How to Convert LP and cassette tapes to MP3

[SpearMan]

After the democratization of audio CD in the early 90s, the good old vinyl media (45 laps and 33 laps) seemed destined to take the dust in basements and attics. However, the format, although only to a niche audiophiles, still has its followers and even today enjoys a renewed popularity since in certain types of music (rock, hip hop, electro), new emerging again format digital and analog, for the delight of lovers of beautiful covers. However, the format has a big disadvantage compared to the CD: how to import songs from a vinyl record in MP3 format to listen to his walkman or computer?

We might consider the issue as unnecessary and ask the value of such manipulation. Several scenarios may yet arise. So even if the record companies are always an opportunity to highlight their old classics to the CD format (sometimes even several times, the fan never be safe from a whole new remastering or the discovery of a Unpublished trapped at the bottom of the drawer for decades), there are still many albums or 45s who have never been reissued on CD, especially for artists who have never been more than one or two 45 rounds. It also happens that the record companies take advantage of the vinyl format, popular with collectors, to slip securities or remixes inedits absent other formats. Finally, if you have a large collection of 33 rpm, you may not want to buy any CD, especially since (considered somewhat subjective), some CD reissues sound worse than the album original.

Technical Requirements
The import of 33 laps MP3 can not be as easily as from a CD, and the reason obvious source: the CD is a digital format that can be transcribed directly into a digital format quickly and easily. In contrast, the vinyl (but our tutorial also applies to any analog source such as cassette tapes or tapes) is an analog source that requires a conversion, the audio output from the turntable or tape recorder, at the entrance of its PC. This implies, if we want to save a 33 towers, read in its entirety, and to recover the sound. All this while import audio CD does usually a few minutes. This also implies a further step in mounting: If you save one side of 33 laps, the resulting file will include all the pieces of this deal in a single runway. If you want to separate the pieces, it will be edited manually and, if necessary, assign them manually ID3 tags. Finally, depending on the source, a small cleaning probably be necessary to mitigate the cracks or blows associated with analog sources. It goes without saying, moreover, a very good way to minimize the noise is simply to maintain and clean their records before the scan.

At the hardware level, the prerequisites are simple: a platinum disc, a sound card with line input and an audio cable between the two. Nevertheless, it must reflect a subtle your deck must have a phono preamp. Without going into technical details, the preamp is necessary to correct the equalization made during his burning the disc. As discussed in the section on software Magix Audio Cleanic, it exists in an XXL version that also includes a pre-amp in a small box powered by the USB port. In fact, it is possible to do without a preamp and restore the equalizer with software, but we will not go into these details. Finally, the existence of USB turntables, designed specifically to be connected to a computer. The solution proposed by including ITT USB-05 of ION may be attractive to a newcomer. The deck includes an audio interface: plug it into a USB port and you can use it to buy your records. The most demanding users, however, prefer to go through a material they know quality.

No USB deck has RCA outputs (red and white / black), so you should if you want to connect to the sound of your PC, have a jack to RCA adapter. If it has a preamp, you can connect directly to the line (usually blue). If you need to go through a preamp, it will connect the RCA jacks of the turntable to the preamp and the preamp output to the input line of PCs.

The USB turntables have their interest for a novice user

[SpearMan]

Convert its free vinyl with Audacity

To convert CDs to MP3 format, the essential component is a publisher of audio files to record the sound from the deck, edit titles and to apply various effects. Among the many tools available, the most interesting is probably Audacity, a free software which has many advantages, starting with its free. Audacity is also multi-platform: designed initially for Linux, it is also available for Windows and Mac OS X (for this article, we will base our examples on the Windows version, but the Linux and Mac OS X differ slightly). Finally, it has all the features necessary to accomplish our task. This wealth is accompanied by a certain complexity: Audacity is not designed specifically for converting LPs to MP3, it is a recorder / editor multitrack audio comprehensive. We must therefore find the features that we are interested in an interface that does not really shines by its beauty and its accessibility. However, nothing is insurmountable as we will see in a tutorial step by step.

Download Audacity for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X

The first problem to be resolved is the level of registration. Your deck must be plugged into the line input on your PC so that level to be resolved. The situation becomes complicated when we realize that we must consider two distinct settings. The first is the entry-level line of Windows. The approach varies depending on whether you use Windows XP or Vista, which each have their separate ways to manage the entries. In Windows XP, you must go to the Control Panel & Sons devices, click the Audio tab and click on the Volume of Audio section. In Windows Vista, the handling is slightly different: in the sound panel, go to the Save tab, and select the line input on the sound card in the available devices. Click Properties, then tab Levels.

