Vinyl to MP3

[Barney-R]

Thank you all for taking so much time over this. Here's the URL for the deck I'm trying to use so you can see it for yourselves.

http://www.mysmartbuy.com/p-404-Neos...Turntable.html

It's got a fixed lead with two phono plugs, and a removable USB lead, which is the one I'm trying to work with.

It can also record directly to CD - from vinyl or tape - but I haven't tried that yet because I'd rather not have to use (and waste) an intermediate device, especially as so many CDs would be needed.

It's covered in buttons (16 just on the front panel), and so is the remote control, but I can't see a gain control anywhere. It does have two buttons (+ and -) marked "recording level", which should be the same thing, but I don't think they have any effect on USB output. I'll try them again though.

One thing that makes everything that much more difficult is that it doesn't have any audio output of it's own (no speakers), so I have to start recording in Audacity to hear anything.

The computer was purpose-built about 3 years ago (£2,000), and I'm running Ubuntu 12.04 with Audacity downloaded via the software centre (center), which tells me it's version 2.0.0-1 ubuntu 0.1.

I'll have a play tomorrow, and I'll let you know what happens, but I'm expecting visitors, so may not get much time.

[d_in_Conduct]

In cutting a disk, the RIAA specifies a gradual boost above 1 Khz and a gradual rolloff below with little or nothing below 20 Hz. For playback, the opposite is applied. He can also use the RIAA preset in Audacity's EQ to compensate.

Which is not to say that the RIAA curve is the correct one. If the records are fairly recent, it should be the right one to use. Older pressings should specify what curve was used somewhere on the jacket. It's a starting point, though.

I did suggest that he save the file in a lossless format before applying any filters so he can go back to it.

[VanillaMozilla]

Ordinarily, the built-in preamp should take care of equalization. It's possible but probably unlikely that it doesn't. You don't want to apply it twice, as that will mess up the sound. It's possible that this device comes with directions.

I don't understand how the sound is transferred over USB. I've never used one of those devices, and never heard of this procedure.

[Barney-R]

I don't know what I did, but I've managed to reduce the input to a manageable level, presumably by fiddling with the settings in Audacity as the +/- "recording level" buttons don't appear to have any effect on the USB output levels.

This has made a very significant difference to the unwanted noise levels, and the turntable rumble seems to have disappeared completely, so perhaps most of the problems were caused by over-amplification.

I've got a lot of work to do, but it is now possible to clean the tracks to a "just acceptable" quality, so I think I'll settle for that for now.

The records (in most cases) are in excellent condition, having been cared for almost "religiously", and I'll still have them after copying, so it's not a disaster.

Thank you all for your help. I'm saving the originals as flac files as well as converting to mp3 after working on them, so as I learn more about Audacity, or if I find something better suited to the job, I'll have those to work with.

[Barney-R]

Oops! I've forgotten how to mark the thread as solved.

[alvinmoneypit]

"solved" routine in these forums is broken. Go to your first post, click "edit post", then click "go advanced" then select "solved" at the top selector where you put in your distribution.

[Barney-R]

Thank you alvinmoneypit. I've done that now.

General update. I've managed to solve the input level problem by fiddling with my system sound settings, and I've been reading the Audacity Wiki that someone linked to. Turntable rumble seems to have disappeared, but I'm still getting too many clicks and pops from records that are in near perfect condition.

I don't need any more help (I hope!), but in case anyone's interested, I'm planning on installing one of the spare styli I bought in anticipation of the size of the job. It's not unheard of for a new stylus to be faulty. I'll let you know if it solves the problem. If not, I'll just have to be prepared to spend a lot of time "cleaning" the tracks.

Thanks again to everyone for your help.

[VanillaMozilla]

Er, Barney, phonograph records have clicks and pops. They're caused by defects in the plastic or by foreign particles, not by the needle. But very thorough cleaning sometimes helps immensely if the record is not actually scratched or worn. I even get a lot of improvement by cleaning _new_ records. For what it's worth, the Disk Doctor system works very well.