Thx @cleeds - I didn't know Audacity was still around, I had used that back in 2004- 15 years ago. Amazing that they have stood the test of time, will take another look at it again.
Digitizing Vinyl; Suggestions Please
I’m moving out of country and will be selling my vinyl, about 300 discs
So I want to digitize them, then sell them prior to leaving the US .....
TT-Arm-Cart: VPI Scoutmaster II, VPI JMW 10.5i tonearm, Classic 3 Headshell, Ortofon Quintet MC Black
Phono cable: Furutech Ag 12, 1.2m ----> into a
Phono PreAmp: Manley Chinook Phono (4 Tubes) --> into
----> Shunyata Zitron Cobra ICs. ----> Aesthetix Calypso - (4 tubes).
I don’t own/run any recording software on my Mac at home since I live off-grid with no wifi or cell.
Ive always wanted to use the Pure Vinyl Vinyl App to record, but I don’t want to invest in it now.
I guess I do have JRiver, but really haven't used it since my computer was stolen 6 mo ago.
I’m just looking for a simple and easy way to digitize . That said, I have a Sony PCM D100 portable audio recorder that also has an ADC. The ADC recording is a bit flat to my ears, so I want to make sure it records some of the tube qualities that I like- rich tones, ripe bass, airy top end.
Right now Im experimenting with using the Sony to record. Ive tried two methods so far to check for SQ.
1. Recording right out of the Chinook Phono Pre with an IC having 2 RCA terminations on one end and 1/8’ term on other end.
2. Allowing the signal to run into the Calypso PreAmp, then recording out of the "Tape Out"
--> The 1/8" end plugs into the Sony. Records in 2.8 DSD and 24/192 and its derivatives
The 2 RCA- 1/8" IC was made by Belkin. It is good, but not up to par with the VPI and Chinook.
So I decided to buy the Nordost Heimdall 2 likable IC in the same configuration.
It was a ridiculous price, but it appears head and shoulders above the competition.
Any suggestions so far?
Last, Im looking for an audio editing App mainly to cut up the songs, add track marks and song names, maybe take some distortion out if I can, If it is relatively easy to correct.
E.g. the SQ from my 2 different recording methods above are slightly different.
There is actually more "vinyl hiss distortion" when recording out of the Chinook than the Calypso.
But recording out of the Calypso covers up the hiss with a sound that is tube-like,
but not always better than recording right out of the Chinook. Following me??? LOL>
Ok, thanks for your input!
So I want to digitize them, then sell them prior to leaving the US .....
TT-Arm-Cart: VPI Scoutmaster II, VPI JMW 10.5i tonearm, Classic 3 Headshell, Ortofon Quintet MC Black
Phono cable: Furutech Ag 12, 1.2m ----> into a
Phono PreAmp: Manley Chinook Phono (4 Tubes) --> into
----> Shunyata Zitron Cobra ICs. ----> Aesthetix Calypso - (4 tubes).
I don’t own/run any recording software on my Mac at home since I live off-grid with no wifi or cell.
Ive always wanted to use the Pure Vinyl Vinyl App to record, but I don’t want to invest in it now.
I guess I do have JRiver, but really haven't used it since my computer was stolen 6 mo ago.
I’m just looking for a simple and easy way to digitize . That said, I have a Sony PCM D100 portable audio recorder that also has an ADC. The ADC recording is a bit flat to my ears, so I want to make sure it records some of the tube qualities that I like- rich tones, ripe bass, airy top end.
Right now Im experimenting with using the Sony to record. Ive tried two methods so far to check for SQ.
1. Recording right out of the Chinook Phono Pre with an IC having 2 RCA terminations on one end and 1/8’ term on other end.
2. Allowing the signal to run into the Calypso PreAmp, then recording out of the "Tape Out"
--> The 1/8" end plugs into the Sony. Records in 2.8 DSD and 24/192 and its derivatives
The 2 RCA- 1/8" IC was made by Belkin. It is good, but not up to par with the VPI and Chinook.
