[Bubba]

Like it says

I'm hoping to finally start the horrific process of digitizing my vinyl so i can sell it all and my decks, etc and get some digital DJing kit just for fun use. Much as I will miss my vinyl, it's taking up a lot of room so hopefully i can get a bit of cash for it and free up space in the house at the same time.

The plan is to use a pre-amp and a decent sound card to rip the vinyl to .flac files which will then be archived to DVD, or maybe even HD-DVD now that burners are starting to appear at reasonable(ish) prices.

Also, is it worth borrowing a more "hi fi" record deck than the good old SL1210 for doing this, given that most of my vinyl is cheapo dance stuff, or will a 1210 with a decent stylus suffice?

[GCW]

Also, is it worth borrowing a more "hi fi" record deck than the good old SL1210 for doing this, given that most of my vinyl is cheapo dance stuff, or will a 1210 with a decent stylus suffice?

Depends on what you want out of it.  Quite often the weakpoint in a vinyl system is the (pre) amplification- stylus cheap, old, knackered, crap pre-amp.
I would use a decent deck with an off board amp such as the Project USB pre.  As you know I am a little old fashioned in matters of vinyl so others may have a better plan.  I have no experience of this particular box, but the purely analogue version is excellent.  I don't know how crap the USB out is here.

I'd still say don't scrimp on your deck.  You'll regret it in 20 years when the discs don't exist and the last existing copy of some banging shit is your weak copy.  Maybe 

[Bubba]

I don't know that much about the vinyl recording process so not sure whether an obscure 90's techno record where only 500 copies were pressed would be shite quality compared to, say a big name label classical recording? 

What i mean is, would an "audiophile" (i hate that word) deck actually sound better playing dance vinyl than a Technics? I'm guessing a lot of dance vinyl will have been made to sound good on a Technics anyway....perhaps?

That USB pre-amp looks pretty good - thanks for the link.

[GCW]

Now that will depend on original production quality.  I assume you are suggesting some recordings may have been EQd to fit "techno" decks and would therefore be revealed as rubbish on "proper" decks?  If you know someone with a Project Debut you could try that and yours and compare (not top end but not at all bad for 100 quid).
If you're right, you'll have a better quality copy that you can mess with in digital EQ.

Again, I only linked Project as I have been very impressed with all of their stuff for years and I hope this will not change that trend.  Besides, the only other budget kit I know of is from Argos.  Nuff said.

For what it's worth, when I did this years ago I ended up doing it the long way- Record vinyl to Audio (seperates) CD recorder, sitting there marking tracks etc.  Put CD in computer.  Rip files.  I have a lot of vinyl, and it took a loooong time 

[GCW]

Although I just found stuff at Maplin for conversion of VINYL and Audio Cassette!!!!.  Probably crap, but I've not seen a USB cassette deck.  Stick to the Nakamichi Dragon though.

[Jim]

that takes me back to the days of hifi snobbery

[GCW]

that takes me back to the days of hifi snobbery

My b*llsh*t or the dragon?



You could play with your knobs all day and see what good sounds you could produce.

And who could forget

[Jim]

the dragon of course. a legend of its time

[Bubba]

Now that will depend on original production quality.  I assume you are suggesting some recordings may have been EQd to fit "techno" decks and would therefore be revealed as rubbish on "proper" decks?

Aye, that's what i was trying to say

I have a lot of vinyl, and it took a loooong time

I think i have between 2 and 3 thousand 12" to convert There's some stuff i probably won't bother converting or trying to sell individually, but there's a lot of good stuff in there too.

[GCW]

If you mean 12" singles/EPS then that's not too bad.  If you mean full length albums, I know what you're up against.  Grit your teeth, it will be worth it.  Although, I seem to listen to it less now that when it was on yinyl?!?!?

[Bubba]

80% 12" singles i reckon. I'm not really looking forward to it though it'll be good to hear lots of stuff i won't remember i've even got.

I'm hoping i can sell some of it on ebay - i have some quite rare old aaardcore and techno.

[GCW]

If you work on the principle it will take 12" length x3 you won't go far wrong.  1 for playing the EP, 1 for all the times you have to re-record/ modify etc etc, 1 for cataloguing.

Good luck!!!

Let us know how it goes, I'd be interested in the ease quality of vinyl -> digital around nowadays.

[Bubba]

Rather than get a standalone pre-amp, i'm going to go for one of these babies, which will also replace my existing decks and mixer

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/TorqXponent-main.html

It seems to be the best digital djing box about at the moment, excepting the Xone 3D which is nearly £1k more expensive.

