The process of transferring is often called "ripping", we're going to outline two methods: one for analog media (vinyl, tape) and one for digital (CD).

DIGITAL AUDIO EXTRACTION

For ripping CD's we recommend EAC (Exact Audio Copy). EAC is freeware and has become the standard for CD ripping, and for very good reason, it's an outstanding piece of software.

We rarely recommend paid software, but Easy CD-DA Extractor has performed superbly for years. We've used it to rip from CD to Wav and have not once (where the CD has not been at fault) had an error. However, we've not used it to rip directly to a lossy format (MP3, OGG etc.). In our experience the two step process of "CD to WAV to Lossy" has always been more stable.

That said, EAC is free and Easy CD-DA Extractor is not. If for some reason you don't like EAC we'd recommend trying some of the other freeware alternatives (such as Audiograbber or FreeRip) before shelling out money for Easy CD-DA Extractor.

ANALOG AUDIO TRANSFER

Below is a brief outline of the method we recommend and perform on a regular basis:

1. Cleaning

A carbon fibre brush will normally do the trick. If the vinyl is in poor condition and damage to the label is an acceptable compromise for recovering the audio, you can wash the vinyl using mildly soapy, lukewarm water, leaving it to dry overnight.

2. Turntable

Important elements are: Cartridge, Stylus and Tonearm setup.

3. Pre-amp

The dB level of a non pre-amped vinyl audio signal is very low. If it's below about -18dBFS ("decibels full scale", where 0 dBFS is the maximum) then noise will be introduced when boosting the dB level of the recorded Wav. For this reason some form of pre-amp is strongly recommended.

We use a Mackie Tapco Mixer to boost the dB level without altering the EQ of the audio signal and aim at -5dBFS to -10dBFS - keeping in mind clicks and pops will sometimes be louder than the record's recorded level. If the condition of the vinyl is bad we'll drop the recording level accordingly, down to -15dBFS if necessary - but no lower.

If you don't have any method of pre-amping you can use your tape deck (if you have one) and set it to record (using the recording level to boost the signal - make sure the recording level is on the low side and never goes into the red), then switch the tape line outs from the amp to the soundcard's inputs.

4. Soundcard

A good soundcard (click here for more info) will make all the difference. Unless one is contemplating repairs, recording at a bit depth of 16bit and a sample rate of 44,100 Hz should be fine. Furthermore this will then bypass the need to down-sample prior to encoding from Wav to a compressed format (see the Encode section for more on this).

5. Audio Recorder/Editor

There aren't too many decent freeware audio recorders/editors around. The best of them is Audacity. This is one of the few areas (in terms of software) where it can be worthwhile spending money, though good editing software such as Cool Edit Pro (now Adobe Audition) is not cheap. For more on this click here.

If you do have a professional editing / recording package and are contemplating repairs we recommend recording at a higher bit depth than 16bit (i.e. 24bit - or 32bit float if possible).

Record one LP side per Wav file, then edit these into separate tracks. Sometimes a fade in/out is required (where tracks merge into one another, live LPs etc.), Audacity does this reasonably well.

Once you've edited the Wavs and saved them as individual tracks at 16bit 44,100 Hz, you are ready to encode them into the format of your choice.



			> home > play > transfer
	Play (Listening) TRANSFER ENCODE TAG GAIN PLAY SUMMARY Related Information RECORD PAUSE (analysis) TRANSFER SERVICE AUDIO REPAIRS AUDIO PC		AUDIO TRANSFER The process of transferring is often called "ripping", we're going to outline two methods: one for analog media (vinyl, tape) and one for digital (CD). DIGITAL AUDIO EXTRACTION For ripping CD's we recommend EAC (Exact Audio Copy). EAC is freeware and has become the standard for CD ripping, and for very good reason, it's an outstanding piece of software. We rarely recommend paid software, but Easy CD-DA Extractor has performed superbly for years. We've used it to rip from CD to Wav and have not once (where the CD has not been at fault) had an error. However, we've not used it to rip directly to a lossy format (MP3, OGG etc.). In our experience the two step process of "CD to WAV to Lossy" has always been more stable. That said, EAC is free and Easy CD-DA Extractor is not. If for some reason you don't like EAC we'd recommend trying some of the other freeware alternatives (such as Audiograbber or FreeRip) before shelling out money for Easy CD-DA Extractor. ANALOG AUDIO TRANSFER Below is a brief outline of the method we recommend and perform on a regular basis: 1. Cleaning A carbon fibre brush will normally do the trick. If the vinyl is in poor condition and damage to the label is an acceptable compromise for recovering the audio, you can wash the vinyl using mildly soapy, lukewarm water, leaving it to dry overnight. 2. Turntable Important elements are: Cartridge, Stylus and Tonearm setup. 3. Pre-amp The dB level of a non pre-amped vinyl audio signal is very low. If it's below about -18dBFS ("decibels full scale", where 0 dBFS is the maximum) then noise will be introduced when boosting the dB level of the recorded Wav. For this reason some form of pre-amp is strongly recommended. We use a Mackie Tapco Mixer to boost the dB level without altering the EQ of the audio signal and aim at -5dBFS to -10dBFS - keeping in mind clicks and pops will sometimes be louder than the record's recorded level. If the condition of the vinyl is bad we'll drop the recording level accordingly, down to -15dBFS if necessary - but no lower. If you don't have any method of pre-amping you can use your tape deck (if you have one) and set it to record (using the recording level to boost the signal - make sure the recording level is on the low side and never goes into the red), then switch the tape line outs from the amp to the soundcard's inputs. 4. Soundcard A good soundcard (click here for more info) will make all the difference. Unless one is contemplating repairs, recording at a bit depth of 16bit and a sample rate of 44,100 Hz should be fine. Furthermore this will then bypass the need to down-sample prior to encoding from Wav to a compressed format (see the Encode section for more on this). 5. Audio Recorder/Editor There aren't too many decent freeware audio recorders/editors around. The best of them is Audacity. This is one of the few areas (in terms of software) where it can be worthwhile spending money, though good editing software such as Cool Edit Pro (now Adobe Audition) is not cheap. For more on this click here. If you do have a professional editing / recording package and are contemplating repairs we recommend recording at a higher bit depth than 16bit (i.e. 24bit - or 32bit float if possible). Record one LP side per Wav file, then edit these into separate tracks. Sometimes a fade in/out is required (where tracks merge into one another, live LPs etc.), Audacity does this reasonably well. Once you've edited the Wavs and saved them as individual tracks at 16bit 44,100 Hz, you are ready to encode them into the format of your choice.
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