Techie ??: How do I convert LPs to MP3s?

I wanna rip my albums to MP3 format so that I have all my music in one format.

How do I do that? What equipment do I need? And of course, how much is it gonna cost me? :P :D

Oh, and an RCA to stereo mini-plug cable.

That's it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BUEMOO/ref=nosim/102-4634490-2794569?n=172282
Coming soon

:wow: :wow:

That looks do-able.

... It was A LOT OF WORK if you want to do it right.

I recorded each side into .wav format (use almost any recorder software) using almost any sound card. You just run the audio into the Line input and away you go. Now, you can either record one song at a time, or one album side at a time. I chose the latter

I used a shareware program called "waveflow" to slice each side into songs. You will also need to do a bit of "massaging" if you want everything to sound good. Use waveflow to carefully fix up the beginning and ending, if you don't you will hear a lot of vinyl noise (ramp up the volume at the beginning, ramp down at end).

I used a program called "DePopper" to get rid of the vinyl clicks and pops. I tried 3 other programs that did little or nothing, this one works well but don't be in a hurry, it is slowwwwww.

Then convert the .wavs to .mp3.

If you can afford it, It can rip them all to mp3, and has the appropriate filters to get rid of clicks and pops.

The downside: It will run you about 350 bucks.

... if you are going to do a boatload of records.

"line" level voltage from your amp into the audio-in port on your (hopefully good) sound card or that's built into your computer (which typically aren't great) and run a recording program*. (Some older (at least) turntables put out a very low voltage and this needs to go into special phono inputs on your amp (which newer ones may not have). Or so a friend has explained to me, and so I have seen (apparently) a couple of times.)

Typically you need a dual RCA plug (male) to mini-stereo plug (male) cable (a few bucks). The Aux output from your amp should be fine. (As long as it's stereo and has line level voltage, then any output should be fine.)

* You can go directly to MP3 or use .wav as an intermediary. You can also do it a song at a time (which, hopefully, your recording program supports) -- or use a free MP3 (.wav) editing program to cut up the resultant file. Try to find some volume level that doesn't distort on the amp, but that doesn't need to be jacked up so high on the "player" that it distorts on that end.

I like a variable-recording-rate MP3 myself, as this seems a good compromise between quality and size. You can play around a little with your own music and see if the recording particulars make noticeable differences. (My best copy of a favorite song, "Matterhorn", is at very high compression -- 56/22.

Oh, it's The Country Gentlemen -- those boys sure could pick.