 78s, it does have the feature of auto-operation.
It also has a belt drive system and built-in preamp as well as RCA output jacks. Once you have transferred your tunes with their Audio Studio software, you can store it on your PC and transfer it to your MP3 Player. The PS-LX300 USB can play back and carries a $149.99 price tag.
• Audio-Technica's AT-LP2D-USB LP-to-Digital Recording System is also noteworthy. While the company has been making audio products for years, it may not be top of the line, but has the distinction of being able to be used on a Mac with Audacity software. Cakewalk is available for those with PCs.
Features include a built-in switchable stereo phono/line level pre-amplifier. The system is fully automatic but will only work with speeds of 33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm. There are a couple of other advantages to this turntable. One is that it can make WAV and WMA files, among others, while DeClicker removes pops and cracks and DeNoiser eliminates hiss. The AT-LP2D-USB retails for $229.00, less if you shop around.
• Finally, if you're thinking small and less expensive, Grace Digital has recently launched the compact Vinylwriter Pico. Compatible with either PC or Mac, it is only 11.5 x 9.75 x 4.25-inches. It will play and record all three record speeds with one-touch play and stop and has a built-in RIAA equalizer. Audacity Cross-Platform Sound Editor is included for editing. Convert to MP3, burn to CD or keep them on your PC for playback. The Pico includes both an RCA and USB line-out cord and will set you back only $99.99.
As you can see, all five of these USB turntables have their plusses and minuses, but I suggest before you buy one sight unseen, you head to your nearest electronics store to "hear" the difference. You wouldn't even think of buying a new TV without seeing it, would you? Do you have a question or comment about USB turntables? Post your thoughts below...
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Posted by Bob Rankin on January 6, 2009 06:29 PM
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Article information: AskBobRankin -- USB Turntables (Posted: January 6, 2009 06:29 PM)
Printed from: http://askbobrankin.com/usb_turntables.html
Copyright © 2005 - Bob Rankin - All Rights Reserved
Most recent comments on "USB Turntables"
(See all 15 comments for this article.)Posted by:
Dave in Indy
15 Jan 2009
In a reply from David (great name) above, he mentions Audacity having a speed conversion utility. Hmmm, I wonder if you could use that like High Speed Dubbing on old dual cassette decks? Put a 33 1/3, set the speed at 45 (or 78 if possible) and dub the LP about 40 percent faster at 45 RPM or about 140 percent faster at 78.... Quality might suffer. :)
Posted by:
Bill
15 Jan 2009
Comment to borgward: I have the ION turntable. The supplied software will save in .wav format, in addition to mp3, which can then be converted to anything you want in another program. That also allows for directly saving to audio CDs without conversion from a compressed format. I imagine (but do not know for sure) that this option is available with most of these turntables.
Posted by:
rich
15 Jan 2009
i got the audacity over a year ago from amazon for $99.99, no tax, and no shipping! within 5 minutes out of the box i had my first mp3... i love the audacity software. best buy i've made in a long time.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Ummmm, actually not. Audacity is free software. See http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
Posted by:
Alan
16 Jan 2009
Picked up an Innovative Technology (iT) USB turntable at JC Penney before Christmas for $89 after rebate. Comes with Audacity freeware, and both USB and analog twin pair. Does 33, 45 and 78. Seems like the right and left channel are the same, on the captured audio, but I specified stereo. Anybody know where to tweak the inputs on either the hardware or Audacity?
Posted by:
Gary
17 Jan 2009
Another option is to use the DAK.com (http://www.dak.com/Reviews/2020Story.cfm) mixer for $69.90 and the included software if you already have a turntable (as I do). They also sell a turntable/mixer package for $219.00 if you do not have a turntable.
The software if flexible allowing for burning to a CD or saving to file on the PC. The instructions are very good and the customer support is first rate with almost instant response to emails. I have had the unit for a month and have converted 67 albums without a problem.
Posted by:
Dave
19 Jan 2009
Just curious, have you tested any of the units which play/convert both vinyl and cassettes? I've seen them, but they look cheaply built. I've got a number of cassettes which I want to convert to digital but no longer have a cassette deck on which to play and hook up.
Also, I'm no expert in using Audacity, since my (VERY) old collection of vinyl albums will have scratches perhaps some warp from being stored so long, is it difficult to "clean up" the sound?
EDITOR'S NOTE: I have not tested any of the units that do both vunyl and cassette. But as far as software to clean up the sound, look into the offering from DAK.
Posted by:
David
22 Jan 2009
Answer to Dave in Indy.
High-speed dubbing is/was never very successful, even in so-called high-speed dubbing cassette decks (now, thankfully, virtually obsolete). Quality usually took a dive because when the source is speeded up you are asking the play-back heads and electronics to handle higher frequencies that they weren't really designed for. For instance - you have an original recording which ranges (for the sake of argument) from 30 Hz to 17Khz.
If you double the speed, you are asking the kit to reproduce frequencies from 60Hz to 34Khz. Bass end is no problem, but just look at the top end. Way outside the range of most tape heads or even high quality record deck cartridges, which is why most high-speed cassette dubs sounded a bit wooly. Just a gimmick, really. I wish there WAS a way of getting vinyl to mp3 without having to play the stuff in real time! Very laborious!
Posted by:
Rolfe
17 Feb 2009
Does any of the readers know of any current "box" that does it all. By that I mean a unit that contains transference and conversion hardware whereby you can use that one source to ultimately convert your vinyl to CD, and your cassette to CD, and your 8-Trac to CD, and your reel-to-reel tape deck tapes to CD... all under one roof, and maybe that completely bypasses your pc altogether?
Same principle would be a great feature for transferring all your old video units to DVD. To be able to have one little 'box' to attach your VHS', or your old 8 mm films, or Super 8 mm films, or 35 mm negatives, etc., to a DVD.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The ION LP2CD pictured in the article does exactly that!
Posted by:
Mike Okumura
10 Aug 2009
Please help me,
I bought a USB Turntable Model ITUT-201 at JC Penney. I bought the unit last August but have never opened it until today (8/17/09). I opened the box and the software disc was not in the box. The JC Penney store does not have anymore of these units. Is there any way I can get the free software that will allow me to use this unit.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I would contact the manufacturer, maybe the software is on their website.
Posted by:
Andy
01 Sep 2009
Mike, download the drivers and the manual here:
http://www.ithomeproducts.com/product/usb-turntable
Audacity, as stated above, is a free download. Good luck!