Digitizing vinyl records
One of the employees at a local Apple Store said that GarageBand was all I needed to get my vinyl LPs into iTunes, whereas prior posts to this discussion have recommended Boombox. Forgive my wordiness, but in the interest of being thorough:
1) I am using my mini-disc machine as the analog-digital converter. The mini-disc receives the signal from my turntable through my stereo component amplifier. I put the mini-disc in the record/pause mode, and ran a line-out (RCA to mini) into my PowerBook G4.
2) I went to System Preferences (Apple icon), Sound, and chose Line In. The meter showed a strong signal, indicating that the audio from my turntable and (through the mini-disc) was being received. However, no audio came through my laptop speakers. Why?
3) I then went into GarageBand, chose Preferences and Audio/MIDI, but no device other than Built-in Audio shows up in Audio Input. Does this mean that GarageBand is not recognizing the RCA to mini cable plugged into my audio-in port on the Mac?
4) Or is Boombox (at $50.00) simply the best way to digitize analog audio (LPs, cassette tape, mini-disc) and get my collection into my iPod for truly portable access to my recordings?
Just caught this thread and I'll relay my brief experience:
I'm using GB vs. CD SD2 for sound capture. GB was much easier for me to get up an running and for fine tuning.
Here's how I set it up:
-Connect my record player to my pre-amp(or receiver, if that's what you are using)
-Connect my Pre-amp(or receiver) to my computer line in. This plug has RCA's on one end a a single plug on the other. On my pre-amp I use the RCA outs from Tape-Rec(vs. playback)
In GB:
- Create a new track with no effects
- Select built-in line in(vs iSight etc)
- Select Monitor 'On'
-Start Playing a record and you should hear it played on your computer speakers
-Set your record levels so that the meters(in the right corner) don't keep going into the red/yellow
-click the 'Red Circle' to start recording
-Once complete I converted directly to iTunes(GB->File->Export to iTunes)
Comments:
-Easy and works fast.
-So far, I have recorded single tracks from Albums or entire sides as 1 track(classical). I think when I start converting albums with many tracks that I may have to use CD Spin Dr. to break up the selections.
-I experimented with CD SD 2 after converting to iTunes...and removing hissing.crackling, etc is tricky as it also removes the some of the 'expansiveness' of the music. You can compensate by then using the other gizmo's to adjust... I'll have to play around more with this feature in the future.
Hope this helps,
Nik
Similar Messages
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How to transfer a vinyl recording to a digital file on an iMac?
I have an analog output turntable and many vinyl records that I would like to get into digital form.
Two questions one what year iMac and two what kind of analog output from the turntable, line or phono?
The latest Macs do not have an audio input so you will need to use an analog to USB interface. If the iMac is older and you have an audio input jack you cam connect to that.
Now the big question is the type of output from the turntable, If it is a line level output you can connect this right to the input (either iMac jack or USB converter) if the output from the turntable is phono then you will need a phono pre-amp to boost the signal and equalize it. Look in the owners manual or search on-line to find this out.
Once you have your turntable hooked up to the iMAc you sillneed recording software. I like the Audacity: Free Audio Editor and Recorder.
Once you have all this you]re set to go. You can take the files generated by Audacity and import them into iTunes for storage and playback.
regards -
Can MacBook Pro Retina be used to convert vinyl records to digital files?
Can MacBook Pro Retina be used to convert vinyl records to digital files?
As the retina model doesn't have a line-in port, you'll also need a USB input device.
Griffin's iMic is a Mac stalwart. However, they don't list Lion or ML in the compatibility list, so some further research may be necessary.
If that's OK, their Final Vinyl software is free.
There are other analogue-to-digital converters, though most if not all are more expensive, and the excellent (free) Audacity software will also help with the import and any editing. It exports to a good selection of audio file types too. -
Recording/Copying vinyl records to a MacBookPro to CD
Being new to Mac and iTunes, is there a recommended method to copy older vinyl records to CD via my MacBook Pro? Is there a device that plugs into a turntable or tuner that converts the signal to digital that can then be copied to a CD?
I would appreciate any help and suggestions.
WMI purchased an Ion usb turntable from Costco that comes with IZ vinyl converter/and Audacity. So far it works except I have not been able to hear the file once I play it from the iTunes library. The process was pretty easy and the price was $125 for the turntable which came with the conversion software belt drive turntable , and stylus. Any help as to why the files to do not have audio would help.
