Any interest in transferring your precious LP to CD/DVD/hard drive?

Tyrro · « **on:** 12 Jun 2007, 04:04 pm »

I'll be transferring my own vinyl collection to hard drive and thought I'd post to see if there's any interest among you guys for this service?

I can do either 16-bit/44kHz, 24-bit/96kHz, or even 24-bit/192kHz if you are interested. The master files would be wav files. You can then choose the format you like: wav, flac or mp3 and I convert the master to your desired format. The next step is to select your storage: hard drive, CD, DVD, or even DVD-Audio - it's your choice.

I was thinking like $20 per LP should be fare price, what do you think? Anyway, if you interested PM me.

Thanks.

gooberdude · « **Reply #1 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 04:08 pm »

What associated equipment are you using?? i've been transferringmy own collection off and on a few years and could only get the sound right when using a stand alone HHB 850 burner...then transferring to my HD using EAC. 1x burns on Gold discs designed for 1x sound quite amazing.

i wish i could burn at difft sample rates though, that'd be quite cool

Tyrro · « **Reply #2 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 04:21 pm »

I'll be using my Nottingham Analogue Interspace w/ Shelter 501 cartridge to play LPs, Edirol FireWire Audio interface and my MacBook Pro to record master wav files at 24/192.
Ray Samuels Emmeline XR-2 Phono Pre-Amp. Cabling is Verastarr Silver Reference RCA Interconnects and Black Sand Silver Reference power cords.

I have an external burner as well if you decide to put files on CD/DVD/DVD-Audio.
I can burn on CD at a standard 16/44 sample rate, on DVD at up to 24/96 and on DVD-Audio at up to 24/192.

gooberdude · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 04:24 pm »

I'd bet your results are way better than mine!!! the cd's that come straight off the HHB are amazing. Once i transfer the files into my pc though, things get a bit dreary.

Mac laptops really are musical machines...

woodsyi · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 04:48 pm »

No thank you. Why in the world would I want to vaporize my LP sound just to try to recreate it?

gooberdude · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 05:06 pm »

Only 'cuz you can load it onto an Ipod and take it with you everywhere.

Seriously, having 40 LP's on my Imod is a gift from above. i do enjoy listening to Lp's directly obviously, but being able to spin LP's endlessly at a party (at anyone's house) is great. Besides, the signal that's transferred is quite pure...no amp or preamp or anything to muck it up. Having the sweet purity of the LP signal boosted by the monster bass of Imod is a thrill for sure.

Often, when i tweak the tt i make a cd of the tweaks and listen...easier to discern the changes often times.

there is no doubt in my mind that the CD's i make from LP's are heads and tales above the commercially stamped alternatives of the same albums.

With a signal capture chain like Tyyro has, the results are probably better still....

lcrim · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 05:15 pm »

I also view this as a backwards step.

Tyrro · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 05:37 pm »

Guys, please let us not make this thread into another LP vs digital thread. Please!! That's not what I asked.
I didn't ask which format you think would be better? I just wanted to see if anyone is interested in doing the conversion, not why do you think you need to do it.

woodsyi · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 05:52 pm »

I am not talking about different formats. I wouldn't want my CD to be converted to vinyl either. It's business and philosophical decision to go with a format for the producers. I just don't see me paying $20 to convert a post production software whether it's DAC or ADC. If you have access to the original master, it would be a different story although I think I know what format I would prefer. BTW, nothing personal.

I will qualify my statement. I think there is a market for this service but I would think the MP3 crowd would find $20 too much.

lcrim · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 06:18 pm »

No offense, but the question is not if but why?

WEEZ · « **Reply #10 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 06:18 pm »

Tyrro,

Just a comparitive FYI...

A local firm quoted me $15 ea. to convert a cassette tape to cd including scanning the liner notes, etc. When I asked the cost of doing 250 of them, the price went to $9 ea.

fwiw,

WEEZ

gooberdude · « **Reply #11 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 06:24 pm »

There are a # of recording studios in the bldg that I manage...all the old farts supplement income by transferring LP's. Most of what they do is take a stack of LP's and compile a Greatest hits CD for the customer.

they all use Pro Tools to clean up the wax, but none have anything nicer than a beat up old technics TT & $20 cartridge...and none have ever heard of an RCM.

the going rate here is $50 per CD. i just shake my head

For the time & patience involved to do it right, $20 is fair.

sorry to jump in...

tomjtx · « **Reply #12 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 06:58 pm »

In terms of time , quality of equipment used etc, 20.00 seems very reasonable.