The second parameter is the input level of Audacity. It is located in the toolbar of the software at the top right of this. The best solution is that of trial and error: start recording (the button is visible enough and speak for not requiring design) and experiment with different settings until you get a sufficiently strong, but not saturated. Saturations are very easy to spot when you record a sound: if the waveform emerging as the record looks like a series of rectangular blocks, is a bad sign! Listening to your project, you will soon find out the sound very unpleasant. Once the proper setting is found, start the recording of the face and not worry about the rest for now. It is obviously preferable to start recording before putting his arm on the microgroove not to miss the start of the disk.

Cleaning noise and clicks
After recording finished, we have a track about twenty minutes, but it is not yet usable. Depending on the condition of your source, you'll certainly a phase of cleaning to be applied to your songs. Audacity offers two tools particularly useful for this purpose, as the case met. The first is the effect of suppressing noise. It reduces the breath and light crackles audible especially on vinyl. The tool requires first and foremost to provide a sample of isolated noise, such as a white between two pieces. Select this portion and choose "Elimination of noise" in the Effects menu. Then click on the button "Take the profile of noise." Again select the tool "Elimination of noise" to adjust the settings. These are three: the level of noise reduction, smoothing the frequency and duration of the attack and delay. The three parameters can have devastating effects on the sound: the success of noise reduction is not to 'attack' frequencies occupied by music. To do this, in addition to the level of noise reduction, the other two parameters to refine the result. The more you move to the left, the reduction will be more aggressive. That is why it is generally recommended to place them in the middle and adjust. A button "preview" provides an overview of the result. Remember, it only alleviate something that can not completely remove.

In addition to this background noise, noise audible much can occur, especially if the disc is scratched. To remove them, you have to call for the removal tool clicks, also available from the "effects". This time, you will play with two parameters: the threshold and the maximum width of the peak (the "peak", corresponding to the visual representation of cracks). Again, there is no quick fix: you have to play with both settings and listen to preview the result to achieve a satisfactory removal. In contrast to the noise reduction, the removal of clicks can not be done on an entire track, you have to select precisely the area for the result to be effective.

Other parameters can be applied to making your sound: it will depend mainly on your taste in dynamics and EQ, but Audacity offers a compressor that can be effective in increasing some too low, the compressor is to reduce the gap between the highest and lowest. The effect can be against-productive but depending on your equipment and your sensitivity, you can play with this effect, as well as equalization, to influence the final result. It should be noted that the application of these effects distorts the original sound. It may not be your main concern, but it is a detail to take into account.

Cutting pieces and export
When you have recorded an album last 33 laps, all the component pieces that are naturally face on a single audio track. You'll no doubt want to separate them and to "tagguer correctly for use with your device. Audacity offers a fairly simple method for this: the addition of markers. Locate where the pieces start of the recorded side and go into the Project menu and select "Add a marker for the selection at each location. Another way is to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + B. You will notice a new track is emerging: the aptly named track markers. You can rename these markers, for example with the title of your songs, which to recover these securities ID3 tags of songs obtained.

Once your markers placed correctly, you can then export the songs. On the File menu, choose Export multiple. The dialog that opens lets you adjust several settings, starting with the output format files (Ogg, MP3 or WAV). If you want to encode MP3 files, you must first have the file lame_enc.dll you can find here. If you named your markers as the title song, select "Rename the file as the marker or name of the runway." The name of the marker will be used for the title field tags file. The next screen you will enter the name of the artist and album title. The numbering runs automatically with the markers and they are then ready to be imported into your favorite music player.

If your goal is to create an audio CD from your CDs or cassettes, export files in WAV, larger but much more suited for that purpose, especially if the album you want to import contains sequences between tracks (for a concert or an album of progressive rock for example). Despite the placement of markers, if you export your tracks in MP3 format, they will necessarily be preceded by an audible silence in light of the sequence of tracks. When burning, it will also ensure that your burner and your software run mode Disc At Once (DAO).

[SpearMan]

As for pay: Magix Audio Cleanic 2008

As we have seen, Audacity can be very appropriate to digitize its records at a lower cost. However, its interface, rather general, not specifically adapted to this task and may be tempted to prefer a dedicated software. Since abandoning Clean, Pinnacle, the sole representative of the general public category is Magix Audio Cleanic. As often in the editor, the software will manage the entire chain, acquisition discs to export in the form of MP3 files, but also their possible burning audio CDs. For users whose platinum would not a preamp, Magix offers a XXL version of its software, including a pre-powered USB port, with all the necessary: mini USB cable, RCA (red and white) and adapter RCA to Jack. As for SOS Video Cassettes, the solution to digitize VHS publisher, it does not expect the high-end but for occasional use, provided the device should work.

The registration phase has an option rather useful: the dialog box allows you to analyze the recording level. Turn your vinyl and the software displays a meter with an indication alerting you if the level is too low or too high. If so, you can adjust the recording level as we have seen in the previous page. The module can also directly encode songs in MP3 or OGG (with choice of speed), and even automatically detect the CD tracks (which did not work during our test) or to report "at the fly "by clicking at the right time during recording. Finally, the recording can be stopped automatically when the software detects a complete silence.

