Vinyl to Digital Transfer- The aabottom method

I completed my first Vinyl to Digital Transfer today. For my first vinyl to wav to CD transfer, I picked Emerson, Lake & Palmer (Cotillion SD 9040), an LP that’s been in storage for 13 years.

For vinyl LP recording, I use a Dell Optiplex GX400 running Win2K with the OEM sound card. Audacity 1.3 Beta creates a wav file on the hard drive. Then Winamp 5.572 burns the wav file to CD-R.

Now I can play the wav file on my PC/ Winamp music server or the CD-R on any CD-R compatible CD player. The wav files on the hard drive is 838 MiB for about 41:22 min:sec of music. The CD-R works in my Sharp DX-650 CP player.

I’m not sure I can tell the difference between the vinyl, the wav file, or the CD. I suspect I have some more tweaking to do. Such as setting the Input Volume (in Audacity) to avoid clipping.

A summary of the audio signal path follows.

1. The Phillips GA312/ Stanton 681 EEE (turntable/ cartridge) with OEM RCA phono cables inputs to the phono input of the Yamaha RX-797 (receiver). The Yamaha RX-797 is set to PURE DIRECT mode.

2. From the RX-797 MD/TAPE OUT, a 6 feet RadioShack audio y-cable (dual RCA phono male to 1/8” stereo male, gold plated) sends the analog signal to the LINE IN of the OEM sound card (Analog Devices Inc., model SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio) in the Dell Optiplex GX400.

3. The software used is Audacity 1.3 Beta set to record at 88.2 KHz, 32-bit float. Other settings are Rate Converter: High Quality Sinc Interpolation; Dither: Shaped.

4. Then, Winamp 5.572 burns the wav file to CD-R on a MAD DOG 16XDVD9A4 DVD/CD reader/writer installed in the Dell Optiplex GX400.

Vinyl to digital path
_____________________________Analog____________________________
Phillips GA312/ Stanton 681 EEE/ = OEM RCA analog cables =>> |
Yamaha RX-797 receiver --------------------------PHONO IN << |
Yamaha RX-797 receiver ----------------------MD/ TAPE OUT >> |
SoundMAX LINE IN <<=1/8”stereo === 6ft === RCA phono =<< |
_____________________________Digital___________________________
Dell Optiplex GX400 (Windows 2000)
Analog Devices Inc./SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio << LINE IN
Audacity 1.3 Beta -> Internal hard drive
| | Rate: 88200 Hz; Format: 32-bit float;
| | Rate Converter: High Quality Sinc Interpolation;
| | Dither: Shaped
Winamp 5.572 / CD burn ->
MAD DOG 16XDVD9A4 DVD/CD reader/writer -> CD-R blank

References
[1] best Vinyl to Digital tranfer

[2] http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=270075
post #31 by rkay5 on 20091222 1128

Congrats on your successful first transfer. That you're hard pressed to tell the difference between vinyl, WAV, and CD-R indicates you've done an excellent job!

Now playing Chicago Transit Authority- Vinyl Ripped...

... on my $9.98 * PC music server. All four sides. It sounds fantastic. We got Peter Cetera :guitar: on bass and vocals (LISTEN- Side 2).

This is music I haven't heard since I mothballed my Philips GA312 13 years ago. Now I can play it all night long at the flick of mouse.

* Had to buy another RCA phono to 1/8" stereo patch cord at Rat Shack.

PS: Snap, Crackle, & Pop sound exceptionally faithful through the 88.2 KHz, 24 bit wav file.

Hmmm, this feels familiar. BTW, Peter Cetera is the man who will fight for your honour.

Congrats!
The Philips 312 was my first audiophile TT that I bought new sometime in the late 1970s. I 'lost' that one in a breakup with a GF many, many years ago and I still miss it!

poppachubby said:

... BTW, Peter Cetera is the man who will fight for your honour.

Click to expand...

I just read the Wiki on Cetera. Do you mean the ballpark brawl (Cubs VS Dodgers)?

Great avatar there mate - I still drool over that album cover...

...sorry to digress

draconus said:

Great avatar there mate - I still drool over that album cover...

...sorry to digress

Click to expand...

ms nicks that is

I think you also need to consider breaking the single ~40min wav file into tracks so that you can utilize CDs seek function.

The onboard sound chip is, by far, the weakest link in your chain. It's probably even clocked at 44.1 or 48 kHz despite you recording at 96 or 88.2 or eleventy billion kHz.

I would work on replacing it with something that gives you control over the sampling rate -- my personal favourite is the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude/Forte/whatever model they're on today. In Audio Creation mode, you can make sure you're getting the results you need.

Carry on carrying on!

aabottom said:

I just read the Wiki on Cetera. Do you mean the ballpark brawl (Cubs VS Dodgers)?

Click to expand...

No, The Karate Kid 2 theme song. You don't recall? Not one of Cetera's most artistic moments.

SaSi said:

I think you also need to consider breaking the single ~40min wav file into tracks so that you can utilize CDs seek function.

Click to expand...

I've been doing "sides". I enjoy the experience of litening to entire album sides on my MP3 player.

To the OP, I've been doing exactly the same thing as you, but an SL-1200 -> Ortofon Arkiv -> Audacity. Works perfectly, but I'm thinking about getting a better soundcard. Currently using a Soundmax, OEM.

draconus said:

Great avatar there mate - I still drool over that album cover...

