What's the cheapest way to put some of my vinyl into digital?

muncybob
muncybob Posts: 3,041
in Going Digital
I would rather spin the bigger discs but when some friends are over I would rather pop a smaller disc(cd or dvd) into the Oppo and put it on random play.
What's cheap or free?
Yep, my name really is Bob.
Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub.
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Comments

  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    uTorrent?
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,761
    edited December 2018
    Do you have a stand alone phono stage or is is part of a receiver/preamp? If you have a stand alone, wire the output into a computer/laptop mic-input and record .wav files. There are some free software out there. Audacity comes to mind. You can do some editing and burn to audio CD. Like all things, it will have a bit of a learning curve and trial/error to get decent recordings.

    If you don't have a stand alone phono stage, you can take the Tape-out from your receiver/preamp and wire it to the same mic-input mentioned above.

    If you are not looking for the highest quality and want to put a bunch of songs on one disc (random play as you mentioned), convert the .wav to MP3 and burn it as a data disc. You can fit thousands of songs on a DVD.
    For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore...
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  • muncybob
    muncybob Posts: 3,041
    Audacity looks like the way to go, very detailed FAQ on their website that is very helpful. Now I know what I'll be doing during cold winter months ahead. Thanks!
    Yep, my name really is Bob.
    Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,785
    edited January 2019
    Audacity and whatever digital gizmo you have with an analog input (e.g., a laptop) is the cheapest.

    A better ADC might be... umm... better... but the above'll work.
    I do it all the time. B)


    Full disclosure, Philistine that I am, I typically "rip" (as them cool, hip, tech-savvy kids say nowadays) my vinyls to 320k MP3 (gasp!).

    Since most of 'em are holiday music for listening to in the cars during the, ahhh, holiday season.

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  • web_traveler
    web_traveler Posts: 8
    I don't have any specific recommendations but I think your belief about USB turntables is correct. If you buy one of those, you are dependent on whatever analog-to-digital converter is built in. Since most of them seem to be in the $100-$200 price range, you're not going to get a high-quality unit (you're not getting a great turntable at that price, let alone the converter).
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