Joe -
Need advice in importing analog vinyl records
My wife has asked me to try to import a couple of her childhood Christmas albums into iTunes (so we can burn CDs). I have reasonably computer and audio savvy, but I can't seem to get a foothold to figure out how to approach this. I have read all posts here twice. I so far have not been able to record any audio on my computer..so first issue is not quality but just basic input.
Here is my background. I have an old turntable (with red and white RCA outputs). I don't have a pre-amp, but do have newer receiver with most all ouputs. For software, I have Garageband, Roxio Toast 5 (for OS 9), and Audacity. None of these have decent enough "help" functions, although I have read each several times.
I think my core issue might be wires, but not sure. I have tons of wires, including
1) DAC100 Analog to Digital Video adapter, which works well with videos..but I can't find manual to help see if it can work with audio
2) "Y adapter". One side has female RCAs of Y, R, and W. Other side has Yellow (video) and Black (audio) plug. This seems to plug into the computer OK. (I think this should work as well as imic)
Can someone point me to a good detailed instruction of how to get this to work? This should not be that hard.
Thanks!! DavidA new receiver very often does not have the correct pre-amp for old turntables.
Did you verify this?
If your amplifier/receiver does not have a special connection for turntables, the audio might have lack of low frequencies.
This Wiki tells you more about the necessary RIAA equalization:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA_equalization
If your amplifier/receiver is OK for the job, the cable you described should work.
Select the input in System Preferences>Sound, fire up Audacity and you're ready to record.
Sounds simple, but you might encounter several problems.
Audacity isn't my first choice. It's a good fairly good sound editor, but lacks easy settings for recording an entire LP and splitting it in tracks.
My iMac doesn't have an audio input, so I've used an iMic to digitize my vinyl records. The accompanying software (Final Vinyl) makes it a lot easier (even has a setting for RIAA correction). I didn't use it though.
I used my old amplifier as the source for the iMic and used CD Spin Doctor (part of Toast 6 and 7) to record the LPs and split them into the correct tracks.
Unfortunately, there is no standard 'recipe'
M
17' iMac 800 MHz, 768 MB RAM, 200 GB HD, DL burner Mac OS X (10.4.8) iTunes 7.0.2 -
How can I get my (vinyl) record music into iTunes Match?
I have a rather large collection of music on CDs, Tapes, and records.
Now that iTunes Match exists I would like to include all of my music into my iTunes library.
There is no easy way (that I know of) to load anything except CDs into iTunes. So for the rest of the library one must either buy all the music again or buy equipment to play the music one time and convert it to a newer format.
My CD collection is mostly loaded and since 99.999% (virtually all) of that music is already in iTunes Match it is not uploaded to iTunes again, but it quickly becomes available to play on all my iTunes Authorized Devices.
With the exception of that 1 in ten thousand songs that I may have that iTunes does not have in the Match library there is no reason to import the music at all - other than to prove I have the actual CD's. (In any case I suppose I could have borrowed them for that anyway.)
However for CDs at least they can be imported - but for tapes and records I know of no direct way.
With something state-of-the-art like iTunes Match and my PC(s), iPhone(s) and iPad, why use stone-age-like means to prove ownership of outside-of-iTunes music?
Why not provide some other information to identify albums owned and have them available in iTunes Match without the 99.999% useless step of loading them?
In fact for most tape music it is no longer playable (to convert) as the rollers in the tape devices deteriorate and they no longer play.
Vinyl records play just fine, just not easily into a PC without purchase of expensive equipment that would be used only for the one-time load (which is really just for proof-of-ownership).
What a ridiculous waste of time, energy and funds for that 1 in 10,000 songs that may not yet exist in the iTunes Match library. Okay, as the music gets older it may even be 2 in 10,000 - but I doubt it.
I remember that each album (and 45 rpm single) has identifying information scratched into it (around the inside of the innermost track) - can that (or something else) suffice as proof of ownership to get the music into iTunes Match?
Please respond with ideas to quickly and easily get already-owned vinyl record music into an iTunes Match library.
I personally do not care if 1 (or 2) out of 10,000 of my songs gets lost because it is not in the iTunes Match library - couldn't be that good in that case anyway.
Thanks!!I too have not figured out how to convert my vinyl collection to iTunes match. Here is what I have tried:
I record my vinyl records onto CD using a Sony RCD-W500C which makes a very high quality recording. I make sure the song lengths are the same as those from the same album at the iTunes store.