So I decided to buy the Nordost Heimdall 2 likable IC in the same configuration.
It was a ridiculous price, but it appears head and shoulders above the competition.
Any suggestions so far?
Last, Im looking for an audio editing App mainly to cut up the songs, add track marks and song names, maybe take some distortion out if I can, If it is relatively easy to correct.
E.g. the SQ from my 2 different recording methods above are slightly different.
There is actually more "vinyl hiss distortion" when recording out of the Chinook than the Calypso.
But recording out of the Calypso covers up the hiss with a sound that is tube-like,
but not always better than recording right out of the Chinook. Following me??? LOL>
Ok, thanks for your input!
Showing 19 responses by 1graber2
Thx john - I like your use of the sound card, I’ve read of them out there, just never used. -i have a Mac laptop i will check out the Adobe Audition software. But what exactly are you doing on your comp as the disc spins?? Taking out pops? Normalizing volume? Changing gain? You said you’d edit one side while the other side is playing.... |
@tkr - good point but I was under the impression that it wouldn’t take 2x the time. I thought editing would be more fluid and automatic, and not having to watch the EAP-time (frequency) graphs as the vinyl spins, but rather, editing in the digital realm after both sides have played. But perhaps it depends on the tools used and workflow. E.g., I started watching the Pure Vinyl intro vids online, they make it look so easy. TKR- what tools do you use? What is your workflow? |
Thx @taxdevl I think you are right about the quality issue And yes, the Sweeteater is over my budget unfortunately ... Buying replacement cd’s and or buying downloads is becoming more attractive sounding, but Im still dedicated to recording the vinyl, but maybe not 300 discs now, maybe the top 150-200, will have to prioritize them .... |
Thx @glupson and @tkr Memory shouldn't be a problem, I have lots of memory on my Mac, and I can also offload onto ext. drives Wow, that Metric Halo looks stellar, high quality at all the right parts- -inputs, power supplies, filters, ULN: ultra low noise, options to add "gooey tube" sounds digitally if wanted . The only thing holding me back is the price, using it for 2 months, then having to sell for a substantial loss before I leave the US. -I also find it interesting that the Metric Halo is used with Audacity rather than Pure Vinyl, which would auto-populate all the song titles and metadata, rather than the time and effort of inputting this manually. - I guess Im looking for great ADC sound, but also ease of function and workflow. - Right now Im experimenting with 3 different NOS quads of tubes in my Chinook Phono Pre: 60s Siemens 12AT7 variant with low noise and some tube warmth and relatively higher gain than the other 2 NOS quads of Amperex 60s 6922s- an all-around great tube, but lower gain than say the Siemens or an Amperex 7308. Last quad is a 60s Tungsram 7DJ8. Im recording both an old album with a poor recording that has been remastered- Dylan- the Basement Tapes, and a modern band with a clean, modern recording - Air, Moon Safari. -im recording these combinations right out of the Chinook into the Sony PCM, and also out thru the Chinook through the Calypso tubed preamp. When Im done, will compare them all. Ive also got the Nordost Heimdall coming (2 RCA terms to one 1/8" termination). Im spending the rest of the afternoon bringing myself more up to date with potential recording software: Adobe Audition, Audacity, Pure Vinyl GarageBand- LOL, IM a lil out of touch, Garageband is only for mobile iOS platforms now, not laptops. |
I should’ve done this earlier, but just FYI, here is the Sony PCM I might use for its ADC. Sony Pics below "This lightweight, yet rugged high-resolution recorder features two-position (X-Y or Wide) stereo microphones, 32GB of internal flash memory and a SD-XC Card slot. Recording formats include linear PCM (at 192, 176.4, 96, 88.2, 48, and 44.1kHz), DSD (2.8224 MHz) and MP3 (320 and128 kbps). It also boasts a long battery life.
