Ostriig on 9/8/2009 at 22:34

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My dad's got this old vinyl record that I'd like to record to my computer, but I've never done that before and I've got a couple of problems.

First off, there's the matter of hooking the thing up. I was thinking of pulling my signal off the amplifier, rather than the player. Now, I haven't had a chance to take a look behind the amp, but there should obviously be an RCA pin stereo output on the amp that goes into the casette recorder that's part of the deck, and I already have 2xRCA to 3.5mm Jack cables.

But where would I plug that output that's meant for the casette recorder? I'm guessing it would be in the computer's line level audio-in, not the microphone audio-in, right? And if I were to record directly from the record player rather than the amp, then I'd have to use the microphone in?

The other issue is the recording software. As I said, I've never done this before, and while I'm going to be feeding it all into just my integrated audio, I suspect there are better options out there than the Windows Sound Recorder. Can anyone recommend some free software for this? Something to yield as good a quality as can be expected, given the on-board hardware, and at the same time be fairly easy and quick to learn (I've only got one week to sort all this out)?

Fafhrd on 10/8/2009 at 00:38

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The RCA -> 3.5mm cable goes in the line-in regardless of whether it's from the receiver or the turntable. I use Creative's sound recorder software because it has some built in noise removal options, which are pretty much necessary for an older record, and then I adjust the levels a bit and cut it into tracks in Audacity.

Obviously if you're using on-board sound you can't use Creative's sound recorder, so try Audacity for the whole thing (I couldn't figure out how to get Audacity to record in stereo. Taking two mono tracks and combining them into a stereo track I can do, but the actual recording just didn't work.)

Ostriig on 10/8/2009 at 12:29

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theBlackman, I'd be recording off the deck output of a Sansui AU-217 amplifier (not the player itself, an Akai AP-D210), the feed that goes into the cassette recorder. I'm mostly stabbing in the dark here, but I'm guessing that the signal would come from the record player and then go through pre-amplification before being routed to other instruments in the deck (i.e. the feed I want to tap) or being amplified for the loudspeakers? So would I still need to boost it?

I'm also confused about what you meant with a "WYE" cable? The output on the amp consists of 2x female RCA. So I figure I just need one cable, twin male RCA on one end, and a male Jack on the other for the PC's line-in.

Fafhrd, just downloaded Audacity, thanks. Gave it a test run with the iPod jacked into the line-in, looks simple enough, but I couldn't test stereo as the only Jack-Jack cable I've got is mono.

If I can't get it to work stereo, what did you mean by recording each channel separately? As in, keep just one RCA pin plugged in at a time, and then combine the feeds? That could be a real bitch to sync up.

Biker, yeah, that does look like the easiest solution, but I don't know anyone with something like that, and I only want to copy this one record.

theBlackman on 10/8/2009 at 18:17

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THAT IS A "WYE" Pronounced WHY and equaling a Y

Your system is standard, and if you are using the deck output, you can go straight into the computer from there. The line out on a tape deck or stereo system is a high enough output level to use the AUX/LINE IN on your computer. The output volume from the deck is set and feeds into the Stereo system where the speaker volume is controlled. If you go directly from the stereo (tape deck) to your computer you control the volume at the computer.

You can also use the HEADPHONE/EARPHONE output from stereo or tape systems, CD players and iPods etc. into the linein/aux of your computer.

If you set the TAPEDECK at RECORD>PAUSE and feed the phono signal into it, you then just go directly to the computer with the "Y". The overall volume is balanced by using the record in volume at the tapedeck and the output/input on the computer. If you have a stereo system with a amp-preamp that everything plugs into, you can use the lineout in the amp, or the Headphone/earphone out. Or, as I said feed it into the amp, with the control set for PHONO, and the tape recorder set on RECORD/PAUSE and then feed the signal out the tapedeck LINE OUT.

The best volumes with least distortion are between half to 3/4 of the input output controls.

Or if you record from that into an iPod or similar, then use the EARPHONE out on your iPod etc. into the computer, and set the iPod/device EAR out volume about 50% and balance the computer RECORD volume to a satisfactory level.

Aja on 11/8/2009 at 01:05

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I do this all the time with my amp. A lot of the older amps have recording outputs. On mine it acts as a line out, bypassing volume, tone controls, etc. It works pretty well. Just make sure the record is as clean as possible before you try it. Sucks when a recording picks up a hair or a piece of dust or something that could easily be removed.