Digitising LP Records and Cassettes

[QuarryHunslet]

I have around 500+ LP Records, and around 200+ Compact Cassettes that I would like to digitise.

I'm looking for suggestions and recommendations as to which equipment and software would be most suitable.

Many years ago, I used a simple software package called Polderbits Sound Recorder and Editor. This was only available for Windows PC, and after I moved over to using and preferring a Mac in 2015, this software was no longer available to me. I did try Audacity at the time, but didn't like it, and I found it to be over complicated compared to the Polderbits that I was used to.

Many years later, I'm still using MacOS, but do also have a mini PC running Windows 11 that I could use for this if it would be better.

I will probably be using my Rega P2 connected to Rega Fono Mini A2D MK 2, this has a USB B output with level control, and I could connect this directly to my Mac / PC.
I have a Nakamichi CR-3 for the cassettes, but I presume that I would need some sort of capture device or audio interface to connect this to my Mac / PC?

I'm looking for recommended hardware and software, which will enable me to carry out this laborious task.

Thanks for reading this far.

 

[Burnside]

I have previously used a NAD PP4 and the excellent VinylStudio software from AlpineSoft. @d6jg has done something similar - see

https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/recording-audio-with-the-wiim-ultra.4240/post-69059

 

[jfbuk]

Two suggestions for software to look at

Audacity
VinylStudio

Record LPs and Tapes to CD and MP3 on your PC or Macintosh

VinylStudio software makes it easy to transfer your records and tapes to CD and MP3. Runs on both PC and Macintosh Computers and includes a full set of sound cleaning filters.

www.alpinesoft.co.uk

VinylStudio in particular has some some smart functionality to split and auto name tracks using Discogs as an online resource.

In terms of hardware I would go for turntable with USB output just for ease of digitising.

Or something like a

Behringer | Product | UCA222

www.behringer.com

Would help with your cassette deck and a turntable with just RCA outputs

 

[Burnside]

I also have the benefit of having a Linn amp and a software package called Songcorder which allows my PC to wirelessly capture anything my Linn amp is playing, even the 24/192 digitised stream from an attached turntable. Again, I used VinylStudio to split, label and tidy up the ripped tracks.

 

[Musician]

I have around 500+ LP Records, and around 200+ Compact Cassettes that I would like to digitise.

I'm looking for suggestions and recommendations as to which equipment and software would be most suitable.

Many years ago, I used a simple software package called Polderbits Sound Recorder and Editor. This was only available for Windows PC, and after I moved over to using and preferring a Mac in 2015, this software was no longer available to me. I did try Audacity at the time, but didn't like it, and I found it to be over complicated compared to the Polderbits that I was used to.

Many years later, I'm still using MacOS, but do also have a mini PC running Windows 11 that I could use for this if it would be better.

I will probably be using my Rega P2 connected to Rega Fono Mini A2D MK 2, this has a USB B output with level control, and I could connect this directly to my Mac / PC.
I have a Nakamichi CR-3 for the cassettes, but I presume that I would need some sort of capture device or audio interface to connect this to my Mac / PC?

I'm looking for recommended hardware and software, which will enable me to carry out this laborious task.

Thanks for reading this far.

You can download Audacity for your Mac , do a 2 channel recording an see If the recording result is as good sounding as the vinyl turntable. After the recording you can edit it with normalisation to 0 dB .

 

[Burnside]

You can download Audacity for your Mac , do a 2 channel recording a see If the recording result is as good sounding as the vinyl turntable. After the recording you can edit it with normalisation to 0 dB .

I’d tend to agree with @QuarryHunslet’s dislike of Audacity and over-complexity expressed in their opening post

 

[QuarryHunslet]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, you have given me a few ideas to do some further research into.

My previous efforts at digitising LP records involved using my Pioneer PDR-609 compact disc recorder to record to a special CD-r Music disc, as the recorder will not record to standard data CDs.

