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Questions about recording vimyl to computer?

I have watched some videos about the necessary hardware & software. And I have manipulated digital files such as conversion Flac to Alac (for Ipod) & download,  etc.  I have a lot of Flac & Alac  files already. So, I have plenty of computer & vinyl experience. Transferred many to cassette too. But none to digital.
I know I need Audacity and supposedly it is free.

I have a very good TT, Cart and phono pre. I have a laptop Win 7
Do I need a USB Audio Interface? Or can I go with my JLTi preamp to the 1/8 input jack on computer? Which will give best sound quality? Or does that matter to the 1's & 0's?

This USB Audio Interface has a phono preamp too, which quality may be sorely lacking. And considering I have a LOMC cart, maybe inappropriate for the job. Any suggestions? Didn't know whether to post in vinyl or digital.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UFO202--behringer-u-phono-ufo202-usb-audio-interface-with-ph...

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Showing 9 responses by artemus_5

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artemus_5 OP
1,911 posts
 
@almarg    

Thanks for the info & link. As usual I figure a $1  budget and the real cost is  $8. That's the problem with a champagne taste with a beer pocket book. LOL. Now, where to find that other $7
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5 OP
1,911 posts
 
CONFOUND RABBIT! Wont let me edit the title!!!! And can't delete. OK its 

VINYL
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5 OP
1,911 posts
 
@almarg 

I have a Peavey 20 channel  mixer with USB out. I have RCA in on 2 channels. I suspect I could plug the phono pre into the Peavey board and output from USB to the computer using audacity. Does that sound like a solution? It is a pro grade mixer (from when I was a rock star). Or am I still affected by excess computer noise?
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5 OP
1,911 posts
 
@herman @pjr801.


This has nothing to do with sound quality and all to do with getting older and not wanting to do the vinyl dance all the time. Yes, I love my vinyl. And if CDP’s were still available, I would just burn my Flacs to CD. But the trend is streaming. How long will my 20 yr old cdp continue? Who knows.

Also note that I DO have a good phono preamp. I don't know much about the audio interface available. Maybe an inexpensive one will work fine. But I tend to lean towards my Peavey Board more.

artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5 OP
1,911 posts
 
@o_holter

Wow! That may be the best alternative for me. Transferring files to CF, SD or USB drive would save me a lot of trouble. Plus the ability to record my vinyl as needed. I have plenty of music so I don’t need to stream paid services via network. One question. Does it have a CD player in it? Looks like a slot for one but doesn’t mention in the specs. BTW, nice system

Edit.....Maybe my enthusiasm was somewhat misplaced. Does it hold a large enough USB to record a whole album? Is that how you transfer to computer? Thanks

artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5 OP
1,911 posts
 
@herman 


Thanks for the info. I'll check out the Focusrite. Funny thing is that as I traverse the digital terrain, it seems to be more work to get there than the old fashioned way of vinyl. I remember recording to cassette and how time consuming it was. I was 20's & 30's then. At this age transferring to digital may seem unbearable since a 1/2 hr job now takes 2 1/2 hrs. Kinda makes the streaming services look inviting. 
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5 OP
1,911 posts
 
@herman 

People complain because a service costs $15-20 a month. Are you kidding me? I used to spend sometimes hundreds a month on discs and vinyl for a few titles.
Good point. One difference is that you get to own the disks on tangible media. I think this is partly the reason for the vinyl resurgence. Back in the day, the cover art was considered important. But the times, they are a'changin'. And then there's hat vast library to choose from. Even I go to Amazon or Pandora occasionally to hear some obscure blues, mostly. 
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5 OP
1,911 posts
 
@cleeds

I’m not doing this to preserve the LP’s. Just like cassettes that I used to record too, these will be played on a different (& easier) medium. I too have 50-60 yr old records. And you are correct that they play fine. But at 69 yrs old I sometimes just want to listen rather than go through the vinyl ritual. This is the only reason to digitize. FWIW my vinyl setup is quite good and I listen 90% vinyl. But i foresee a time that I just may want to press a button and let the digital player play it for me. It probably won’t be as good as my vinyl. But its better than not playing m,y music. Besides, I have some music which is not on digital.
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5 OP
1,911 posts
 
@cleeds


But digitizing an LP is so tedious and time-consuming I’d typically rather stream or play my existing digital files than endure the LP-to-digital transfer process

I’m beginning to see your point. The more I learn, the more I see the work involved and time consumed.
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