Re: [ARSCLIST] USB Turntables

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree with all of this.

For that many LPs, if you're really planning to transfer all of them to accessible digital copies, 
I'd actually go for a heavy duty turntable like the Technics 1200, a moderately priced 
broadcast-grade preamp and a CD recorder. Keep the computer out of it to save time. Treat it like 
making cassettes in the old days. If you're doing archival-preservation transfers, I'd go heavier 
duty, but for access copies, this method will work and be efficient. Figure a person could blast 
through 8-10 records a day with a lunch break, meaning it would take you a year or so to get thru 
the pile. I'd figure on at least 2 years to allow for a slower pace, down time and other issues.

Minimum equipment:

1. a record cleaning machine. You could get by with the $500 VPI (the manual brush, electric vacuum 
and turntable model).

2. a broadcast-grade turntable. I highly recommend the Technics 1200 but others have other 
preferences.

3. a good cartridge and you just as soon budget for a replacement stylus about midway thru the 
project if not sooner. Also note that you need a 78 stylus for 78 RPM records, but if your entire 
collection is LPs then and LP cartridge will do the trick alone.

4. a decent grade phono preamp. I'd suggest that you'd be in fine shape with something as simple as 
the Soundcraft Folio Notebook mini-mixer. That little unit actually has very good phono preamps in 
it and will be especially more than OK for spoken word material. Bonus is you can use it for other 
things around the studio, like transferring cassettes or reels and even cleaning up EQ on programs. 
You can go even simpler/cheaper with little phono preamps from a variety of manufacturers.

5. a decent grade CD recorder. Some line Denon, some like Tascam, some like hhb, take your pick. Buy 
a "professional" model that doesn't require those silly "audio CD blanks." Then you can use most 
types of standard CDR media. Now, I would keep a computer around for one purpose. Make a copy of the 
CD after you've recorded it. Circulate the copy. Keep the "master" on the shelf to make another copy 
once the first one gets lost, stolen or worn out.

This is the simplest way to do this I can think of and still get halfway decent quality. You can go 
super-extravagent beyond this but I don't think it would serve the goal you stated, to make this 
material accessible. I'd figure the equipment budget somewhere south of $5000 and figure it would be 
a full-time job for a couple of years to get all of that pile transferred.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeffrey Kane" <jeffkane@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 2:03 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] USB Turntables


> Check with them to make sure they used a phono preamp. It's not beyond the
> realm of possibility that someone simply plugged a turntable directly into a
> computer sound card. That would assuredly lead to horrid results as the
> output is not only very low in level but also still carries RIAA
> equalization which would sound very thin and shrill.  The Rolls VP29 is an
> example of a very low cost phono preamp. Note that this isn't a
> recommendation; that's simply one of the cheapest phono-pres I know of
> that's readily available. I'd want something quite a bit better for
> archiving.
>
> The USB turntables are nothing more than a mediocre or worse turntable with
> an RIAA preamplifier and Analog to Digital converter inside that outputs via
> USB interface. In short, it's all in one convenient package but the quality
> is not what one could achieve via more traditional methods.
>
> Regardless of what method is used, you don't want LPs in the hands of
> patrons, especially ones that can't be replaced.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Christina Zamon
> Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 10:02 AM
> To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] USB Turntables
>
> Thanks Tom, good suggestion, but the reason we accepted this donation
> was because these albums are not available on commercial CDs with the
> exception of a few.  They are comedy LPs from the 1960s to the 1990s
> that comprise half of the collection.  The total collection consists of
> LPs and CDs and number close to 1500.
>
> Thanks to everyone else for their suggestions.  I think I'm more
> confused now then when I started.  I originally checked with our media
> services department who had tried to convert some LPs about 5 or 6 years
> ago using a regular turntable through a computer but they said that the
> results were terrible.  They suggested I test the USB turntable as an
> alternative to see if that works any better.  I've read mixed reviews on
> using USB turntables vs. a regular turntable through a computer.
> Everyone seems to have their own preference or reason for doing it one
> way or another.
>
> I'm still open to comments or suggestions on the topic.  Thanks.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Christina J. Zamon
> Head of Archives and Special Collections
> Emerson College
> 120 Boylston Street
> Boston, MA  02116
> Tel: (617) 824-8679
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
> Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 7:55 PM
> To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] USB Turntables
>
> One key suggestion -- buy commercial CD's of everything that's in print.
> You will avoid a very
> sticky copyright issue and it will be much less expensive than any
> reasonable method of transferring
> LPs (if a transfer person's time is worth anything). See how much that
> whittles down the number of
> needed transfers and then you can make better decisions. More material
> than you think was or is
> in-print on CD's. If the collection is all or some classical music, also
> make sure to check out the
> ArkivCD reissues at www.arkivmusic.com
>
> -- Tom Fine
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Christina Zamon" <Christina_Zamon@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 4:22 PM
> Subject: [ARSCLIST] USB Turntables
>
>
> Our archives recently received 800 LPs from a donor and we are looking
> into getting a turntable for access purposes.  We would like to have a
> turntable that we can use for patrons to listen and for creating
> reference/service copies on to CD or into a digital file so as not to
> wear out or ruin the originals.  I've looked at several USB turntables
> from Ion, Stanton, and Numark with various reviews and opinions.  Is
> there anyone out there already doing something similar and what type of
> turntable are you using?  We would like to spend less than $500.
>
>
>
> Any suggestions?
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Christina J. Zamon
>
> Head of Archives and Special Collections
>
> Emerson College
>
> 120 Boylston Street
>
> Boston, MA  02116
>
> Tel: (617) 824-8679
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~