The main interface Audio Cleanic approximates that of Audacity as regards the upper part (the waveform), but differs in its lower part, specifically dedicated to cleaning and "master" of its. The tasks are divided into tabs: Import, Clean, Mastering and Export.

Part Clean contains five tools: DeClicker, Decrackler, DeClipper, and DeNoiser DeHisser. If these barbaric terms you are unfamiliar with details of their actions are displayed, each with the tools they use: DeClicker handles noise, while Decrackler is for crackles inherent to LPs, or DeNoiser to background noise. The interface allows the use of modules in different ways. We can first apply the settings automatically, which is not necessarily relevant. You can also activate each module and adjust their overall level. Other options are more advanced users as well as neophytes. For the former, we can access the finest settings for each module by clicking the Edit button. These are not necessarily understand the common people but the interface can be set quite precisely, with the help of graphics.

For less sophisticated users, there are two ways the opposite interest. The first, Step by Step It changes, one after another, the different modules, from presets, and includes two buttons alternately listen to the original sound, the sound changed and the difference between the two. The latter is particularly interesting to detect whether a parameter removes too much information from the original sound. Finally, for beginners who do not want to "put hands dirty, there are various pre-settings broken down by situations (audio tape, vinyl, bad or good condition of the source ...), and proposing parameters that seem relevant. The settings are applied in real-time sound recorded, you can experiment with different settings without having to go through multiple cancellations.

The "Mastering" works the same way but allows for its part to improve (or at least modify) the sound by applying different effects: EQ, reverb, setting dynamics (compression), brightness or spacing stereo. Again we draw attention to the fact that these settings distort the original sound. We must therefore use for a specific purpose: they can be useful to "restore" the sound of a particularly damaged, but in the case of vinyl, beyond the cleaning operations mentioned above, it 'act first and foremost a question of taste: you can change the course equalization or dynamics of his home but can also have a destructive effect.

The phase of cutting pieces differs little from that of Audacity: we saw that it was possible to define (without much success) markers automatically track, or put them on the fly during recording. It is of course possible to place them after the fact, and in the same way as for Audacity: define the position of the marker and add, either from the toolbar (Marker button) or pressing the M button . Note that the markers are automatically fitted with a track number.

To exploit these markers when exporting to MP3 or CD audio, you must assign ID3 tags. To do this, right-click on a marker and click on "List of CD tracks. You can then edit the names of tracks, but also the artist, album, year and gender. For these fields, a button allows you to assign all the tracks to save time. Once the markers correctly informed, you can go for export. A condition to check the option, "Each track CD in a file, all files will be created and properly marked. Burning CD offers several possibilities: the software allows you to burn a disc on the fly by calculating the effects in real time or first create an ISO image to burn the CD.

[SpearMan]

From interest to digitize its records

As we saw earlier in this article, why digitize vinyl (or tapes), even if they are not gross for a wide audience, exist. However, we must still remember that the main interest of the media, in the eyes of music lovers, is the special quality of its analog. Therefore, what interest can we bring to this manipulation? The practical side may be an argument. Just as we can "rip" audio CD's to play them on a digital, you may need a digital copy of a record that has only one disk. The operation is more tedious, but we could see, with the two solutions (free or paid) it is not so much, and many features facilitate this task. Moreover, the inclusion in some recent albums released in 33 rounds, a coupon to download songs in digital format or exit collector boxes containing both vinyl and CDs, and even the album MP3 on USB key, proves that there's much of interest to lovers of fine cakes black to have a digital copy.

Regarding the cleaning of sound, in any case, the operations of suppressing noise, crackling or "clicks" are not quick fixes. It is possible to reduce sharply, so as to make them literally inaudible, but not erase like magic. addition, the line between noise and music is usually vague, and it is quick, by setting too aggressive, attacking frequencies that distort the original sound. The same goes for effects such as equalization or compression to be used sparingly.

The question of the solution to choose arises. We reviewed a free but not necessarily more intuitive, and a solution but dedicated to this task. Clearly, Audacity may be sufficient to scan its discs or cassettes. Free software includes the necessary effects and offers a feature automatic cutting tracks quite effective. The choice between Audacity and a solution as Magix Audio Cleanic is a matter of convenience: Magix software has a very well thought out, provides relevant pre-settings for novices and manages the entire chain, including even the connectors necessary in its XXL. We also appreciate the availability of real-time effects with which you can experiment freely in order to obtain a good result, while Audacity used in the manner of a filter editing software, requiring the user to undo the changes in each test. However, as practical as it is, the software Cleanic 2008 Audio XXL has a cost: it is found from € 75.99, representing an investment may be too high for occasional use, especially as its features Advanced (burning DVD audio, creating podcasts, the integration of VST plugins, managing MP3 Surround ...) does not prove necessary. Nevertheless it is a complete and interesting concept, and we appreciate the integration of all the connections that users do not necessarily believe in.