Maybe Audacity would work with your machine? Worth a try anyway. I've been reading quite a bit the last few days, and Audacity gets mentioned more often than any other audio programs for ripping, then "fixing" static, pops, and the other quirks of vinyl. I don't have any experience with it yet, but read somewhere that you can record an entire album side, name the tracks, then the program will automatically "separate" the songs and save them individually. Sounds like a great time/trouble saver to me. Good luck.
There are other, better, audio softwares commercially available, however, the freeware version of Audacity is the Gold Standard for, er, freeware in audio recording and manipulation .. it has a learning curve, but all software of this type does .. most USB turntables that I know of come with Audacity likely because of the cost ..
The hassle of vinyl to digital conversions really boils down to .. it's done in real time .. if you want to remove hiss and pops it's much more time consuming .. the quality of your PC/speed, etc can play a role .. the software does not name tracks, so manual input is required .. automatic track separation is hit and miss .. on average, doing one LP right, with minimal fixing required, is at least an hour per LP .. as well, it's a good idea to route the PC output jack as a monitor set of speakers, since actually listening to the LP as it records is a good idea, just in case you get a skip or a groove that bounces the needle and repeats ..
Anyone considering this should think about the fact that most CD's can be had at used prices relatively cheap and will auto name, etc thru the Web and can be set to convert at about any bitrate .. and when you're done, you can still sell the CD's .. it's a question of "Is the
juice worth the squeeze .. "
The draw of vinyl conversion is, you've digitized your old collection and can then dispose of it .. if you look back fondly on that one pop just as "Dark Side of the Moon" went into chorus, then don't remove the glitches ..
.. because they were all part of the experience you fondly remember ..
Lastly, rare vinyl that brings any kind of money is really LP's that were promotional, withdrawn/recalled, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab pressings can be worthwhile, etc .. for the most part, however, LP's were pressed in high numbers and are not, as a general rule, greatly collectable .. a few examples of some real money LP's :
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan [withdrawn version] (1963) ... Incredibly rare version of the US version (stereo) which features four songs left off all subsequent releases ("Rocks and Gravel," "Let Me Die in My Footsteps," "Gamblin' Willie's Dead Man's Hand," and "Talkin' John Birch Blues"). in Mint Condition : $30K
The Beatles .. Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You (1962) [Single] .. The UK promo copy of The Beatles' first single. Paul McCartney is credited as "McArtney." Limited to 250 copies. Mint : $20K
The Beatles "Yesterday"...and Today (1966) .. The stereo version of the "Butcher Cover," as it is known, is far more difficult to find than other variants of this highly sought-after record. Mint : $15K
Any 78 RPM singles by Robert Johnson from 1937 .. $7.5K each in Mint, generally ..
Even modern items can get valuable .. Led Zeppelin Classic Records Road Case from 2006 [Compilation] .. 48 vinyl LP set of Led Zeppelin's complete discography, all 45 rpm, in "road case." $5K
So, don't throw them out or sell them before checking eBay ..
Since we've had a lesson on Light Bulbs, I thought I would add another Class on what I know ..
.. to the Thread that just keeps giving ..
It didn't occur to me until after I posted that we're talking about a lot of weight.... put my mouth in motion before putting my brain in gear, as it were.
