smoe.org mailing lists
ivan@stellysee.de
| From | Brian Curtis <brioohs@sbcglobal.net> |
| Subject | Re: CD recorder |
| Date | Mon, 14 Jun 2004 21:10:50 -0500 |
[Part 1 text/plain US-ASCII (3.5 kilobytes)]
(View Text in a separate window)
on 6/14/04 7:00 PM, audities-owner@smoe.org at audities-owner@smoe.org
wrote:
> PS I could also use my ProTools for vinyl transfer, but that's another
> story...
Well, gee, I do use ProTools for vinyl transfer - minus denoising software.
I don't have any plug-in for that, but if you use a high transfer rate, and
keep your overall levels nice and hot you generally won't notice. This is
probably the case with ANY audio software. The flexibility of using a
computer to do this kind of work is what attracts me, as opposed to a
hardware device with limited capabilities. Copying cassettes is far easier
than vinyl as the hiss can be filtered out and you don't have the random
surface noise that comes with the physical response of stylus against vinyl
(plus the debris that collects there).
In the event there are big "pops" or "clicks" I have a sneaky method that
seems to work quite well. Generally on most audio software programs you can
see a graphical display of the waveform, and more often than not you can
also stretch that display to pinpoint a specific section of the track. When
you do so, you're looking at a very small piece of time stretched out in a
large picture. You can then hone in on the offending "pop," highlight it
and digitally edit it by lowering the gain of only the "pop" leaving the
material around it alone. It is a time-consuming process to be certain, but
if there is no other source to work with (and I do recommend thoroughly
cleaning the record beforehand - I actually have used eyeglass cleaner which
seems to do quite well - plus try to have a decent stylus on the turntable),
this is a good way to remove the most offensive noises.
Another thing I recommend is recording one side of an LP at a time, and then
highlight, copy and paste your individual songs into new tracks for cleanup
and editing. This saves wear and tear on the vinyl, and since we're
supposed to let the vinyl sit between playing sides (the plastic "breathes"
or so I'm told) you can work on the edits before transferring side two. I
also recommend trimming the dead air from the start of songs (easy to do
with the graphic display), and adding your own new fade on the end of songs.
This will lessen the more obvious unwanted artifacts and put silence where
it is intended.
Also if you do not have a proper preamp between the turntable and your
computer inputs, you won't likely be getting the best sound. Younger folks
won't likely know that there is a RIAA standard for turntable
preamplification that has been used for years by all manufacturers when
making receivers & stereo amps. It includes a preset response curve - if
you don't have it, it won't sound quite right. The best bet is to use the
old tape outs on your receiver to route into the computer, since chances are
you don't likely have a cassette deck anymore anyway (and most likely there
are two tape monitor channels on the receiver).
I know that this obviously sounds like a lot of work for those who just want
to have a copy of their old vinyl on CD, but if the material you're
transferring means a lot to you it's worth the time and trouble. I'd like
to think that most of us here on Audities are a tad obsessive about what we
choose to listen to, and I do mean that in a good way. Besides, there's
still a lot of stuff out there that will likely NEVER make it to digital for
one reason or another, and for that reason alone I'm willing to work a
little for future pleasure. Good luck and above all, have fun!
Brioohs
For assistance, please contact
the smoe.org administrators.