Best way to transfer vinyl to mp3?

I was just wondering if any of you have experimented with this and found a 'best way to do this. I would also like to remove pops and things and I have Audacity and Audition...I think they do it, but I am wondering about the connections and best settings to get the data onto the computer as well.

thanks!

B

Well if you intend to output to mp3 it is rather pointless to worry so much about quality of cables and connections and such.

You can either output the headphone socket on your hi-fi into your soundcard, or perhaps directly connect your turntable using the standard red/white audio cables, depending of course on your soundcard and if your turntable has a pre-amp.

In terms of the actual recording, if you do only want MP3 probably best to use 44.1khz 16-bit Stereo, or if you want to keep it on proper CD you could record at 48khz or higher (if possible) and downsample after you have removed the hiss, pops and clicks.

well, I will store it as mp3 but make a cd from the wav files I don't think I have rca-ins on my soundcard unfortunately, it is just a Create AudioPci ES1371, ES1373. It has a microphone-in and two others...not sure what they are for to be honest, I have never used them What are they for? It also has a serial port of some kind.

Now, with respect to the record player (and you had better respect it, it is probably 25 years old heh), do I have to hook it up to the amp first and then hook that up to the pc? Can I just hook the left and right channel RCAs to the soundcard from the turn-table itself?

thanks!

B

It's not a serial port, it's a MIDI/Joystick-port. The other two are probably headphones/speakers and line-in. You connect the LP-player in the line-in and record. And you do have to have the amp in between, the signal from the player won't be that hot.

Ice

It isn't pointless. The output quality depends very much on how the signal comes in first - even or more than ever on lossy formats.

Ok, I bought a 7 dollar cable connected from the two record jacks to my line in. The problems now are:

Which program is best for this? I have Adobe Audition 1.5 and it looks pretty, but is there something better. Also, it must be good at removing hisses and pops. Do any of you have any advice as to how to remove them effectively?

Next, the left channel from the amp fades in and out right now and there is quite a bit of hiss coming from the right. Any ideas on this?

Lastly, I also have a headphone to RCA, two raca female adaptors, and a rca to line-in. By hooking up to the headphone jack instead, could this remove the channel problems I am having. I would try it myself, but the chords were
14 bucks and if I don't need them, I would like to take them back! heh heh

Thanks to all!

B

Adobe Audition should be just fine for your use. I use it for cleaning up recordings and doing all sorts of wav editing. It has several features that will work for you. There is an automatic click/pop remover and there is a hiss reduction function. There is also a noise filter - you can record a sample of unwanted noise and then the program will remove anything in that range. Just a word of warning - use a light touch with cleaning up the transferred wav. If you remove too much the resulting sound can be hollow and flat.

Kathleen