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Recording from a record player

D

DCypher

Senior member
Ok, so I have a whole bunch of old records from before the 50's. I want to preserve the music so I decided I will record them onto my computer into music files. Now, how would I go about doing this. I have a Creative soundblaster audigy2 zs platinum. Now, should I go out and buy a Live Drive, or is there and adapter, like a rca to miniplug adapter. If so, what is the correct name of the adapter?

The record player has stereo rca plugs (the red and white circle ones).
 
I did this recently by running a cable from the headphone jack on my stereo to the in on my soundcard. Then used windows encoder to capture the audio to wma format.
 
Of course there's an adapter.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe...D=7&Partnumber=090-294

Radio Shack should have them for about $5.

Remember that turntable amps have a special EQ in them, so you have to use a the amp specifically for your turntable -- you can't just plug the line-out into your soundcard.

It's also pretty tough to find a decent turntable these days. You really need to be looking at professional DJ equipment for it to have the torque to play old records without being all wobbley-sounding.
 
what do you mean use the amp specifically for my turntable. How do i find this specific amp?

I have a turntable that plays these records fine, so all i need to do is buy this adapter and plug it into my line in?

If so, where is the amp thing your talking about come into play.
 
It's also pretty tough to find a decent turntable these days. You really need to be looking at professional DJ equipment for it to have the torque to play old records without being all wobbly-sounding.
Click to expand...
What are you talking about? I have had dozens of turntables and stereos way back in the old days (70s) and every one of them played my records the same. What kind of turntables are you finding out there that wobble?

As far as hooking up the turntable to your line-in, I say do it and see what happens. I personally haven't tried uploading songs via a turntable yet but I used a program called Audio Cleaning Lab and a boom box to input cassette tapes to my computer (headphone jack to line-in) and that worked great. That program also has a box with a turntable in it to choose as the input device, so I would guess that if you pick that it would upload the songs just fine.

Good Luck
 
I do this, bought an Y adapter that goes into line in. Sounds fine as long as the record is clean (taking out pops is alot harder than the hiss).
 
If you don't want to go directly from record player to computer, you can record the albums to cassette tape, then use the "headphone out" jack on a boom box to the "line in" on your soundcard and digitally record them that way.

Just another option.
 
Originally posted by: Wolfshanze
If you don't want to go directly from record player to computer, you can record the albums to cassette tape, then use the "headphone out" jack on a boom box to the "line in" on your soundcard and digitally record them that way.

Just another option.
Click to expand...

Blech. Could you maybe pick a couple more lossy analog formats to drag it through? Like maybe you could put the boombox output through a reel-to-reel tape or something? :disgust:

Get the miniplug->RCA adapter.

wrt the whole amplifier thing: some record players (very early ones) did not output a line-level signal, and needed a preamp (and if you used the wrong kind of preamp, it sounded like crap). Most record players produced since, say, the 70s or 80s should give you a line-level signal that you can plug directly into other stereo amplifiers, or the line-in of your computer sound card (or other recording equipment).
 
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