Digitizing LPs


I know this is an analog section, but I thought perhaps folks with a analog LPs might know more about this so I’ll ask if anyone has expertise in copying/digitizing LPs, the software needed, the equipment needed. And maybe most importantly, how tough is this job to do and get good results?? I don’t want to create CDs, I just want to send a copy of each to hard drives so I can stream them. I am digitizing my CDs too.

I should say I have a good start on it, a Windows 7 Desktop with attached Musical Fidelity Preamp with phono stage, Adcom amp, Spendor speakers, and ASUS Xonar Essence STX soundcard, and a choice of turntables. Still, I know I’ll need another piece of gear. Is that a USB DAC? If so, how good does this have to be? Or put another way, do I need to spend a lot of money on this?
128x128echolane

Showing 2 responses by echolane

Thanks tons for such useful feedback.  I must say I am thoroughly discouraged!   The equipment to do it properly is expensive and babysitting  the process uses  gobs of time.  Just cleaning each LP is a time consuming process!  A good cleaning machine would make that part  much more palatable, but a good one would be  thousands more.  
  One real positive is it’s a good way to listen to one’s collection!  Even so,  I calculate it’d take me YEARS to do the job.  It’s been fun and instructive to think about this, but, sadly, at my age it’s not a realistic project.  
  Kudos to those of you who have done this!