Then I import the CD into my iTunes music library. I have to enter the names of the tracks manually because Gracenote cannot identify the names of the songs. I do this while the music is in my iTunes music library and the CD has been ejected from my PC.
Then I try to get the iTunes Match, but it never works. I do, however, get the artwork from iTunes. iTunes then uploads my songs into the iCloud. When I download them back onto my PC and iPhone 4s, I get the identicle recording that I imported onto iTunes. I know this because I can hear the static and crackling of the vinyl. I don't necessarily mind that noise, but I figured if I paid for the iTunes Match I should get the AAC 256 bps music. After all it doesn't cost iTunes anything to give it to me. And there's no way I'm going to purchase all my vinyl records again. I have about 500 albums.
I do buy all my new music from iTunes because I think it is the best system available. I just think it could be so much better if they would let me download the highest quality recording of the music I own from them.
I have also tried the Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio which records my vinyl records into a music file on my PC. But that doesn't get the match either.
THERE HAS TO BE SOMEBODY OUT THERE THAT CAN TELL US WHAT ITUNES MATCH LOOKS AT IN OUR MUSIC UPLOADS THAT DETERMINES WHETHER THEY GIVE US THE MATCH!!!!!!
When you download a CD, there is some information embedded in the CD that iTunes matches. I don't believe there is any information embeded in the vinyl albums, but when I burn them onto a CD-maybe I could add the info onto the CD before trying to match it if I just knew what they looked for.
I would appreciate any help anyone can give me on this. -
About to back up iTunes to XHD. Have old version 10.6.3. Have been afraid to update with 40GB of music. Been digitizing vinyl. In this version, playlists export as m3u, which needs to be converted to MP3-Song by song??? Goal is to also be able to burn MP3 to flash drive and to XHD as usable data.
Help?? What do I do first? Could export as m3u-then figure it out later? Or will this data be unreadable junk in a new version of iTunes?
Does new version 11.whatever., have a provision to make all into MP3? Obviously past applecare contract.
Been looking at forums-not clear what to do.
Is there a simple way to convert/export m3u as MP3 in the newest version of iTunes? Am I asking the right questions???Hi printmistress888,
Welcome to the Support Communities!
The article below may be able to help you with this. Click on the link to see more details and screenshots.
iTunes: Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
iTunes 10 for Mac: Save a copy of your playlists
http://support.apple.com/kb/ph1744
Cheers,
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Recording vinyl records to computer using the Imic
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Crop & Straighten script for vinyl record labels
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I specifically purchased the Soundblaster x-fi HD for vinyl recording to my computer. The problem is as the signal runs through the unit into my computer, i am unable to designate the different special effects available with this unit. I can record the record just fine but I was counting on being able to record vinyl and adding in the effects into the actual recorded file, but no matter what I do, i cannot get this to happen. Is it possible to do this with this particular unit, or if not, can you direct me to something that will? My email address is [email protected] Any info anybody can give me on this is deeply appreciated.
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As far as your question goes: Suppose you are recording track-by-track a song with two parts, an acoustic guitar and vocals, and the acoustic guitar part has an intricate eight-bar solo that needs to be redone. The advantage of using cycle recording and autodrop here is that you could define a cycle region giving you a two-bar intro (say) to the part you need to rerecord and a couple of bars of outro, making it easier to accomplish a musical phrasing. For example, say you're a vocalist trying to record a one-octave scale, and your pitch is off on the "fa-so." With cycle recording and autodrop, you could sing along with the "do-re-mi" and settle your pitch before rerecording the notes you flubbed, whereas (as I understand it) if you're just rerecording the "fa-so" in cycle mode, you won't get the "do-re-mi" as an intro after the first pass and would then just hope that you're nailing the notes you need to rerecord cold.
You can combine cycle recording with autodrop in Midi - why not in audio? It's a desireable feature in both. -
Import folderstructur vinyl records
hi there,
i have just finished turning a pile of old vinyl records into a pile of aif files.
i named the files after the name of the songs preceeded by a three-digit number (per album).
the songs i put into folders named after the albums.
the albums i put into folders named after the artists.
now i want to import this into i-tunes preserving the artist/album/song-structure but i-tunes just imports a big pile of files.
how can i keep the hirachie, i would be very happy if somebody could help...You can't do what you want as the files do not have the MPS Tags in them required by iTunes.
The best thing to do is add each album one at a time and edit the MP£ Tag in iTunes, using the 'Get Info' command in the File Menu.
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