Pics of the Sony: just click on links https://www.sony.com/en-qa/electronics/voice-recorders/pcm-d100 |
... and FWIW, i plan on running the digi files through my Astell n Kern DAP/Digital Audio Player then either into my headphones or an active speaker. Here is is the link for the DAP if anyone is interested. https://www.astellnkern.com/eng/content/shop/features.asp?mcg=CG110000&mpos=0&scg=CG210240&a... |
@lp2cd Interesting to hear that most people just buy CDs, when buying and listening to vinyl - the whole point was to NOT have to listen to the quirks and just plain bad recordings on CDs with the loudness wars, etc. I have a lot of 70s albums- first pressings. IOWs, its the gold standard of recording: straight from the original tape to vinyl. And what of my 45 LPM MOFI collection? There are no suitable CD replacements, not even close, not even the SACDs put out by the same producer- MoFi get close to the detail and balance of the 45 12" albums. But I hear what you are suggesting, and that is what I asked for, suggestions. At this point, I still want to transpose some vinyl, but otherwiseI can use CDs, downloads, or Tidal will fill in the music from selling the LPs. Don't get me wrong, I love the big artwork of the vinyl as well, but I don't have storage here, and I don't know when I will return to the states. Thats why- @tkr - the Metric Halo will not work for me. But I agree, its an awesome piece of kit, and if I was landlocked in the states, I would seriously be considering it. And- @lastdayperfectmusic - "mud walls are an excellent sound absorbent"- LOL, but only if it is audiophile mud!!!! |
Cool, thx @peter_s Ive always found the Benchmark stuff to be really neutral and clean, but the Ayre has a more sublime sound, the nuances and overall balance and musicality being strong points. Can someone help me with this ???? So Im doing practice recordings from vinyl onto the Sony PCM D100 ADC portable recorder, and Im not a musician or sound guy. I want to know the best gain setting to record my vinyl digitalization and for recording in general. Ive read on the web, to use -12dB as a guide. That is also what the Sony manual says. But Ive also seen recs to record up to -6dB. So what is the difference in SQ in recording up to -6dB versus -12dB?? What parameters should I use?? [There is a graphic display on the Sony that I can use to guide the gain setting- here is a link to see the Sony -dB scale: https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/s/sony-pcm-d100-03-front-panel-WYj1nMbo2dATSkIPkpA3feOSXzZFh0YV.jpg Different albums/ CDs have different gain as well, so that is another factor. Ive made some test recordings of -12dB and up to -6dB, sometimes a difference in SQ, sometimes not. I understand that the -6/-12dB choice partially depends on the actual recording, as most things do in audio, but what about specifically for vinyl? or in general? |
@tellefsen will check out vinyl studio, thank you, and for the other info- helps me gauge my time, which Im running out of. Recently: I received the Nordost Heimdall double RCA to 1/8" terminator yesterday. Burning it in. This was part of the main plan before I even posted this forum topic. To run a double RCA from the preAmp into the Sony PCM D100 for ADC and recording onto a Mem stick. The Heimdall was expensive, but I can resell it in a couple months without too big a loss $$ (there were none on the used market). But the Heimdall cable seems to be head and shoulders above the others in terms of SQ and without going over $500 for a cable. In a quick test, it sounded much much better than the Belkin. I haven't been impressed with the Sony ADC until now. It just needed better cohorts to increase SQ. I was getting too much "hum/low level distortion" when waiting for the needle to drop. the distortion appears to be constant, eg it doesn't go away after the needle drops. So I reduced the gain in the Chinook tubed phonoAmp from 65 to 60, and reduced the gain in the Calypso tubed PreAmp from 29 toto 22. Made an obvious difference, but not substantial. Eg. I can still here the hum, made I have some RFI or something. Ive cleaned up my electricity as much as possible. I live off-grid, so Im using an "audiophile" :) gas generator for power (rolls eyes) running into the cabin in an open circuit. - To mitigate this, Ive got a Richard Gray Power Co/RGPC Pole Pig, a RGPC 400 Pro conditioner, and a Shunyata Hydra 2. When I daisy-chained these 3 components together, it was overload from my audio gear, even tho Im using low-power Class D DAC and amps. So I removed the Hydra, and it sounded better. But it looks like I should do more tests. Oh, the challenges continue |