However, most titles have been reissued on CD, often at good quality. These CD's can be bought for 12 to 20.00.

At a used CD store prices are as little as 8.00.

I just bought a used Bill Evans CD I had also on vinyl : 8.00 and it sounds great on Transporter. And now I can put it on the Ipod.
I also don't have to pack up and send (risk) vinyl to fed- ex or ups

So, as a business model 20.00 (while very fair) might not be economically viable since one can purchase a CD reisue for possibly less.

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #13 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 08:50 pm »

I do not think asking $20 for the service is too much, considering the type of machines and equipment used. Those people who have quote someone here doing such transfer for 250 units at $9 a pop most likely might be using inferior machinery such as those dreaded USB turntables with some god knows what awful cartridge. Audiophile quality digital transfers should reflect the cost of the cartridge wear and such.

A Shelter cartridge into a Nottingham....Definetly $20 might be more than reasonable.

Industrial scaled CD copies that sell for $12-20 each, one needs to think which reissue is better. Doesn't the average album that was once LP sound quite worse in their digitized versions?

Even the Ipod or convenience oriented crowds would not find $20 too much per album. Apple is releasing DRM songs and albums, that are still somewhat compressed and they would not be doing that if they knew that Ipoders would consider them crazy.

WEEZ · « **Reply #14 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 09:00 pm »

123,

Neither do I. If you read carefully, my post referred to burning a cd from cassette tape. (it was Tascam to Alesis..not that it matters)

For a high quality burn from vinyl, $20 is more than reasonable, IMO.

WEEZ

Wayner · « **Reply #15 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 09:47 pm »

Sounds like there is a lot of illegal copying of music going on. Burning a copy from album to CD for your own personal use is one thing, compiling "greatest hits" from various albums and selling them is strictly against the law.

Count me out.

Daverz · « **Reply #16 on:** 13 Jun 2007, 02:09 am »

Quote from: Tyrro on 12 Jun 2007, 04:21 pm

I'll be using my Nottingham Analogue Interspace w/ Shelter 501 cartridge to play LPs, Edirol FireWire Audio interface and my MacBook Pro to record master wav files at 24/192.

I'm curious what software you are using for the mastering. Also, what are you using to clean the records?

Tyrro · « **Reply #17 on:** 13 Jun 2007, 02:41 am »

I'm using Soundtrack Pro 2 to capture audio files and discWelder CHROME for DVD authoring. I can even encode the 24/192 files in MLP before I put them on DVD-Audio (they are usually huge in size), so that they will fit on a regular 4.5GB DVD.
As for the cleaning solution I used LAST power and all-purpose cleaners as well as Disk Doctor.

Quote from: Daverz on 13 Jun 2007, 02:09 am

Quote from: Tyrro on 12 Jun 2007, 04:21 pm
I'll be using my Nottingham Analogue Interspace w/ Shelter 501 cartridge to play LPs, Edirol FireWire Audio interface and my MacBook Pro to record master wav files at 24/192.

I'm curious what software you are using for the mastering. Also, what are you using to clean the records?

nefertem · « **Reply #18 on:** 26 Jun 2007, 12:27 am »

Hi every one i am using the software Xitil inport software here is the link http://www.xitel.com/USA/prod_inportdl.htm the good thing about it is it bypasses your sound card buy going through your usb drive and it comes with a thirty foot cable that was a perfect length from my stereo to my computer the only thing is i would get a external hard drive if you have a older computer because if you keep them as wave files they take up a lot of space good luck tim

JoshK · « **Reply #19 on:** 26 Jun 2007, 01:29 am »

I could see someone who wanted a pristine audiophile quality digital copy of their LP that hasn't been released on CD. However, like others said, if it is in the rock genre or other popular genre (even jazz) most likely it is released on CD and can be had for $8-12 new (that is what I've been paying for all my new discs).

While $20 might be reasonable for your time and cartridge wear, it is higher than the substitute products.