14.04 - capture LP's to disk?

**Gilad_Pellaeon** · April 24th, 2014

Originally Posted by Clockmender

Last thought Squakie, then I will shut up (he said to huge sighs of relief):

7) Click File - Export Selection make sure the option pulldown is set to mp3 files and give it a name.

This is the easiest way to record sound on Linux and make it into an mp3 file, in my humble opinion. Time machine always starts to record from 10 seconds before you press the icon BTW. Audacious will play .w64 files if you don't want to export them as .mp3's.

Or if you want to retain quality export it to .FLAC files. Because to be honest mp3 is a horrible format as documented quite well here.

http://productionadvice.co.uk/why-mp3-sounds-bad/

**Clockmender** · April 24th, 2014

I agree with the captain on FLAC format, but for the beginner perhaps the more commonly used format would suffice...

**deadflowr** · April 24th, 2014

Flac is by far the better format.
But you should really be formatting to what the devices you will be using can play.

**Clockmender** · April 24th, 2014

- which is normally an mp3 player when you are away from your computer........

I remain committed to FLAC otherwise or uncompressed formats for all my production work on both Ubuntu machine and my Mac. The only drawback is that you need BIG disks.

PS. like your splats deadflowr

**squakie** · April 30th, 2014

If XBMC supports flac, then I'll use that, and only convert later those that I might actually need for another device. In that idea, does flac work with the audio players in Android? I'd also like to be able to load some of the audio there as well.

And now for more:

I tried out the cheapy USB turntable I bought used off EBay. I would assume it's because it's so cheap so it's using a ridiculous cartridge, but even after doing the remove clicks thing on the menu in Audacity, the audio is terrible - sounds like a really beat up album, when in fact the one I am testing with a GOOD album.

I've been thinking of taking the USB turntable apart, pulling out the "guts", putting them in a separate "box" and just running my good turntable to load LP's to the PC via that "box". Everything in the cheap turntable is powered via USB - there is no AC. So moving the guts I would get the preamp and the USB interface, plus no motor load on the USB and using a FAR superior turntable and expensive cartridge (assuming it all still works

, might need a new belt for the turntable by now as I don't remember it being direct drive.

Now I know this is more work than the average person would do, but I can't afford to spend $250-$300 for a decent USB turntable, and I do have the skills to do what I'm thinking about.

Does that sound crazy???

And.....

in my testing, I was trying to figure out Audacity and not getting very far. The only thing I found for reducing "noise" was the remove clicks thing. I'd like more noise filtering but don't have a clue how to do it. I'd also like to have the volume set to some "normal" level - it currently has low volume. Is there a "magic button" somewhere in Audacity that will auto-adjust the volume level after the initial recording has been done?

Again, thanks for helping someone who is a novice at all things audio/video out

**Bucky Ball** · April 30th, 2014

Thread moved to Multimedia & Video.

The Cafe is not a support forum.

**mcduck** · April 30th, 2014

Originally Posted by squakie

Now I know this is more work than the average person would do, but I can't afford to spend $250-$300 for a decent USB turntable, and I do have the skills to do what I'm thinking about.

If you already have a good LP player, then there most certainly is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on a new one. All you need is a preamp, and you can get a decent one for around $20. (for example this Behringer one is definitely going to be higher quality than what a cheap USB turntable would come with)

However if you thing building one from the parts of the USB turntable is an interesting project then that might of course work as well.

(Actually I even found another Behringer one with USB interface for $30, that would definitely be easy and decent quality setup. )

**squakie** · April 30th, 2014

Dang!! Never saw that when I was looking at preamps - the ones I saw were running $100 or more - hence why I bought the cheapy turntable. This device costs less than that cheapy turntable! I'll have to wait until May sometime, but this looks like a great device to fill my needs!

Thank you!
Dave