Vinyl to digital using Linux part 2

Following on from my last post where I described my set up now comes the bit where you should, if all goes according to plans produce some music on your computer from your vinyl.

When you have all the hardware and software set up and ready to go the process should be simple but there may be one or two problems.

The one that I have encountered a couple of times, is a strange screech. I simply restarted the recording to get rid of it. I have no idea what it is.

The other problem was when I first started recording but the problem is solved by moving the start indicator past the '0' on the bar that shows the recording (the waving line sound level, no idea what its called).


To get the recording simply play the record as normal and press the red record. If all goes well you should have the music play through the computer speakers and you should see the indicator on Audacity progress as well while the recording takes place.

When finished you are faced with the task of splitting up the recording into separate tracks. This is normally very easy unless the tracks run into each other like the one I had yesterday. When you zoom out of the bar with the recording you should see the large areas of noise separated at intervals. The picture below shows what a tracks look like with the intervals with a single track highlighted (shaded area).

Once you have done one track the rest are simple to do.

Do NOT delete anything at any stage, it will mess things up.

The following steps will hopefully lead through the process. If not let me and I will make the changes.

1. Mark the beginning of the track to be saved.

2. Hold the left click on the mouse and move the curser to the end of the area to be saved. It should be shaded as in the picture.

3. Create a folder to save the track so that you can have the album in one place. I simply have the band and album title.

4. Go to file and click on Export Selection (this means just the shaded area will be saved/exported).

5. When the file window open, name the track/file, song title is normal in this instance.

6. Once you click save, that window will go and a new one will appear. This will enable you to enter the import stuff, basically the metadata for the track. Once the information is in, click save.

7. That track is done, now repeat for the next track.

Suggestions for improving these instructions are welcome and will be edited in.



Nighthawk

Vinyl to digital using Linux part 1

Its just one of those things where you want to listen to a favorite track while in the car or working away but it is on vinyl back at home. Often I really need to hear a track because it is stuck in my mind or I'm in the mood for it but its not on my phone or computer and I know full well that I have it on vinyl so recently I did something that I have been meaning to do for some time. Got my turn table connected to my computer. Or laptop to be precise.

This will be part 1 of 2 parts. The actual setting up and recording.

Part 2 will be separating the results into the separate tracks and saving them as individual songs instead of one big track.

Hardware

Apart from the obvious laptop the only additional hardware is a turn table (I used the one connected to my sony midi hi-fi but any standard turntable should work).

The important bit for this to work, is a USB Audio Phono Preamp. I use one by Pinnacle systems which came with Steinberg Clean plus version 5. I got this years ago (when I still had XP that got deleted one drunken night). I get really good results with this set up.

Audio File Type.

Audacity start as .ogg as the default but you can change this to what feel is more convenient or works best on your music device.

Software

For this I used what appears to be the standard software: Audacity or at least that is what I have found to be the standard in audio recording with Linux.

To actually get started you need to check a number of things are set right in software.

1. Before you launch Audacity turn your turn table so that software picks up on start up, otherwise it won't be work.

2. Click on the Device Toolbar and check that USB Audio CODEC is set as the recording devices and that the default sound card that you use is also selected.

Also makes sure that the recording channels are set on 2 (stereo).

3. You will also want to have software play through clicked on so that you can hear if  its actually get through. (Also means that you can listen to the music). This is where having more memory pays off because it doesn't work at all well on the old laptop or the desktop with 2gb.

4. In the mixer toolbar, turn the left-hand output volume slider up.

The right-hand volume slider can be used to vary the volume/loudness of the recording it self.

5. Also, make sure that the Project Rate botton is set to 44 100 Hz.

Right, that should now make it all work,

Now start playing the record and press the red button to record.

Play and record the whole of the record as this is a lot easier than doing each track.

In part 2 I will deal with what to do with the recording.


Nighthawk