...sorry to digress

Click to expand...

You should see my 30 year old pile of drool.

SaSi said:

I think you also need to consider breaking the single ~40min wav file into tracks so that you can utilize CDs seek function.

Click to expand...

Thanks, but I never listen to just one track on a album. I do the whole thing every time. Plus, I dread the thought of splitting the tracks on 1181 albums.

Clmrt said:

I've been doing "sides". I enjoy the experience of litening to entire album sides on my MP3 player.

To the OP, I've been doing exactly the same thing as you, but an SL-1200 -> Ortofon Arkiv -> Audacity. Works perfectly, but I'm thinking about getting a better soundcard. Currently using a Soundmax, OEM.

Click to expand...

I'm with Clmrt.

poppachubby said:

No, The Karate Kid 2 theme song. You don't recall? Not one of Cetera's most artistic moments.

Click to expand...

Thanks papaC. I've never seen KK or KK2. I'm not much of video man.

Guess I'll have to Wiki that too.

Millstone said:

The onboard sound chip is, by far, the weakest link in your chain. It's probably even clocked at 44.1 or 48 kHz despite you recording at 96 or 88.2 or eleventy billion kHz.

Click to expand...

Yes, I'm beginning to realize this.

The Dell website says the GX400 OEM audio is Analog Devices AD1885 Integrated Audio. The Analog Devices website says it has, "Full Duplex Variable Sample Rates from 7040 Hz to 48 kHz with 1 Hz Resolution". I peeked in the PC box, but the audio card is hidden behind the fan. I can't see the model number without taking things apart.

But, when I have Audacity save to 88.2 KHz, 24 bit wav files, they come out big enough in files size to have that many bits.

Is the soundcard/ Audacity just padding the wav files with redundant bits? :scratch2:

Millstone said:

I would work on replacing it with something that gives you control over the sampling rate -- my personal favourite is the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude/Forte/whatever model they're on today. In Audio Creation mode, you can make sure you're getting the results you need.

Carry on carrying on!

Click to expand...

This is the kind of help I need right now. Right now I'm in R&D mode.

Should I get an extenal or internal Analog to Digital Converter (ADC)? :scratch2:
What kind of cables- USB, optical, digital coax?
And other questions still in formulation.

The audio industry seems ripe with DACs but sparse on ADCs. I'm currently spec'ing out the IDEAL PHONO PREAMP with

1. Phono preamp better than in my Yamaha RX-797
2. Internal ADC with user selectable sample rate 7 KHz to 96 KHz in 1 HZ increments, and 16, 24, and/or 32 bit dynamic range.
3. Slots for CompactFlash (CF), Secure Digital (SD) non-volatile memory card formats, or USB Flash maybe.
4. Some Computer control-interface (USB is OK) that can be disconnected when recording.
5. Headphone amp to monitor the recording.
6. PLAY, STOP, RECORD buttons.
7. Internal rechargable batteries.
8. Other required items that should be included- Level meters perhaps, Dolby NR, analog filters, digital filters, LINE out, etc.

With this setup, you could rip vinyl to digital and the only thing plugged in to AC is the turntable.

As far as I know, this currently DOES NOT exist.

The PC is about 7-9 years old. It's what I have on hand to build a music server. I'll likely acquire a new sound card or external A/D converter such as the the M-Audio Transit. My issue with the M-Audio Transitis is- it will not do 88.2 KHz, as far as I can tell from the specs.

Thanks for your input. I'll check out the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude/Forte/whatever. :thmbsp:

Given the age & operating system of your music server, you might be able to pick up a decent PCI card at auction. I keep an old XP system running just to host my Terratec DMX 6Fire; audio quality is excellent, and the front panel phono input is convenient. I've also gotten reasonable results with an M-Audio Revolution 7.1

aabottom,
To recorded true 24bit 88.2KHz files you must have a sound card that that has a 24bit 88.2Khz or higher ADC.I just got a E-MU Tracker pre/USB Audio Interface for $129 on ebay it has 24Bit 192KHz ADC/DAC S/N 112 and it sounds great!! I record with Audacity 1.3.11 Beta at 32Bit Float 88.2KHz and true rate of 88.2KHz seen in the bottom right corner of Audacity. If you want true high rate recording look into the E-MU USB audio interfaces.

If you decide to go with USB, you will probably need to add a USB 2.0 hi-speed interface to your PC. The USB 1.1 ports on the Dell are only good for 12Mbps; and 2 channels of 88.2kHz 24bit data plus protocol overhead will be pushing it.

OP, when I was doing a few rough needledrops I had a Yamaha RX-397's tape out into the Prelude and recorded at 24/96 using Cool Edit Pro.

I've since upgraded to a Yamaha A-S700 and have realized the shortcomings of the RX-397's phono stage. I'm not sure if the 797 uses the same one.

Audacity will add 0s if the bit depth is higher than what it is receiving from the sound card, and will probably dither/interpolate a bit if the recording sample rate is higher than what it is receiving from the sound card. This is probably colouring the sound somewhat and giving you pleasing results, much like how MP3s can sound warmer than CD, just less accurate.

As for your IDEAL PHONO PREAMP, good luck.