How can I take LPs and covert them to CDs using my computer?

Question

My Turntable has RCA jacks and my pc doesn't. Is there a cable that is RCA on one side and USB on the other? Also what program would I need to use in order to achieve this?

Answer 1

There's a cable that has two RCA jacks (red and white) on one side and there's a 3.5mm jack on the other side, to plug into your "line-in" hole in the back of your computer. (If necessary you can use the "mic" hole too).
here's an example of what the cable looks like
http://217.205.137.242/images/Belkin/OR1230000015088.jpg
I bought one from wal-mart that looked more trendier than this one, but they're basically the same. Find them at an electronics department or an electronics store.

Once you connect the LP player to your computer, anything you play can be recorded.

A free recording audio editing program is Audacity.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

To record properly you need to make sure the software is recording from the right source, which is easy to test. Just record something for a few seconds, then play it back. There's a drop-down box in Audacity that has different sources to choose from. You want "line-in" if that's what you used to plug your jack into.

Also to record properly you need to make sure the volume isn't too loud or soft. If it's too soft, you'll have to turn it up really loud and you'll get a lot of that empty white noise in the background. If it's too loud, the sound gets distorted. You can get the perfect volume with a little practice. The software I recommended will have two bars that measures the volume. There should be a little block at the end of the bars that turns red when the volume gets high enough. Start by making the volume low (coming from your LP player). Low enough that the volume doesn't go into the red at all. Just play 15 seconds or so of normal music to see where it hits. After that you can increase it little by little so the volume hits the red sometimes, but it still falls down a little bit too.

It's a good idea to try out the recording level anyway to see how it sounds. To do so, record a segment of music and listen to it back (you can listen right in the program there.) Make sure the volume of your computer speakers is good enough that you can hear it, first. If it doesn't sound crystal clear then you probably need to lower the volume of your LP player a bit. If you have to turn up your computer speakers to hear the music and you hear a lot of "white noise" in the background then it's too low. It's up to you how perfect you want to make it. Record a small segment then play it back to see. You can also move the volume knob on your LP player WHILE you're recording so you can see the full spectrum of how it can be recorded. (For instance start at no volume at all, then every 10 seconds move the volume up 1 notch. Then when you listen back if the sound is perfect from the 50 to the 60-second mark, then you know 5 notches is the perfect volume.)

Once you get the right volume, obviously you can record the entire album while you're away from your computer then come back when it's done. It's ok to have blank recording at the beginning or end, because we can cut that off when you're done.

Once you're done you'll have a big long recording. You can zoom in and out to get a closer look at the graphic. You have to use the editor to cut off any unwanted portions, like in the front and back, and to cut the recording into individual songs.

To cut off the front and the end take the mouse and click and drag over the front of the recording that is blank. You should be able to recognize it by just a steady line. Use the zoom in our out to see it better, and you can click on any section and hit play to hear the actual music (watch the bar as it moves over the graphic). Once you get the front silence selected, go to the 'edit' menu and click 'delete'.

Do the same procedure for the silence at the end. Make sure you're not cutting off actual music. If you make a mistake, just go to 'edit' then 'undo' to undo the last change you made.

After both of those you should have just what you want, except it's not split up yet.

Most music has enough of a pause between tracks that you'll actually be able to see the graphic go to silence where the tracks should be split. If you're not sure if it's the right place just move the cursor to that portion of the music and play it (remember to use zoom).

1. Click to place the cursor at the start of the first song.
2. Choose “Add Label at Selection” from the Project menu. If you wish, you can type the name of the song.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each song.


Once you're done that you should double-check to make sure you made the right amount of splits. Just count the blocks of music between the them.

Once you're set, go to 'edit' - 'preferences' and go to the 'file formats' tab. Find the mp3 setting. It's probably set at 128 -- you should change this to at least 192 (if you know more about mp3 bitrates you can do whatever you're comfortable with.) 192 doesn't take up too much space and it sounds good. Click ok.

Go to this website and download "lame_enc.dll" and save it to your desktop. I'm sorry about this part, I just became aware of it, you'll see why you need it. Now back in Audacity go to "Export Multiple” from the File menu. Change the format to MP3 and click OK. It will say something about lame and you'll hit yes to locate it, which it is on your desktop where you saved it.

Now your music will be saved in mp3 form. It will take awhile. You can name the tracks later by renaming the way you would with any file in windows.

Not everything was perfect, so if you want to contact me about something just email or im me, I'm kikikicombobreaker-at-yahoo-dot-com

Answer 2

If memory serves correctly, a turntable requires an amp/tuner. Plugging it straight into your PC will very likely net you no sound at all.

It's been over 10 years since I've done this, so I don't recall everything. What I did was buy a RCA cord with 1/4" jack on one end, female RCA plugs on the other. I took that, plugged it into the headphone jack of my A/V receiver. I also bought an RCA cord with 1/8" jack on one end and male RCA plugs on the other. Hooked them up with the first RCA cord/plugs. Then plugged the 1/8" end into my sound card's line-in jack.

I'm guessing that in the past 10 years, they've made a way to separate the left and right signals with separate jacks. However, I haven't had to buy a sound card in such a long time that I'm not positive of this.

Answer 3

USB is NOT what you want.

Check your sound card.

If it has a "line-in" connection, (MOST newer ones do), all you need is an adaptor cable with RCA plugs on 1 end and the correct Line connector on the other. (Wal-Mart has them in some stores.)

The Line-In connector is quite compatible to the majority of turntables, since it was designed specifically for that type of use, just like a stereo line-in connection.
NOTE: The Line-in is NOT the microphone connector!!

If it does NOT have a line-in connector; you can, with proper adaptors to match things up, use the Mic input. (NOTE: MOST mic inputs are NOT stereo however.)

As to a program, MOST OS's have a sound recorder program. Learn to use it.

Answer 4

You need to find some sort of adapter to convert RCA into a 3.5 mm stereo jack (like on headphones). This will plug into the "Line-In" plug (next to the speaker plug and the mic plug in the back). Then download a free program called Audacity. It is very easy to do.

Answer 5

Ask BestBuy, they probably have a converter of some sort to fit between the diiferent cable types.

Answer 6

I see what most people have written but they may forget older Turn tables need an Amp to play them. if you do not have a Turntable check out this out found it on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FB44VA?ie=UTF8&tag=mountainrides-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000FB44VA