"Needledrops for Dummies"? :)

I have a question that I hope isn't too stupid or obvious for everybody here ~~

Is there anywhere available on the web, or on this site, a sort of "Needledropping for Dummies"?

I just inherited a semi-nice turntable. It's from the 1990's, so no USB outputs or anything like that. Right now all that I have it hooked up to is a stereo receiver. I do have a ton of albms from the '60s and 70's that I would love to do needledrops for (strictly for my own use, of course). I'm not worried about the set-up being TOO audiophile, and I don't have a ton of money, but I would like them to sound nice, obviously.

My questions include: Is there a way to make needledrops from the above setup? When doing a needledrop, how do you seperate the tracks? etc etc

Any help that anybody could give would be greatly appreciated

 

This forum is filled with good info about this, as a lot of us do needledrops, and each of us who have a different way of approaching it. Some of us are purists, some of us like to tweak it into a mastered product. Some of us use NR, some of us think that's sacrilegious.

Do a search!

 

The Tascam c.d. recorder is easy to use.

 

First off, filling in your profile would help with this sort of discussion.

I've got an above average turntable plugged into a reciever. I've got some extension cables—3 meter RCA phono plugs to mini stereo plug from Guitar Center—I go out from the tape monitor into the "audio in" jack on my IMac. Using the freeware program Audacity, I record the LP sides to 32/44 files. I then copy and paste each song into a separate Audacity file. Those files—after a little editing to change levels, do a little de-clicking or do some EQ work—are then downsampled back to 16 bits, given names and then turned into AIFF files for ITunes. I make playlists for those individual files. Usually I burn the results to CD. It may not be the ultimate in fidelity, but there's plenty of postings at this site getting into maximizing sound quality with better gear, software. But if you have a computer with a sound port—who doesn't?—this will work.

 

What "Robin L" said...

I record 24/96 although as someone pointed out here on the forum, audacity doesn't really record more than 16 bits.

Using Audacity I create a project for the album, I then usually record Side 1 as one 1 Stereo Track and Side 2 as a second Stereo track (and I name them as the first song side 1 and side 2). I then de-click and make any level adjustments. Once I am done with that I create new Stereo tracks for all of the remaining tracks on the album and then cut and paste the songs into the appropriate track. (e.g. find the end of the 1st song, select to the end of the track, cut, and then paste into track 2. then repeat for track 2 ...).

Once I've got it all, I save it, and then have Audacity convert to 256 mp3s. If I want to create a CD, I the down sample and have Audacilty create .wav files.

 

My procedure is as follows:

1) Thoroughly clean the record/stylus, or if it's already had a thorough cleaning, just do a simple brush down to remove any loose dust.

2) Needle drop on a loud part of the record to get your levels just below peaking then drop 1 dB to be safe.

3) Configure your input settings according to what your soundcard can handle (16bit/44.1kHz, 24bit/96kHz, 32bit float/196kHz, and so on...)

4) Record one side at time

5) Normalize each side to your preferred dB

6) Slice each side into tracks

7) Import into your favorite declicker

8) Import declicked tracks into your favorite encoder, I use dBpowerAmp.

 

My procedure:

1. Play the record into Adobe Audition 3 at 32-bit float/44.1 (or 96k if it's a very serious project).

2. Declick and clean with verious programs like iZotope RX, Audition, and Click Repair.

3. Back to Audition for final tweaking, chopping long wave into songs, trimming, and fades.

4. I use iZotope RX for dithering to 16-bit. If it's a high sample rate recording, I SRC with SoX in Foobar first.

 

audition is really highly recommended!...doubts: to play in audition need to record first. how do you record? in audition? what have between the turntable and your pc?

IMHO, i recommend 'manual' declick inside audition but it's a question of patience and taste. another doubt: to declick 'outside' audition with serious programs as you're recommended, the file from audition is saved as? (32b float, 32, 24b, 16b..dithered? ) if you do this steps you're 'changing' the quality because will do more steps outside, is better do manual declick inside audition...no?

as i wrote before, to back to audition you did 2 changes: when save in audition to hd to use in the serious program and save again after use the serious program...i still thing that is better do manual declick inside audition.

well...one more step, will change again the audio...the serious program will do good work but the source was changed how many times before came here, the result will be good?
or you do it all inside audition and only save one time after all is done? if yes...good.

MHO: do all inside audition as it works with 32b float until you do changes(upsampling, downsampling, dithering...no matter what)and chose the right 'format' to save...

cheers.

 

All the programs I use will accept 32-bit float and export as 32-bit float. So, the sound will not change. There are other programs that will do a better job of dithering and sample rate conversion. The ones in Audition aren't very good.

 

This is the easiest way and will provide good results with little monetary outlay. Audacity is freeware and takes a little while to get used to but does what you need. I have gotten plenty fine results even just recording at 16/44. The Audacity wiki is very helpful in guiding you along, especially with manual declicking. I tend to just get the big pops if there are any and not sweat it. I burn the files to cd using Roxio Toast as a back up before I put the tracks in itunes. I don't do any volume normalization until I put the files in itunes and use ivolume. This is the quickest way to do it and it'll only cost you the rca - mini cable which can also be used to hook up an ipod to a stereo in a pinch, like at a party or when visiting the parents house and you want some decent tunes.

