I'm thinking about a LP to digital conversion device. I started pricing them, and the ones that are a turntable with USB interface seem to run $200-$400. Too rich for my blood, although I may look for a used one. I'm also looking at a conversion device like
LP Gear: Behringer U-CONTROL UCA202 USB RCA Connector Audio Interface
where you just plug RCA into the interface and USB into the PC. Anybody ever used any of this stuff?
Once I get my LPs converted maybe I'll buy my first iPod.
It looks like an A/D converter with a USB output. So, what is wrong with using the audio line input of your PC?
A word of caution about using the audio inputs of the PC. There's a low level microphone input with millivolt sensitivity, and a line level input that takes signals of hundreds of mV.
The magnetic pickup of your old turntable puts out mV signals. But it needs to go into
a preamp with RIAA equalization. Old HIFI amplifiers have this EQ circuit built in to their "Phono" inputs. I do not know if new amplifiers bother to have this anymore.
What I have done is to plug my old turntable to the "Phono Input" of my old HIFI receiver. Then, wire the line level output of the receiver to the line level input of the PC.
I have some audio processing software to digitize, then filter the scratches from the LP. You are not going to get CD quality, but with the scratches completely gone, it is a lot more pleasing to the ears. Some freebie versions of Nero that come with DVD drives have this capability. I also have a piece of software called CoolEdit Pro that works wonder.
I have also spent a bit of time digitizing my collection of several hundred old audio cassette tapes. It's a good way to spend your ER time in the winter without spending a lot of money.
PS. I saw that Sarah and HFWR have done the same thing with the hookup.
About RIAA equalization, there's no reason that it couldn't be done in software, by post-processing after digitization. However, I have not seen it. And by the way the Behringer converter literature did talk about the user supplying a phono preamp! So it does not have the RIAA circuit built-in, nor the amplification needed for the phono pickup.
One more thing about using external A/D converters rather than what is built into your PC. Some external A/D converters are more precise than the PC built-in circuit. However, the LP or audio cassette signal does not deserve this ultra HIFI precision, being of no CD quality to start out with.
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