tips for converting vinyl collection to ditigal

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PLB
Posts: 120
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2005 5:20 am
Location: Salt Lake City

tips for converting vinyl collection to ditigal

Post by PLB » Thu Nov 17, 2005 8:26 pm

I'm ready to start converting my vinyl and I was wondering if anyone has some tips for good results.

my gear:
ECLER SMAC PRO 30 using the balanced outs
Audiophile 192
Numark T 200's

I know the 200's have some serious wobble, is there any way to minimize this with some kind of maintenance?

I was planning on recording everything in 24 bit then converting to 320kbps mp3. Is this a bad idea for any reason, for instance if i convert any of the tracks back to .wav to play in club cd decks?

dirtystudios
Posts: 1196
Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2002 1:28 am

Post by dirtystudios » Thu Nov 17, 2005 8:52 pm

My experience says definitely record at the higher bit and sample rate, especially for vinyl. You'll lose fidelity when you convert to mp3, but the original files will sound much, much better.

Also, make sure you get that meter as close to the red as you can without going over to ensure that you make use of all 24bits.

k

PLB
Posts: 120
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2005 5:20 am
Location: Salt Lake City

Post by PLB » Thu Nov 17, 2005 9:40 pm

so i guess there's no reason not to max everything out at 192hz and 32 bit before converting to mp3 it to get the most from it?

or maybe i should be asking what IEEE float is all about (for 64 or 32 bit)... i'm searching on google right now for more info...

TheFunkyBunch
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Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 1:50 am

Re: tips for converting vinyl collection to ditigal

Post by TheFunkyBunch » Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:13 pm

Hey all digging up this old post because the subject matches my question.

What's the best method to record multiple records in one session?

Currently I record in Session view adding each song to a new clip. The only problem with this is where the audio is being saved and how Ableton names the files. These recordings are eventually going to be added to my tracks folder for DJ sets. I'm having a hard time finding the shortest line from recording to having the file named properly and in the right folder.

Right now the two options I see are, transferring each clip or song to arrange view and exporting from there one by one.

Or renaming the files way down in the > samples > recorded folder, then moving the files to my Tracks folder, and hotswapping the missing files once I re-open the project.

Thanks in advance!

BassTooth
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Re: tips for converting vinyl collection to ditigal

Post by BassTooth » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:04 pm

IMO rip vinyl's to FLAC format instead of MP3

for some reason FLAC just sounds a little better.

cotdagoo
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Re: tips for converting vinyl collection to ditigal

Post by cotdagoo » Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:42 am

BassTooth wrote:IMO rip vinyl's to FLAC format instead of MP3

for some reason FLAC just sounds a little better.
well for starters mp3 is a compressed & lossy format, whereas FLAC compresses but without any loss of quality.

flac is pretty much wav quality, with 50-60% less size. flac playback is a little more cpu intensive than wav though.

mrideas
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:09 am

Re: tips for converting vinyl collection to ditigal

Post by mrideas » Mon Jan 18, 2010 1:40 am

I'd not go to all the trouble to record to disk your vinyl, and then save the master as MP3, that would be such a waste.

Not to enter an mp3 quality debate, but even 320kps doesn't sound quite as good on a big club system or HIFI as the original vinyl or a ripped WAV. I buy all my dj tunes as WAV downloads, just to make sure i get as good a quality as i can.

Sure rip another copy as MP3, but keep a dvd master of all your LP rips as either WAV or FLAC at the very least in CD quality bitrate.

with storage becoming so cheap and capacities increasing, and internet bandwidth increasing, I also see WAV and other lossless formats becoming more popular again too.

TheFunkyBunch
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Re: tips for converting vinyl collection to ditigal

Post by TheFunkyBunch » Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:18 am

My question is about file management.

Lets say I come home from the vinyl store with a bunch of great finds. I want to record 10-15 tracks in one session (I'm recording Wavs). Once these tracks are recorded I've got to re-name each one and sort into the proper folder. I'm trying to find the best system of re-naming and sorting the wavs.

mrideas
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:09 am

Re: tips for converting vinyl collection to ditigal

Post by mrideas » Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:42 am

TheFunkyBunch wrote:My question is about file management.
Use Audacity to record, split, normalize, and then name and save each track.

And while you're at it, key&bpm them all either by ear, or use Mixed in Key.

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