Ripping My Vinyl - How I Do It.

Just a quick video showing how I rip my vinyl records using my PC, a record deck, and a small audio mixer.

Following certain comments - Yes, I'm using mp3s. Yes, I'm aware that there are higher quality formats available, but mp3s suit my purposes and sound just fine to my low-fidelity ears. Quit being audio elitists... I'm not interested in what I "could" or "should" be using. That's not the point of this video.

[cfs]

MP3 is actually a very high-quality audio format. That, and it taking up so little space is THE reason it has become so popular.

Oh, and thank you for uploading this.

[BenwaysWorld]

+Gregg Kowbasa I'm not an audio elitist. I use mp3 as it's the format I'm most familiar with, and which works with every gadget I care to put it onto. It sounds good to my ears, and honestly, that's all that matters.

[electricadventures]

Wouldn't mind one of those mixtures be very handy.
That's a really cool way to get a sample of the noise and then remove it from the track, never thought of doing it that way. I really need to learn more about audio!

[shockz]

Pretty cool method, thanks for the video as I might have some vinyl that'll need ripping in the future &  "low-tech, low-budget" is right up my ally. I also used to use audacity a lot so the fact I can use that software to record/edit the audio is a winner too. :)

[amigaoldskool]

Nice demonstration Steve .. this will be the exactly same way I'll be ripping my vinyl to MP3

[riteasrain]

Handy info re noise removal. Always get a little confused on how to do that in Audacity, so very helpful. Also re export selection, good tip.

[Trusteft]

This looks vaguely similar to how I used to record mod files from my ST to audio cassettes.  Very nice.

[Jack-jyci]

Thanks for answering my question Steve! 

[AdiSneakerFreak]

Ahhh Benners I've been agonising getting back into vinyl this week, RS do some fantastic cool looking turntables for just a few hundred pounds, but I don't really have room on my hi-fi reg... darn it

[wrestletube]

This is similar to my method but instead of the mixer I just do a straight line in with a 2 to 1 jack this is so it records in the real vinyl settings of treble and bass because of course I let my hifi do all that crap. I do it from the same BUSH deck as well by the way.

Then I take a sample of crackle from the into or outro and copy it into the noise remover in audacity before highlighting the full track then activating the removal in the same menu of noise remover "warning the sample has to be on a tune free area if there is still a faint music in your sample it will ruin the track same with tape" then I go back to the same area and press play again if there is noise still in the picture take the sample again  don't use the same sample again or it will ruin the track and rinse and repeat until the noise is totally black and be sure to check the music for music loss because if it sounds lossy you would have to undo your removals until you get the sound that has broken back.

After I did all that repeat and precise as much as I can without it ruining the sound repeated noise removing to complete silence thats when remove the black bits completely from the track when the noise is gone if all goes well and have no loss in the track now I have a completely clean track.

I then do a normalize as 1 channel is louder than the other in the recording as thats what line in does it will correct my channel volumes to match each other.

Next because I have FFMPEG installed I save my track in the superior M4A/MP4/AAC whatever you prefer to call it format on full 500 saving quality and as everything supports MP4 now even CD burning programs and MP3 is sort of a dying format these days so I no longer use it thats what I use these days the ITunes format in the optional FFMPEG installers for Audacity as it sounds way better and crisp to previous Mpeg encoders at the 320 48000 format which was my old way.

The filesize for a max mp4 is also lower than a max mp3 dispite having a better bitrate so mp4 is definitely my fave format now.

I also like to do the actual recording part in 32-Bit Wave as thats important to archeive max quality in your mp3 or mp4 conversion as recording in max quality is always important for the noise removing portion to keep a good quality during that part.

I actually use both mp3/4 still but I'm definitely more on the mp4 side in the way of better filesize with improved sound over mp3 at the same time these day plus with everything these days excepting the format why not.

And thats how I do it basiclly. Similar method but different tweeks to suit me better.

[mikkdc]

I use Audacity too. Easily the best free audio editing software out there. It even out performs a lot of the pricey retail packages too.

[SmoothEmJay]

I did say pretty much what Gregg said, then saw your reply to Gregg so now I'm removing it ;) lol. No shouty Benway thanks.

[PaniniMattGFC]

Put your hand together for the one and only the mixmaster on the decks Give it up for DJ BENWAY

[worldgate]

But couldnt you just rip an audio cd instead?

[xboxmodder]

ewww crappy MP3.Why not FLAC??? which is lossless.MP3s are awful.