Vinyl records to "Toast"?

[nervus]

I want to put my vinyl records in digital format.
Looking around for a suitable program I found: Live 3.0.1, Intuem 2, Peak LE 4, Sound Studio 2, Audio Hijack Pro and Toast 6.

The try-out versions of Live and Peak do what I want but they have quite alot of functions I do not need.
Live is heavily priced and Peak is not to get in download-form (only as a try-out) over here and also a bit expensive.

Sound Studio has a problem with the input-module: everything on the left channel has a too low amplitude. Audio Hijack seems to have just too little features. I tried those two also in their downloadable form.

Now what about Toast 6: has anyone here experience with it and what is your opinion?

 

[monktus]

If you don't mind doing your recording in OS9 then I'd recommend Pro Tools Free. Are you just using the built in audio for recording or do you have a sound card or interface?

Peak is good for doing what you want to do but it is fairly expensive as you mentioned. As Sound Studio is free (or just cheap, I'm not sure) then maybe you could try and resolve the problem with your input. I didn't know toast 6 could record audio but I don't know if I'd trust a CD burning program to do it. At least with Peak, Pro Tools, or Cubase etc you've got some flexibility and the tools to get everything sounding as good as possible. Maybe some of the other guys can help you with Sound Studio though, I hear it's quite good for the price.

 

[Harperjg]

I want to put my vinyl records in digital format.
Looking around for a suitable program I found: Live 3.0.1, Intuem 2, Peak LE 4, Sound Studio 2, Audio Hijack Pro and Toast 6.

The try-out versions of Live and Peak do what I want but they have quite alot of functions I do not need.
Live is heavily priced and Peak is not to get in download-form (only as a try-out) over here and also a bit expensive.

Sound Studio has a problem with the input-module: everything on the left channel has a too low amplitude. Audio Hijack seems to have just too little features. I tried those two also in their downloadable form.

Now what about Toast 6: has anyone here experience with it and what is your opinion?

I'm converting 1500 LPs to digital format ultimately to be loaded on a soon to be purchased ipod. I'm using Sound Studio (99.00) after using several other applications including Toast.

I used a standard turntable with a preamp going through a Griffin PowerWave amp and then into the line in jack on my computer. I used Sound Studio to record the LP into AIFF format. I also use Sound Studio to break the file into tracks to be converted to mp4 or mp3 by iTunes.

Please detail what kind of hookup you have? Please feel free to ask any question. This forum will be more than happy to help you.

Good luck.

 

[kilowatt]

Just a few notes about the connections here...

Phonograph output is NOT in any way compatible to a standard consumer Line-level AUX input, such as the ones Apple Macintosh computers typically come with.

Phono output is typically extremely low level (~50mircovolts - just above a mic output), and sometimes balanced. Records are also recorded with a specific EQ curve, called an RIAA EQ. (Tapes do this as well, and all tape recorders have special circuit to re-eq tapes after the tape head).

Now, software could easily EQ a record back to normal, but the input level is so different that you'll likely loose any hint of dynamic range.

So what would I do?

I would use one of several available phonograph preamps, such as Radioshack's RSU 970-1018 (see it at http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&product_id=970-1018).

The radioshack model is battery powered (extremely low hum), and converts to a nice -10dbm consumer-level line output, perfect for the average sound card's input. You'll have to either order it online, or go to a store and have them order it for you (disclaimer: I work at one).

If you happen to have a phonograph with a line-level output (rare but it does exist), then you should be OK to just connect it up directly.

Jazmine is a nice free recording tool, doesn't have much in the way of editing, but its more than enough to get an LP recorded.

If it were me, I'd just use Logic Platinum... but I ain't everyone!

 

[wstubbe]

I use CD Spin Doctor that comes with toast. You can even filter out pops and what-not. It works fine for me.

 

[Arden]

Let's see, where's that old post of mine... I have the perfect post for you that I put up a while back, wherein I adapted a MacAddict tutorial for this very purpose.

Here we go. This should all you need to know.

 

[ora]

I've been helping my stepfather archive his vinyl in digital format for some time using Sound Studio and a process much like that arden explains.
I've not had problems with Sound Studio and levels (am on 2.1). Quite often one channel is sligtly lower than the other, but i've seen this all over the place- on tape minidisc etc. Sound studio allows you to change the input levels for each channel in the input window anyway, so can be solved if it bothers you.

Also, you don't need a dedicated pre-amp or even soundcard/input hardware. If you want to do it cheaply, you an plug the turntable into a decent amp (my arcam works fine for this) then use a audio to 3.5mm minijack lead (red and white audio cables to little headphone sized jack- high quality ones of these are easily available) to go from the amp's tape out to the sound in/microphone jack on your mac (is one on both my old G4 tower and new powerbook).

In sound studio I have recorded up to 90 mins continuous without problems- but you must save the file before editing it as if you do stuff to quickly with such a large file sound studio can crash (800mb file with 640mb ram = problems). On the other hand, editing these is very irritating, much better to record tracks individually. Either way, I trim the ends and use a combination of normalise/amplify to finalise the levels. You can also remove scratches since they are very obvious spikes, and its easy to zoom in, select them and do insert>silence.

While not using dedicated preamps or sound inputs and adjusting the volume after recording is not ideal and may lead to some loss of quality, It allows my stepfather to do his archiving with no extra equipment, and since much of his vinyl is very old, badly pressed and somewhat scratched, the change in quality is not really a problem.

Good luck