[ale] OT:Digitizing my old vinyl

[Scott Castaline]

On 08/21/2009 09:15 AM, Geoffrey wrote:
> Sean McNealy wrote:
>> Fundamentally, you're sampling an analog signal somewhere and
>> digitizing it.  Your sound card is made to do this with a line-in or
>> mic plug and sends digital data over PCI or however it's connecting.
>> A USB turntable does this in the turntable and sends the digital data
>> over USB.  So in the end, you gain nothing from one method over the
>> other.  It's all about the quality of the A/D conversion hardware,
>> like sampling rate.
>>
>> Where a good recording might matter:  You can run equalizers and other
>> filters, like trying to remove hiss or clicks, over your recording.  I
>> never found this really useful in toying with it, the original
>> recording sounded better with what I was trying.  Maybe someone here
>> can point you to something better.
>>
>> Where a good recording does not matter:  You're probably converting to
>> MP3.  Your sound chip that came on the motherboard, while it's pretty
>> bad, is more than enough to make a good MP3.  Anything more gets taken
>> out to compress the file.
>>
>> Just to make sure you know, your current turntable outputs the same
>> analog data your computer's line-in jack reads.  It's just a matter of
>> getting (or making) the correct wire.
>
> So you're saying that I can bypass my amp and simply plug my turntable
> directly into my sound card?  I've already got the cable to plug my amp
> into my sound card.  All I need is set of sex change adapters and I
> should be good then?
>
>>
>> As a note, your sound card and probably most USB turntables, record in
>> stereo, so you're losing any quadraphonic data.
>>
>> -Sean
>>
>> On Thu, Aug 20, 2009 at 4:18 PM, Scott Castaline<skotchman at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>> Ok, any audiophiles on the list? Looking to replace my old turntable
>>> with something that will work both as a regular turntable hooked up to
>>> my stereo amp (which does have a phono input) and that will also allow
>>> me to plug into my PC for recording through Audacity. I was looking at
>>> USB turntables, then I ran into a link for a DAK setup that includes a
>>> mixer/preamp and turntable that allows plugging into the Line In on a
>>> sound card.
>>>
>>> http://www.dak.com/reviews/2020story.cfm?Ref=G&PM=LPCD&type=GSrch&Srh=turntable_with_USB&gclid=CKP9wqOCs5wCFSBN5QodYVr9mw#in
>>>
>>> Am I better off using this type of configuration or does USB work just
>>> as well?
>>>
>>> Anyone have any experience with this site?
>>>
>>> Looking for opinions
>>>
>>> TIA
>>> Scott
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>
>
If it has a built in preamp you can go directly into your sound card 
line in. If not it'll sound real low in volume.