Transferring LPs

[michaelagiles]

If the LP rips are going to be post processed for noise reduction, de-clicking and other such repairs and you want a very high quality result then avoid Audacity and instead use a pro-audio tool like Adobe Audition. Its algorithms are light years better than those in Audacity.. This is based on my personal experience digitizing a set of Classical Guitar recordings.

I use a Steinberg UR22 mkII USB sound card, similar to the Focusrite Scarlet or the Motu, maybe a bit cheaper, and it works great. You do not need a powerful computer at all, so the laptop should work well. I use an inexpensive but beautifully designed and executed program named VinylStudio:

https://www.alpinesoft.co.uk/VinylStudio/download.aspx

The workflow is logical and efficient with good results. One thing I do that I do believe helps is capture the sides at a high resolution, 192K/24bits. This is overkill for sound quality if your levels are set right, but it lets the pop and tick reduction processes work better as those flaws have a sharper rise time than the music itself letting the software distinguish the bad stuff from the good more effectively. I set the 'cleanup' parameters to the lowest setting and it works effectively without smoothing out the music itself.

Skip

Thanks gentlemen! All assistance appreciated! I have done a little research on usb interfaces and there look to be several good choices here with good software etc.The HFB option looks workable but complex programming wise. 
Re Audacity : I have used it for many years with good results - my needs are very simple. Tim - how do you find Audition superior? It was originally developed from Cool Edit if i remember correctly and that was only slightly easier to use and not noticeably better in other respects.
Thanks again!

The modern, as in for at least a decade, Adobe Audition has nothing to do with cool edit. Its noise reduction, spectral healing, rumble reduction, click/pop/abrasion removal etc algorithms are professional level quality. I used to to transform excellent quality vinyl rips and some really bad CD's into perfection. But that was my goal and so the cost for a tool like Audition was just part of the budget.

Thanks!

[DRONE7]

Firstly, the quality and performance of your vinyl transcription device will to some extent determine your ADC and subsequent software needs.
Secondly, the number, quality, and rarity of your LP's will also modify this.

GIGO

A good cleaning regime, decent turntable arm and cartridge and phono preamp should be rewarded with a decent ADC.
The less post clean-up needed the less potential artifacts introduced.

If you have a great cleaning, reproducing, and RIAA stage and a lot of LP's then look to an RME device.
If at a lower level then the HiFiBerry may suffice.

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threa...yl.379294/

[michaelagiles]

Thanks again! I have the TT etc. covered . Unfortunately the Audition is beyond my fixed income these days. We will look into Vinyl Studio again and a usb ADC as it is my PC that's dying and I I have no other need for a new one.

[DRONE7]

How about some of the dedicated phono/line to usb/spdif/optical devices ?
This one should be cheap to find used and has a Phono stage with bypass if desired and multiple outputs.

https://artproaudio.com/product/usb-phon...ct-series/

I use one ($30 US used) on system 'B' and power it with a cheap linear wall-wart (not much current needed) (Old Uniden phone power supply by the look of it 9v DC and 210 mA)

[michaelagiles]

How about some of the dedicated phono/line to usb/spdif/optical devices ?
This one should be cheap to find used and has a Phono stage with bypass if desired and multiple outputs.

https://artproaudio.com/product/usb-phon...ct-series/

I use one ($30 US used) on system 'B'  and power it with a cheap linear wall-wart (not much current needed) (Old Uniden phone power supply by the look of it 9v DC and 210 mA)

I have purchased a Beringher USB interface to use with an old W7 laptop.  Comes tomorrow.  Thanks to Nutul for pointing  me to the reviews! But will have to   make do with Audacity and Vinyl Studio. The monthly subscription for Audition is over budget unfortunately.