Record Vinyl

[borgward]

What hardware do I need to record from Turntable to my laptop? I connected turntable to phono pre-amp to mic input on the laptop. Had too much gain.

How about software?

Mint 18.0 64bit. I am using Pulse Volume Control, Gnome Alsa Mixer, and Audio Recorder.

[redlined]

hi borgward,

I haven't attempted such since mid-2000s, and from windows at the time, with lackluster scratchy/hissy-filled results.. but do recall I used Audacity back then. and turns out the top hit in search article is from same timeframe
https://www.linux.com/news/vinyl-audacity-mp3

(see also results from favorite search engine for 'vinyl to mp3 on linux' or similar terms)

[rene]

As to hardware you want a (USB) sound card with line input; many are available, both consumer grade and semi-pro, latter used often by musicians. Unfortunately, quality and therefore price is not irrelevant. For software I'd indeed also suggest Audacity: https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/sam ... ation.html

[ajgreeny]

I have a suspicion that you will have to connect the turntable to an amplifier first then use the amp output as "line in" input to your laptop, but this is not something I've tried.
I am in the lucky position of having bought (many years ago) an audio CD recorder which I use with turntable and amp to record my vinyl LPs first to CD then to flac files by ripping the CDs.

Convoluted but it works brilliantly.

See if this Ubuntuforum thread is any help to you; it may give you some clues about where to start experimenting.
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2366930

[AndyMH]

Software - I'd use audacity, hardware - I've had this on my hit list for some time but haven't got around to buying:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002GHBYZ0/ ... _lig_dp_it

[rene]

Perfect. But if you're the type, it seems you may also want to look at https://www.whathifi.com/rega/fono-mini-a2d/review. Compares to https://www.whathifi.com/behringer/u-ph ... 202/review

[AndyMH]

Interesting, fono mini added to list

[absque fenestris]

https://www.pro-ject-shop.de/essential3 ... al&lang=de
https://www.pro-ject-shop.de/usbboxsp.p ... ac&lang=de

Yes, yes Amazon and Behringer are unbeatable cheap.
Maybe the last surviving music shop near you will be happy about a paying customer...

[AndyMH]

last surviving music shop near you

is probably 25 miles away

[lsemmens]

rene is on the money with the line in quote and Audacity has many tools for improving the sound at the other end of the process. I've done it with some cassettes that I possess but have yet to process my records.

[absque fenestris]

last surviving music shop near you

is probably 25 miles away

That's a reason, of course. 25 miles on foot on bad roads, in inhospitable terrain, threatened by robbers is an imposition.
Fortunately there's Amazon - and poor Jeff can always use a small subsidy...

[Hoser Rob]

Try the Behringer UCA222, it's under $50 and their stuff is actually pretty well engineered.

[Flemur]

Don't get tricked into wasting a bunch of money on the A/D converter, any half-way modern low-end converter has higher quality than vinyl recordings or your ears. Look for linux compatibility, features and build quality.

This kind of stuff is pure nonsense, they all sound the same:

"Musically excellent, with fine organisation, timing and dynamics
Enough space and detail to belie the price"

[rene]

This kind of stuff is pure nonsense, they all sound the same:

Even if that were true of A/D converters (which it isn't: even same-specced A/D converters convert whichever noisy signal they're fed) you are missing the fact that the comment you are quoting concerns a phono preamp in the first place -- and most definitively those don't sound "all the same".

I.e., to OP, do feel free to ignore Flemur's comment. The trouble with discussions involving audio is that there's always someone aiming to snipe perceived "audiophile" comments but this while, as far as possible, generally having even less of a clue than the average audiophile.

[Flemur]

This kind of stuff is pure nonsense, they all sound the same:

Even if that were true of A/D converters (which it isn't: even same-specced A/D converters convert whichever noisy signal they're fed)

Descriptions of the sound of audio equipment are always nonsense unless they do ABX or blind testing, which they rarely do...because almost everything except speakers and headphones sounds the same, a fact which advertisers of expensive equipment do not like.

E.g.:
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital ... oever.html
"Started with a 30$ unit (Fiio) against a 3000$ one (Forssell) and once SPL-matched (massive gain difference), no one could tell the difference in a ABX test."

E.g.
https://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html
People could not recognize an extraneous A/D/A loop in the audio.

DAC
you are missing the fact that the comment you are quoting concerns a phono preamp in the first place -- and most definitively those don't sound "all the same".

Perhaps you could support your claim by providing a link to blind listening tests, or better yet, ABX tests, showing that they actually sound different. TIA!

I.e., to OP, do feel free to ignore Flemur's comment. The trouble with discussions involving audio is that there's always someone aiming to snipe perceived "audiophile" comments but this while, as far as possible, generally having even less of a clue than the average audiophile.

You're a poet, not an engineer.

[Flemur]

I connected turntable to phono pre-amp to mic input on the laptop.

If you have a stereo with turntable preamp and line-out, you don't need any special equipment:

Turntable -> phono-preamp (in regular stereo amp/preamp) -> stereo's line out -> computer line in (not mic) -> recoding software.

[absque fenestris]

It is also a question how many LP's should be digitized?
After all, this happens in real time... 1 LP has about 45 minutes.
So - is it about 10, 100 or more records?
For 10 LP's, I would also buy the Behringer part.

[absque fenestris]

I connected turntable to phono pre-amp to mic input on the laptop.

If you have a stereo with turntable preamp and line-out, you don't need any special equipment:

Turntable -> phono-preamp (in regular stereo amp/preamp) -> stereo's line out -> computer line in (not mic) -> recoding software.

If the audio part in the laptop is a crap, it sounds digital even after a crap.

[borgward]

you don't need any special equipment:

Turntable -> phono-preamp (in regular stereo amp/preamp) -> stereo's line out -> computer line in (not mic) -> recoding software.

I do not have a "line in" on my laptop

I did Turntable -> phono-preamp (in regular stereo amp/preamp) -> stereo's line out -> mic in. I suppose that's the problem. mic in instead of line in.

[borgward]

I recorded from turntable to GE 23292 phono pre-amp to "3D Sound" USB stick using Audio Recorder (not to be confused w/Sound Recorder) The sound was a bit distorted on the high end. Didn't expect much. I suspect USB stick can not handle the pre-amp. I used the GE pre-amp on my Heathkit AR15 Receiver as it was better than the Heathkit's preamp, so I do not think it is the problem.

I also ran from the pre-amp to a pair of Yamaha MSP5 Studio Monitors and the sound was really great. I will try recording with Audacity next. I will move up to the Behringer UCA222 if I still get the distortion.

We use Audio Recorder for practice sessions and performances (for a reality check). The Dell Laptops internal mics do an amazing job, everything considered.