 

[jed1]

About 10 years ago, I and my team at a church archived collection of sermons recorded in cassette tapes with TASCAM CD / Tape recorders. We used 5 of these recorders to capture tapes to CD-R. We broke several of these recorders - we literally ran them 24/7 to complete the project in short time.

https://tascam.com/us/support/download?product=CD-A580

The workflow was;

1. TASCAM recorder to copy Tape to CD-R (Audio) with auto reverse on
2. Exact Audio Copy to rip CD into WAV files
3. Audacity to divide tracks and output to WAV files
4. LAME to encode WAV into variable bit rate MP3 file
5. MP3 tag to add meta data to MP3 files
6. iTunes to create a master playlist and transport MP3 files to iPod

You don't need some of the above steps but it is manual intensive work and things will break for large scale archive project. I would buy an extended warranty on the recorder.

Good luck

 

[jfbuk]

if you do need to identify and add metadata to your digitised tracks

MusicBrainz Picard

Official website for MusicBrainz Picard, a cross-platform music tagger written in Python.

picard.musicbrainz.org

Might be useful as it can search its database of acoustic signatures for a match
A bit like Shazzam

 

[QuarryHunslet]

if you do need to identify and add metadata to your digitised tracks

MusicBrainz Picard

Official website for MusicBrainz Picard, a cross-platform music tagger written in Python.

picard.musicbrainz.org

Might be useful as it can search its database of acoustic signatures for a match
A bit like Shazzam

I don’t think that it would recognise many of my records or cassettes, as they are mainly organ music.

 

[d6jg]

As @Burnside indicated I have some experience here.

Over a 15 year period I’ve digitised over 1000 albums and although I have used Audacity my view is that it is too time consuming to get good results. I use VinylStudio from Alpinesoft which does take a bit of learning but produces great results.

As to hardware I have used a Behringer UAC202 but also a Behringer VMX200USB mixer and latterly a Behringer UMC204HD. The 204HD is 24/192 capable but I digitise at 24/96.

In the early days I recorded to mp3 but fairly quickly realised the stupidity of that decision and had to redo close to 150 albums which I have done over a period.

 

[d6jg]

On Picard. My experience is it’s pretty useless for Vinyl. It assumes you are talking about CD versions and gets it wrong too much. I use Discogs look up which has a lot of Vinyl release data.

 

[jfbuk]

I don’t think that it would recognise many of my records or cassettes, as they are mainly organ music.

Yes the database is populated by the user base so the more niche the recording the less likely you will get a hit but you might be surprised.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

Thanks. I will certainly give all of your suggestions some consideration.

I had considered getting a Sweet Vinyl SugarCube, but they are rather expensive, and quite hard to get hold of in the UK.

 

[d6jg]

@QuarryHunslet the Rega Fono is only capable of 16/44.1 but should produce good results.
I think VinylStudio has a Mac version. It has a trial mode for 5 albums. It will take a bit if learning - particularly the splitting and cleanup algorithm's but definitely worth the £30,

 

[QuarryHunslet]

@QuarryHunslet the Rega Fono is only capable of 16/44.1 but should produce good results.
I think VinylStudio has a Mac version. It has a trial mode for 5 albums. It will take a bit if learning - particularly the splitting and cleanup algorithm's but definitely worth the £30,

I think it’s supposed to be capable of 16/48 according to the specs, but I would be prepared to upgrade to a more suitable device.

I will certainly check out VinylStudio, and probably try the Windows version, as my mini PC is right next to my turntable, and it has more than 3TB of storage capacity waiting. I’m quite happy to pay for the software if that’s all it costs, but will try the free version first.

 

[d6jg]

Yes 16/48 which is the norm for low spec ADCs

As you wish to also do Cassettes I’d look at something that you can use with line level input - which is why I use the various Behringer’s mentioned. My amps have tape in/out so I hang the Behringer off them.

On the PC that has VinylStudio I also have Foobar 2000 and MP3Tag. After creating tracks with VS I run them through Foobar to add Replay Gain tags and then through MP3Tag if tag correction is needed before putting the tracks onto my NAS.

Edit
FLAC at level 5. Don’t bother with any other codec.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

I shall have a look at the Behringer devices that you have mentioned.

It will probably be worth having a play around with VinylStudio and my Rega Fono, to see what the results sound like.

I have already started ultrasonic cleaning my records, and the results are surprisingly good.

 

[onlyoneme]

You could probably try ocenaudio if still looking for the software.

 

[slartibartfast]

You could probably try ocenaudio if still looking for the software.

I thought it was only me who had tried ocenaudio . It doesn't seem very well known.