I can sell 2 of my technics and the djm500 mixer to fund it and keep the 3rd technics for doing the digitising.

[Serpico]

Rather than get a standalone pre-amp, i'm going to go for one of these babies, which will also replace my existing decks and mixer

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/TorqXponent-main.html

It seems to be the best digital djing box about at the moment, excepting the Xone 3D which is nearly £1k more expensive.

I can sell 2 of my technics and the djm500 mixer to fund it and keep the 3rd technics for doing the digitising.

I've probably misunderstood, but that control surface doesn't include a pre-amp. Have you sorted another option for digitizing your vinyl? If you've got a seperate hifi amp that has inputs for a turntable there should be a rec/tape out that will be suitable as an RIAA eq'ed pre-amp.

[Bubba]

Hmm no I think you're right actually. I watched a video of somebody using it as a crossfader whilst scratching on some technics, but they must have done this some other way, as there are no direct phono inputs. Damn  

Good shout on the tape out - that might do the job much more easily.

[Dangereux]

You want one of these http://djdeals.co.uk/prod-list.asp?m=54&b=38 bad boys to digitise your records, and then probably Rane Serato or the Final Scratch 2 to mix a way to your hearts content. Haven't played with the M-Audio thing but all those types of controllers just seem a bit toy like. It may be possible to record vinyl through Serato with another piece of software but not sure.

[Bubba]

You want one of these http://djdeals.co.uk/prod-list.asp?m=54&b=38 bad boys to digitise your records

Nice - i'll check that out too

and then probably Rane Serato or the Final Scratch 2 to mix a way to your hearts content. Haven't played with the M-Audio thing but all those types of controllers just seem a bit toy like.

Nah, not really interested in those systems - I see them as a halfway house - if i'm going to go digital then i might as well go all the way and get a nice, neat self contained solution. All you need with the M-Audio thing is that and a laptop, with the Serato solutions you still need 2 decks, seperate mixer, the magic box and then a laptop.

I think anything seems toy like compared to the bullet proof build of a technics and a pro mixer, but i'm kind of happy with that. It will just be for messing about mixing for my own pleasure with maybe an occasional party - it's not going to have to put up with club environment abuse. I've watched quite a lot of videos of it in action and it's pretty impressive.

If you want pro build quality then there is the Vestax controller but it's meant to have some serious shortcomings. The Xone is the real one to have but at £1300 it's way out of my price league.

[Bubba]

Just received a nice Phonobox II USB in the post from Richersounds

Will try to do a test conversion over the weekend and let you know how it's gone.

[GCW]

Just received a nice Phonobox II USB in the post from Richersounds

Nice one.  I'd love to know how you get on and what quality is like.  Sorry if it's duff but my suggestion was based on past experience of Project.  Good luck!!

[Bubba]

Sure it'll be fine - i did a bit of online research and they have a good rep for quality

[GCW]

Like I said before, I've had a lot of Project analogue stuff before and it's been excellent.  I can't see them producing an USB item that's shit.

Have fun!!

[Houdini]

I too am Luddite filth, GCW.  That turntable pic you posted a while back has had me salivating since I saw it.  I can understand why a DJ may want tracks that cost a quid instead of 8, but I've alwys liked the idea of my grandchildren looking through my LP's - after I'm dust - and going:  The Bhopal Stiffs!  Fuck me, Grandad was a right radge in his day ,wunnee?

[GCW]

That turntable pic you posted a while back has had me salivating since I saw it.

Ah.  The Michell Orbe?  Superb sound, but a beuatiful machine.

[Bubba]

Well I finally got around to rigging up a deck / pre-amp and new soundcard and have had a quick test - initial results seem pretty good. This would have happened ages ago but we decided to redecorate half the house first 

Anyway, here's the first test result - randomly chosen bit of techno and recorded using a Technics SL-1210 Mk 2 with a dirty tonearm and an old cartridge. Also the record was pretty dirty too.

No processing was done on the file, i just recorded in in Audacity and exported it to an mp3.

The tune is "Chromosome X" by Dave Hedger on the Malawi label from 1995.

Just included a small clip of the full track here but you get the idea...

[GCW]

Nice tune Bubbs.  The results sound pretty good for MP3, I just wish these things had been around a few years ago.
One tip would be to play the records once or twice before recording- cuts down on pops etc a fair bit.
Good luck in your quest.