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Author Topic: Can JRiver Media 18 be used to convert LP records to digital format?  (Read 2969 times)

jgnc

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HI:
I do not have JRiver Media but would like to know if the code can convert LP records to digital format? I'd like to use my turntable and PC to convert analog to digital formats.
Thanks!
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Dr Tone

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HI:
I do not have JRiver Media but would like to know if the code can convert LP records to digital format? I'd like to use my turntable and PC to convert analog to digital formats.
Thanks!

No.
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kstuart

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Re: Can JRiver Media 18 be used to convert LP records to digital format?
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2013, 12:29:19 pm »

"  I'd like to use my turntable and PC to convert analog to digital formats. "

If you can explain why in particular you want to do that, I can give you some suggestions.

In other words, is it just for fun ?   Or, do you have LPs that were not released on CD ?

Generally, the whole advantage of an LP is that it is analog, and so it you convert it to digital, then you have the "worst of both worlds" - you have surface noise, lowered bass, pops and clicks, and so forth, and it is no longer analog.

fastbike

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Re: Can JRiver Media 18 be used to convert LP records to digital format?
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2013, 01:41:01 pm »

Well some of us have many LPS that were never converted to CD, or if they were, were still subject to the ridiculous loudness wars "remastering". We might was to be able to listen to these LPs in places where we don't have turntables.

I'll just disagree that it's the "worst of both worlds".
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Ekpen

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Re: Can JRiver Media 18 be used to convert LP records to digital format?
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2013, 04:07:57 pm »

HI:
I do not have JRiver Media but would like to know if the code can convert LP records to digital format? I'd like to use my turntable and PC to convert analog to digital formats.
Thanks!

I know of tuntables with USB input.
You may be able to use this to get mp3 or so. Google to find out more.
Ekpen.
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kstuart

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Re: Can JRiver Media 18 be used to convert LP records to digital format?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2013, 04:19:54 pm »

Well some of us have many LPS that were never converted to CD, or if they were, were still subject to the ridiculous loudness wars "remastering". We might was to be able to listen to these LPs in places where we don't have turntables.

I'll just disagree that it's the "worst of both worlds".
No we don't disagree, as I already mentioned the case where LPs were not converted to CD (or as you point out, only converted poorly).

But I often see people use poor logic:

* My LPs sound better on my turntable than my CDs

* So, if I convert my LPs to CDs, they will sound better

which is not true, because someone who prefers LPs is actually disliking the conversion to digital itself.

yannis

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Re: Can JRiver Media 18 be used to convert LP records to digital format?
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2013, 06:34:01 pm »

Just for the sake of the argument, there's plenty more reasons one could resort to converting. Once, I had to move and leave behind a very large collection of vinyls - I'd have loved the portability. More recently, my newborn son made it impossible to have my Rega at large. And also, having to buy stuff all over again was expensive, to say nothing of the sound quality in many cases. So yes, one makes compromises to make all ends meet. I've made some copies of rare stuff that I miss, but it's time consuming. And although it would be great if MC could apply its magic on this too, there's also many other things that I'd rather see addressed first. Priorities then...
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amdismal

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Re: Can JRiver Media 18 be used to convert LP records to digital format?
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2013, 10:31:18 am »

No we don't disagree, as I already mentioned the case where LPs were not converted to CD (or as you point out, only converted poorly).

But I often see people use poor logic:

* My LPs sound better on my turntable than my CDs

* So, if I convert my LPs to CDs, they will sound better

which is not true, because someone who prefers LPs is actually disliking the conversion to digital itself.

Nope, your logic is poor :)

Often LPs are mastered differently - if you go to the dynamic range database, you will see that some modern recordings have more dynamic range on vinyl than on CD.  Why, who knows, but it's true.

Example: http://www.dr.loudness-war.info/index.php?search_artist=adele&search_album=21

It's not (necessarily) the fact that it is digital, there can be other reasons.
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kstuart

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Re: Can JRiver Media 18 be used to convert LP records to digital format?
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2013, 11:16:23 am »

It's possible that a modern recording has a mainstream CD and then an LP done for audiophiles, where only the LP is done to quality standards.   And that would be an exception.

--

Note that DR readings are not the same as Dynamic Range.   They are just samplings.   It's just a indication.

And, of course, versions with higher DR can sound worse than versions with lower DR, because there are hundreds of other aspects of sound quality.

I've mastered an LP.   Adding an LP mastering, and then a vinyl rip to the chain has got to deteriorate the sound - especially since home analog-to-digital converters are worse than the professional ones used in a studio.

Mike48

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Re: Can JRiver Media 18 be used to convert LP records to digital format?
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2013, 11:17:59 pm »

I do not have JRiver Media but would like to know if the code can convert LP records to digital format? I'd like to use my turntable and PC to convert analog to digital formats.

No -- You'll need some piece of hardware with an ADC (analog to digital converter).  AFAIK, those range in price from cheap ones included in USB turntables to many thousands of dollars. You will pay for what you get, though the converse will not necessarily be true.

Maybe your local audio dealer or audio club can offer hints. Good luck!

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The Mastermind

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Re: Can JRiver Media 18 be used to convert LP records to digital format?
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2013, 12:19:55 am »

Audacity is free and can do it. That is what I  use to create FLAC files and then I use MC for tagging, playback and so forth.
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rudyrednose

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Re: Can JRiver Media 18 be used to convert LP records to digital format?
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2013, 01:25:51 pm »

To OP : I did it a long while ago.

HW wise, remember that your turntable outputs very low levels, and frequency response is skewed (on purpose) by the RIAA correction.  You will need a phono preamp to raise the level and apply the RIAA correction.  The cheapest phono preamp is any old stereo with phono input and tape output.

So, connect your turntable to the phono input of the stereo receiver/integrated/preamp (the stereo).
Connect the tape output of the stereo to the line input of your computer (often the blue one).  You will probably need a stereo RCA to stereo 1/8" jack cable.  Those cables are easy to find in a Radio Shack. 
Optionnally, a second of those cables can be used from computer's green line out / Front Left/Right output to the stereo's tape input, allowing you to listen your computer on the big stereo.

Using appropriate software (Audacity is good and free), record the whole face of the disk as a single long wav file, then cut and store individual songs, naming and tagging them appropriately.

Do yourself a favor, even if you always end up listening to those records as mp3 on your iPod or Zune device, do keep a lossless encoding copy of your rip as the high quality source, be it as .wav (does not support tags), .flac (universal, available on all platforms), .ape (MC native), apple lossless etc...  as it WILL come in  handy one day and you won't want to rerip everything.

It will take time to do it correctly, but you will have to do it just once...

PS: the links submitted by Vincent are quite interesting !

Cheers !
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