digitizing records 101

tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
edited April 2011 in Strut Central
ok, my apologies for the technologically primitive query...

what is the simplest, most trustworthy way to digitize vinyl?
i got two technics, vestax mixer, a receiver and a new laptop.
do i need programs? do i need to go to radio shack?
i'm ready to vault out of the stone ages.

  Comments



  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    thanks man! looks like i got some reading to do. i'll get on it tonight

  • Plug in all your shit normally. Take the mixer output and plug it into the "Aux" input of your receiver. Play your decks and it should sound good through cans or speakers. Take a cable from the "tape out" or "record out" of the receiver into the audio input of your laptop. Done. Hooked up and in.

    Now you need audio recording software like Garage Band, or free stuff like this here :
    http://www.macmusic.org/software/view.php/lang/en/id/316/Final-Vinyl

    This will capture your audio (digitize it) as you start and stop the software.. You'll have to cut up the sides with the software to make individual songs, or keep side-long files as one track. In some programs like Garage Band you can easily add compression, reverb, bass, treble etc. and chop the shit out of the track any which way.

    Hope this boils it down.

  • what it says above me, but i've found the simplest program to use is audacity, and its free. I've showed everyone from ex girlfriends to aunts how to use it, its verrrrry user friendly and sounds great for me.

  • the_dLthe_dL 1,531 Posts
    1. Make sure you out puts are all set to around 7out of 10 so you get a full sound with out any clipping
    2. If you have it or can get a "demo" copy of Logic Pro I would suggest using that as you have some great options when bouncing down ie tags, bit rate and it will dump bounces directly into itunes.
    3. Do not under estimate how important said tags are, my preference at the moment is to bounce everything at 320bit mp3, tha way it is as close to wav as you need, but you can still track all your songs very easily (if you tag them)

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    The professional DJs I know have shifted to lossless instead of 320 MP3s.
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