Vinyl to CD / MP3 the easy way.

http://www.djstore.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.pl?item=ionittusb

"Ion has created the worlds first USB turntable allowing you to convert
your old vinyl collection directly to CD or MP3 with the included
recording software - with no special drivers required. The ION USB
turntable includes Audacity software for Mac/PC for recording as well as
a trial of Bias Soundsoap 2 for cleaning and restoring vinyl.

This turntable also has line level output for connecting to any home
stereo with CD or auxiliary (AUX) inputs.


Looks like an interesting bit of kit for £119.

 

*Very* interesting I'd say.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# I've forgotten

 

I feel a need for one. It might have to wait a while but it'll happen.

 

But but but Champ and I [1] achieved the same thing this morning by
connecting the "line-out" from his amp into the "line-in" on his PC and
running a bit of software on the PC to record it.

OK, not quite as neat a solution as the Ion, but as I suspect you would
use this kit once per album to create a CD copy rather continue to play
vinyl through your PC, the straight forward line in and record approach
is a much cheaper way for Champ to re-media his Cameo 12-inchers.

Now if the Ion played both sides like the old Sharp and Sony turntables,
and had a built in CD writer so it was a one-touch operation, that would
be a far better proposition, especially if you had a lot of records.

[1] Champ was in the role of doing, I was in the role of standing and
asking "are you sure?" every few minutes

 

Missing the point somewhat.
Vinyl was/is an interesting and exciting format, right from the cover
sleeves to laying the record carefully down on the turntable, and cranking
it on a decent deck, such that you get an almost live experience of the
music. Its an anologue interpretation. Its not just about the noise aspect
off the needle but I suppose that its all part of the mix.
I think it could be said you could almost enjoy a perverse sense of pleasure
on sticking on vinyl records, which can't be said of the latest media. I
guess its the close association with PVC !

MP3 and digital music of all kinds has always been as dull as dishwater, if
not digitially perfect and consistent in performance.
So what are you going to achieve by digitising an analogue signal to digital
exactly, that you might better get by buying the CD.
The only point I can see to this, is to keep rare music alive that will
otherwise be lost to an obsolete format obviously, but if that same format
is available on cd or other digital formats I really don't see the point of
this technology. Such a lot of unusual and rare shit circulates the internet
P2P that I'd be surprised at any problem in this respect though.

Just get a better deck minus the MP3 conversion, and convert through PC if
necessary like Gyp suggested.

 

It would also be better if it was a half-decent turntable. if you get
the enhanced package it has a 'replacement stylus twin pack'. Hardly
sounds like a 'quality' piece of kit really.

 

Swot I fort. It's easy enough to achieve without any special kit

 

Does the supplied software comes on vinyl?

 

Don't know but Whinging Courier might if it was the right design of
settee.

 

And it doesn't have a 78 setting either :-(

 

What I really want is for someone to lend/hire me a decent turntable
for 6 months so I can transcribe my entire collection and have done
with it.

 

I have an elderly akai unit that I haven't been able to part with, its been
with me for 10 years at the very least (probably 15) and 10 with my father
before that probably. Its at my old address but thinking of collecting it to
use. Cost about £1000 new but that was somewhere between 1970-80's.
Finding a "decent" turntable probably isn't so difficult nowadays (if you
avoid the nostalgia related cheap crap). Since any turntable made nowadays
will be aimed at an enthuisiast rather than the mass-market.

My akai has been solid as a fucking rock, the Vinyl side sat atop a full
rack mount of seperates.
(This kind of setup takes up a fucking ton of space, however).
The only problem is the turntable (top quality, adjustable speed +- and very
solid balancing etc) had the motor blow more than a few moon ago which was
purely down to being a kid and abusing the direction of the spin I think and
I just haven't been arsed to look at possibilities of fixing it!
The rest of the unit however has proved impossible to seperate with.
Bearing in mind with these units at least you stand some chance of it being
serviceable.

We also acquired another Akai very similar to the above, thats in use in our
main room coupled to compact wall mounted NAD's and is fucking loud, never
been past one or two. That does have turntable just that I haven't forked
out for a needle which is required.
If we had more money, I would probably get a black modern unit which could
never expect the same lifespan and regret it since I think highly of these
extremely well-made music centres of the past, for durability and solidness
of feel alone. No remotes though!

I guess what with more and more space being sacrified in the search for a
zen existance however, I guess these old dinosaurs ( like old bikes) dont
have much of a home - unless appreciated for what they still are.

 

What you want is some proper boys toys instead from Ion, like the electronic
pad drum kit I bought. (IED01, ~IRO £230).

Not the best kit to look at in your home, not the best electronic drum kit -
or aimed at any kind of pro level perhaps, and won't last forever.
On the plus side, reasonably quiet (compared to a full drum kit), quite
cheap, and really quite good fun and stress relief !!