[sclug] Vinyl to digital

[Alex Butcher]

On Tue, 25 Oct 2011, Neil Haughton wrote:
> I wrote:
>> On Sat, 22 Oct 2011, Neil Haughton wrote:
>>
>>  I have a Debian Squeeze box fitted with a soundcard with audio line input,
>>> and all the software toys (Audacity, LAME etc) installed but I have also
>>> been put off using my existing (cheap) soundcard for the A-D function, on
>>> the grounds of audio quality. A-D is probably the critical bit for this
>>> exercise if I want good results.
>>>
>>
>> I'd be surprised if you could tell the difference, unless you were also
>> prepared to spend the time necessary to do a full digital remaster (i.e.
>> manually cleaning up the recording, etc). And even if you were, I'd expect
>> one would get more economic, and better, results by simply buying a
>> professional commercial remaster on CD, SACD, DVD-A or whatever.
>>
>
> Well, the view I take is that the end device can only reproduce the source
> signal it is given, and whatever the deficiencies of my ears (the end device
> in this case) they deserve as good as I can give them. Hence my desire to
> get the best conversion A2D that I can afford.

If the conversion is just for your own purposes, though, why bother doing
better than your own ears can perceive? ;-)

> However, I take your point below about cheap analogue -> USB devices - that
> is one thing I wanted others' opinions on. I'm hoping for someone who has
> actually used them, to let me know what they found. There are also PCI
> devices serving the same function, which will avoid the limitations of USB
> that you suggest.
>
> However given the number of LPs I have, replacing them with CDs would be
> prohibitively expensive, even if they are all available on CD (which they
> aren't).
>
> I imagine professional remastering would be prohibitively expensive, unless
> there is someone who has automated this process to keep the costs down.

No, I meant just buying an off-the-shelf CD/DVD/SACD of the recordings,
which will probably have had some remastering attention if it's in any way a
historic or acclaimed recording.

> What Linux tools could be used for this by myself?  Something that could
> remove scratches and reduce hiss, and perhaps increase the dynamic range
> would do me.  Time is not the issue for me - this is a Winter Project, to
> fill the bleak evenings that approach.

Audacity is probably all you need in terms of software, but I'll warn you
now that it'll chew through the hours. Still, that would seem to be a
positive in your case! :-)

> Perhaps I'll dust off my audio kit and try it directly into my old
> Soundblaster card, to see what the reuslts are like. Then take it from
> there.

That's pretty much what I did when I wanted MP3 copies of a couple of tracks
that I'd lost when an original (out-of-print, and not available to download
either!) CD of mine was damaged on the rim.  I just plugged in a reasonable
Panasonic personal stereo tape player and played a tape I'd made of the CD
when I'd just bought it.  Far from ideal, but perfectly listenable.

My take is that if you're going from a consumer analogue recording (tape,
vinyl etc), the A2D is probably the least of your worries, assuming you get
the levels right.

>> If you're intent on doing this, then you're probably best looking at
>> devices
>> from the likes of M-Audio, RME and so on in order to obtain 24bit/96kHz
>> ADCs.  AFAIK, the fancier models also do the A2D in an outboard box to
>> reduce noise (and improve ergonomics).
>>
>> Hmmm.. yes, well, I've had a look at the RME range and (gulp!) they're
> somewhat beyond my pocket! It would probably be cheaper to buy a good
> quality soundcard (the M-Audio Audiophile 2496 is just about within reach
> for me at $99, although I am slightly troubled by the need for drivers
> (Windows or Mac provided) ).

All sound devices require drivers, but the Linux kernel supplied by most
modern distros probably has drivers built already.

<http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Matrix:Main> combined with some
googling should to tell you what chipset a given USB or PCI sound card uses,
and therefore whether ALSA supports it.

Assuming M-Audio haven't revised the design, it looks like that particular
device has been working well since 2002:

<http://www.google.co.uk/?q=M-Audio+Audiophile+2496+alsa>

Best Regards,
Alex