Looking for musical geniuses!

Submitted: Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 09:36
ThreadID: 35480 Views:2530 Replies:9 FollowUps:9
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Hi guys,

How do I convert music to files? Can it be done? I have a truckload of old vinyls and some are not widely available but my old record player has become somewhat unreliable so I’m planning to get another. This is a 4WD related issue because I also plan to upgrade my old CD stacker in the Patrol soon and have been looking at units that have MP3 playing functions. So I’m wondering if it is possible (how) to play the record player to a computer to create MP3 files? I was thinking about and AV/USB converter (? – is there such an animal) than playing through my amp and plugging the converter to the amp out to the puter (will I need special software or can XP pro do the conversion? Any assistance will be appreciated as usual and I hope the question isn’t too broad.

Kind regards
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Reply By: Ole Grizzly - Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 10:11

Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 10:11
G'day...a friend has done this ages ago, using RCA plugs from your record deck or amplifer to a 3.5 jack to your computer sound card, and a program caled 'Sound Forge 7'....thats all I know, but it did work. Good Luck.
AnswerID: 181559

Reply By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 10:15

Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 10:15
You can but a turntable from Dick Smith $150 or when they are on special,, again now i think for $99.. It just plugs into the back of you computer, save to hard drive and burn to cd, you may need a program that is now free to convert to wave format called Audio Grabber or something suitable to convert files to use on a normal cd player. One problem is your computer cannot see that on your vinyl records that there are seperate tracks so it does need some manual manipulation. it does take time so its a good rainy day thing. I have done this and quality is good and is in stereo. Hope this helps Michael
AnswerID: 181561

Reply By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 10:35

Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 10:35
Thanks guys,

I will give that a go and long live my vinyls. I just hope that some of the relaxing music I have doesn't send me to sleep whilst driving.

Kind regards
AnswerID: 181567

Reply By: ZUKSCOOTERX90(QLD-MEMBER) - Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 11:02

Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 11:02
Beatit, i was doing the same thing a while ago but the software i down loaded offthe net for free has gone missing so i do not know what it was called.Just type in convert from records to cd or to pc but you do have to connect record player to the pc . the program tells you what you need. Hope this helps some.Bob.
AnswerID: 181572

Reply By: Mr Fawlty - Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 12:44

Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 12:44
I have a program called Cool Edit Pro. One of my hobbies is the digital remastering of old records which is what you are basically doing here. As said you need to play your record and record it to your hard drive on which you will need about 600mb per side of a 33 rpm less for 78's. You then set up your parameters and you can enhance, remove hiss, clicks, scratches etc and create even fantastic ersatz stereo form 78's & wax cylinders. Then let your computer do it's thing, which can ttake some time depending on the speed & memory of your pc, the resultant .wav files can be burnt to CD and will play on any cd player....
Email me if you want a copy for evaluation....
AnswerID: 181592

Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 14:33

Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 14:33
I'd like to email you, can you help with an email address? Tried to look for membership details and past posts without success. Sounds good.

Or email me on theo.moret@qed.qld.gov.au

Kind regards

Theo
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FollowupID: 437898

Follow Up By: Mr Fawlty - Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 17:06

Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 17:06
Theo,
I was just testing to seperate the men from the audiophiles...
sydney-riley@hotmail.com will find me.
If you are a Qld Govt Official you could get Mr Beattie to buy you a copy of cooledit pro the latest version and then loan me a copy for evaluation...LOL
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FollowupID: 437920

Reply By: 4_Runner - Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 14:03

Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 14:03
As said previously, you can use an RCA cable coming from the back of your amp.

You will need an adaptor to convert the RCA plug at the other end of the cable to an Audio plug, so that it will fit into the "Line In" or "Mic" socket of your soundcard.

Also, unless your amp is mono, you will obviously need two RCA cables (one for each speaker), and the adaptor will need to convert the two RCA cables into a single sterio Audio plug.

The other option is an audio cable from the Headphone socket on your amp, to the "Line In" or "Mic" socket of your soundcard. This way you will only need the one cable.

WinXP does have some basic software (Sound Recorder) that can record anything that's input into the soundcard, however it will only save a file in wave format, which isn't what you need.

As other's have said, search the internet for the appropriate software - there are plenty of Shareware/Freeware programs available that will do what you require.
AnswerID: 181604

Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 14:36

Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 14:36
Thanks 4_Runner, will have a closer look at my laptop to see what it has for inputs. It is an upper end Dell but I really haven't had a very close look.

