Vinyl -completed CD's - now on to LPs

[Reisender]

I have completed cataloging my CDs, (which was VERY easy) and now want to start converting my LPs and cataloging them. I used dbPoweramp to rip my CDs. I chose to convert my CDs to FLAC. I have borrowed a USB turntable but it only converts to iTunes, and data capture regarding artists / compilations/ etc is limited. Any recommendations on how to accomplish this? I really want to capture the LPs in OCD! I will capture the LP covers digitally w/camera. Thanks, Tom

[frederf]

I have never used a USB turntable, but I am sure that you should be able to records your vinyl to wav files.. but apparently not with the software that came with the turntable. I used Adobe Audition to capture the audio and do the cleaning of pops and scratches, and break up the album side to tracks. Once you have the tracks you can use Tag&Rename to get the titles and other tag information populated into the file and also the album cover.

If you want to perserve the album art I would suggest using a scanner instead of a camera.. yes you will have to scan in sections since the cover will not fit on a standard scanner bed, and use photohsop to merge them together, but the result and quality is much better... although a lot of work. I kept the covers that I liked best and put them into square frames. I rotate them once in a while so that I can enjoy them instead of haveing them rot in a closet ;O) The rest went to the used record store.

Fred

[Katzz]

I use Adobe Audition as well, when getting rid of the pops and clicks I reverse the song (works really well).

Tag & Rename is also the program I use to edit & create tags. 90% of the time you can find album art through it or through google images. I like my images to be 300 x 300 but that is just me.

[frederf]

@katzz

Hmm.... reversing before click and pop removal... never seen that mentioned anywhere else. What difference do you notice? And what made you think of doing that? ;O)

Do you only apply the click and pop removal on the reversed audio.. or do you apply it to the normal (unreversed) as well? If so does it matter which you do first?

I have gotten rid of my turntable and don't intend to do anymore vinyl converting.. just curious.

Fred

[Katzz]

Yes I only apply it to the reversed Audio. I have found that when you do it like that it doesn't give you as much of an "artificial" effect. I would love to take credit for this but actually a good friend of mine told me to try it, and I did.