 

very clever.
i don't know the programs that you use, only audition and when i do needeledrops in 96/24 i save as was captured.

thanks so much!

 

First thing that came up in a google search:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2182292_transfer-vinyl-record-albums-cd.html

Not terrible.

There are a zillion ways to do this. The absolute requirements are the following:

* A turntable
* A phono preamp
(you already have both of these)
* A computer with a LINE LEVEL INPUT on the sound card
* Software to record analog sound to digital WAV files
* Software to create music CDs from WAV files

It's very easy to do and the results can be very good. IME the absolute most critical piece of the entire process is the Analog to Digital converter.

 

The simple answer is NO. In addition to everything that you have, you might need a computer. I find these to come in handy for all needle drops.

 

If you don't have a computer with all the system requirements or the computer is not close to your stereo, a standalone CD recorder can be used. You can hook it up to your stereo like you would a tape deck. I have mine hooked up as Tape Monitor 2.

There are pro models that can use data CD-Rs like the Tascam, HHB, Alesis.

There are SCMS models that require music/audio CD-Rs like my Pioneer PDR-555RW. These players are usually cheaper than the pro models. The music/audio CD-Rs are a little more expensive than data. There is usually some way to add tracking numbers, but you may find the autotracking can be fooled by long silences and just as well to set it to manual and record one whole side of an LP at a time.

For standalone CD-Recorders I would recommend making sure an instruction manual is available because some operations are not intuitive. And a remote is convenient if the turntable and recorder is not within arms length as you set the needle down and want to start the recorder.

A computer hookup would definitely give you more control and editing possibilities. I actually rip and burn CD copies with my PC but do needledrops with the standalone CD-recorder.

 

Solid advice all the way around. All I would ad is that a single Music Only CD-RW disc can be reused 100's times. I have one that I have had for close to 10 years, and I have lost count how many times I have recorded on it. When done, I then rip loss-lessly in to iTunes.

No doubt a computer based method will give you much greater flexibility, along with the ability to edit out clicks and pops, but for me, its all just a huge PITA, and I spend too much time in front of my Mac as it is.

Brian

 

My method uses a combination of a standalone CD burner and a computer.

Step 1: Record the album to a CD-RW using the standalone burner, one track per album side. As mentioned above, using a CD-RW will allow for multiple uses.

Step 2: Rip the CD-RW to computer

Step 3: Bring file(s) up in EAC - create cue sheet for track starts. Trim file to get rid of any excess (ie: the few seconds before the first song starts, or after the last song ends)

Step 4: Burn CD-R


Repeat

 

One thing about using a stand-alone CD player, you can be sure that the Analog-to-Digital conversion is going to be superior to anything built in to a standard consumer grade computer sound card.

 

Using a computer in the chain is the only way to get a seriously professional result, if that's your purpose. Everyone has a different goal, and no answer is the correct one.

 

That's why you use a "prosumer" or professional/audiophile card.

 

Well, that's what I do, but that may not be for everybody.

 

No a computer isn't always the answer.

I've been using a stand alone audio burner for years with sucessful results.

Once I've recorded the initial trandfer to CD-RW, it gets finalized then placed in another CD player where I transfer it to a CD-R which is where I can correct any flubs, do fades etc.

I only use a computer to copy finished product.

 

Sometimes not. My CD recorder is limited to 16/44. The computer's built-in sound card can do 24/96. The signal to noise ratio is also better on the IMac's built in sound card as compared to the Sony RCD-W1 recorder I've got. If you get a break-out box, like something from M-Audio, then the computer recorder will surpass a stand-alone CD recorder. In any case, when it comes to vinyl, I've been getting better results straight into the IMac.

 

I'm talking about "mastering" to exact standards. I guess the computer method is for we extremely anal types.

 

It's also for those types who learned how to do it that way. Back in 1994, I got a Mac and some software, an external hard drive—it was mammoth, a whole gigabite—and started to edit the tapes I was recording of concerts with the occasional CD, taking 20 hours of recording and coming up with sixty minutes of music. Turned out to be more profitable than actually recording the concerts

I find it easier to transfer vinyl straight to computer. I've already got Audacity recording when the needle hits the vinyl, all that slop before and after the music gets edited out anyway. Once you get used to recording straight to computer, it's actually easier to make a decent CD out of your vinyl, easier to make distinct tracks, name them, make labels and so on.

 

Well, it's not a matter of learning how to do one method. It's a matter of method. The basic process is the exact same: you record the audio into an A/D converter. After that is where this forum parts ways. For the computer, you can do so much more to your audio than you can with just recorders. You have precise control over every tiny detail. Some people don't need that level of control. I do.

There is no dispute over the power of a DAW vs. a standalone CD-R recorder. Quality isn't even a factor.