Kind regards
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FollowupID: 437901

Reply By: Wok - Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 15:33

Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 15:33
Theo,

Must be a maroon thing, If you want to talk it through, I'm in north Bsne.
Just i thing not mentioned before, best hooking your PC to a sound system to monitor....not computer speakers or you will be chassing your tail.

eng
AnswerID: 181612

Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 10:04

Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 10:04
Thanks eng,

I will see how I go, seem to have a fair amount of info to deal with and thanks to all.

Kind regards

Theo
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FollowupID: 438036

Reply By: Busy Bee - Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 22:56

Monday, Jul 03, 2006 at 22:56
Just came back from Cape York today after playing MP3 files from newly installed entry level Pioneer player on the trip. It skipped perhaps only three times, so I was impressed.
Many of my files have been ripped from vinyl. The turntable is as mentioned by others, mine is a Tandy. Whatever, it needs to have a preamp to work with the computer, and these do.
I use RecordPad to copy each side of the record into wav files, then WavePad to break each side into tracks, get rid of scratches etc. I paid about $150 for these off the net as I couldn't find anything free at the time, but well worth while. A program called Switch then converts the wav files to MP3, and you burn to CD at your leisure. Switch was free, as are MP3 Rippers to convert normal CDs to MP3 files so you can fit a dozen on one CD.
It sounds complex but is a fairly straightforward process. Each step is easy, it is only time consuming if you have to tidy up lots of scratches.
AnswerID: 181690

Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 10:06

Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 10:06
Thanks Busy Bee, I thought that MP# would be solid state (?) so how does it skip?

Kind regards

Theo
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FollowupID: 438037

Follow Up By: Busy Bee - Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 14:57

Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 14:57
Theo, MP3 files are solid state if they are in a digital MP3 player but if burnt onto a CD will play in anything that can handle MP3 files. So they will skip, or rather stop and pick up again after a second or two, on bad corrugations like normal CD files.
Some MP3 CD players have an input for your digital player for when the going gets really bad. Mine doesn't and I was worried that I should have spent a bit more money but I was happy with the performance. If I go back to the Tip in September and the corrugations are so bad through Heathlands that I can't listen to music for that section - about 90 minutes or so - I won't be too disappointed. I will be too busy driving.
The advantage is of having 70 or so normal CDs fitting onto half a dozen CDs. And if they get scratched or damaged on the trip, just burn another CD from your computer where you are keeping all these files. Set it to random play and have tracks playing from a dozen different CDs. No need for a stacker.
MP3 does this by compressing the files by taking out the frequencies that the human ear can't hear. They say that it is equivalent to FM radio quality, but most people including me can't tell the difference from the original.
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FollowupID: 438085

Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 15:05

Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 15:05
Hi Busy Bee,

Didn't realise that they could be burnt on a CD as MP3 files. One of the reasons I was looking to update my stacker was for that very reason that it is skipping just way too much. Mind you I've owned the unit for nearly 10 years (from the previous Patrol to this one). Had it fixed once but I feel I'm getting to the end of its useful life. I was thinking that all MP3 was played as solid state so no skipping and the limited models I looked at seemed to have a USB port in the face plate to plug a memory pen.

Early days for me as it seems I have a fair bit of music to make useful again.

Kind regards

Theo
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FollowupID: 438092

Follow Up By: Busy Bee - Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 15:41

Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 15:41
You are right, there are solid state units apparently that use those memory cards you put into digital cameras to hold the files. I think they also have a USB port for a memory stick. When I first joined this forum I was searching for advice on installing my unit and came across an old post from someone saying he had installed an MP3 CD player and it was a shocker in the rough. It had me worried as I had already bought mine. But he also said he had discovered too late these solid state players for $150 on eBay. Search for the post to learn more.
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FollowupID: 438097

Reply By: dags666 - Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 12:52

Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 12:52
hi beatit done a lot of vinyls to mp3 pretty easy their a lot of free programs one by memory is lp ripper but plenty of forums to help you just do a google search.mate some time it is just as easy to download limewire and download the songs off the internet i have never come across a song you cannot get some times you might have to search at different times, good hunting , ps if you have any trouble maybe i could email you dags
AnswerID: 181757

Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 13:25

Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006 at 13:25
Thanks dags,

Looks like I'm not alone, will have a lash and see if I hit the wall.

Kind regards

Theo
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FollowupID: 438069

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