Going digital
I don’t have time to write anything today.
I’m too busy copying my old LP collection into digital whatsits.
You see, I do most of my listening on modern stuff like computers or televisions or even digital radios so having a dirty great stack of hi-fi stuff cluttering up the corner of the room is a bit silly.
Digitising LPs is quite a tedious job.
It starts off at the top of the pile in the record deck.
It then drops down through the black bux underneath where it is amplified a little bit and then on down to the laptop on the floor.
When the laptop has done its work recording, I then copy all the files to the little box to the right of the laptop. That’s one of my two Terror Biters, or whatever they’re called.
You will notice that the whole setup is gravity fed, which I think is quite clever?
When everything is done I will connect the black box to this machine and then the fun begins – I have to process all the files [there will be eight of ‘em as I’m currently working on a four LP box set].
I’ll have to split the files into the individual tracks and then label each one with the things like Track name, Artist, Number of the side and stuff like that.
I reckon I should have it finished by Wednesday [next year].
I’m sort of fond of the record deck and the amplifier. The are part of a full kit that included speakers, a cassette deck and a tuner which I bought with my first wage packet in 1971. Surprisingly they all still work, apart from the main volume control being a bit erratic and the bearings have gone in the cassette deck motor.
Leastwise you can see how I have my hands full for a while, and why I won’t be writing anything today.
So, that wasn’t writing anything was it?
Interesting. Nice pic though.
Gravity feed is great – I use it a lot for drinking wine.
What happened to the “edit” option?
gravity fed *smack* thats what i was doing wrong!
Yup. Gravity is yer only man. I can’t fathom why it isn’t used more. Mind you, I suppose if everyone used it, it would soon be depleted. Then where would we be? Apart from floating in space that is.
Mossy – Probably one of those plugy inny things that I removed because it was dragging the site to a crawl.
Ah okay – it was slow I agree.
Also remember, if gravity gets too popular it might get to the gubmits attaention and then there would be legislation and bannings and stuff.
I am glad that you are not writing anything today as I will be too busy to read it.
A Grandad – I don’t think people realise the trouble I go to to accommodate them. I just knew you’d be busy today.
You had to mention how useful gravity was. Now the government will start to tax it. Needing to increase revenue, they will start to raise gravity and the next thing you know we will all be flat on the floor struggling against several G’s.
I’ve done a lot of this stuff. I can’t make out from your picture whether you are running Sound Forge or Audacity to do the recording, but if you can get a copy, AIPL Singulator is just about the best software you can get for this, it splits the tracks automatically and applies hiss/crackle noise reduction too. Its a very old program but runs fine on all versions of Windows.
As for labelling, I usually save the mp3 files in a folder with the album name, which is in a folder with the artist name, eg. \Artist\Album\Track 01.mp3.
Then I use MP3Tag to get the information automatically from the internet (http://www.mp3tag.de/en). Should you need any help drop me an e-mail.
i am surprised at you. I figured you for a vinyl playing die hard like myself. I burnt my toast this morning. Y’all feel free to use it for anti government rants.
After a right skin full, I often use gravity to get from the couch to the floor. It works every time and I have never once fallen up. Once on the floor though, I also seem to forget why I wanted to be down there in the first place. My son, on the other hand, discovered at a young age how to fall UP the stairs. At nineteen and six foot plus, he can still do it, so it must be like riding a bike.
So u fell for it n all, ..so did the man. looks exactly like what the other half has in the spare room., R u sure your not in my spare room GD?
FGS won’t be able to go to bed tonight for worring.
Ripper – Audacity. And thanks for the advice and offer, but unfortunately Singulator isn’t available for Linux. I use EasyTAG for my tag editing [excellent and free]. As for saving – I use one folder per artist and bung everything into that. Works just fine.
tt – I still am a vinyl man. It’s nice to have a backup though in case of scratches and the like Just call it Grandkid Insurance.
John – Falling up stairs is a very rare talent. I hope you are suitably proud of him, and encourage him at every opportunity?
Jan M – Ehhh, what? You have me very confused. Have I dropped back into that other damned universe again?
I like the record player in the picture. I have nothing against ‘going digital’ and all that technology, but I am a bit nostalgic about the good ole record players of my teenage youth. In recent years record players have made a small comeback through the marketing of twee replica players made of mock-oak wood. They are intended to be decorative, like the big wooden wirelesses that graced corner tables in sitting rooms until the emergence of portable transistor radios in the early 1960s. Some music snobs, especially classical buffs, have said that the 12-inch vinyl LPs (long-playing records that revolved on the turntable 33 times per minute (called rpm) gave a more authentic sound than the new improved CDs that rendered them almost obselete.
Whatever about all that, enjoy lots of good digital listening grandad.
Remember when the music came from wooden boxes……..
http://youtu.be/jVGgtZ4Qda4
Ger – Ah The good old wireless! That brings back memories of Athlone, Luxembourg and Hilversum!! Not to mention those little “magic eye” glowing yokes for tuning? There is actually a valid excuse in preferring vinyl, as digitising sound for CDs means compression which in turn means a degrading of quality. It’s not much, but it’s there. Yeterday I digitised four LPs and ended up with something like 15Gb of files. After compression the files were only 160Mb. Something had to lose out there!
Meltemian – Hah! Nothing like a home made instrument!
@ meltemian – Thanks for Harry Chapin video, one of the good guys from the good ole days!
I’m glad that grandad supports the view that vinyl LP records gave a more authentic musical sound than the new improved compact discs, CDs.
Have any readers tried the new Brennan gadget that copies all your old CDs and cassette tapes and stores them as a library for playing at will? This new invention has been advertised in the posh Sunday newspaper supplements for some time now. I’d be interested to have personal responses to it before I consider buying. Can vinyl LP records be copied onto it as well?