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Are you recording your vinyl?

The vinyl vs. digital debates go on ad nauseum. These debates almost always concern the question of commercial recordings on digital media vs. vinyl.

Another aspect of the question narrows the topic to only what digital recording & playback (as opposed to mastering, etc.) is capable of: that is, the context of recording one's vinyl digitally and playing it back.

My question for those who are doing this is: Is the quality of the digital reproduction indistinguishable or close enough that you keep your vinyl setup only for archiving? And, either way, what analog and digital equipment are you using?

I know of one regular member here that uses a Korg to make DSD recordings who says that they are in fact indistinguishable from the vinyl playback. Another prolific poster here & elsewhere (with very expensive equipment) claims that not even 2x DSD recording can fully capture the vinyl experience.

My own experience is confined to using a Masterlink recorder to make recordings of my vinyl setup at 24/96 a couple years ago, and playing them back on my Audio Note DAC which was capable of only 18/48 playback. Those recordings were very good (free from all the common "digititus" and thus better than a great many professional RBCD recordings) but it was relatively easy to tell them from the "real thing" (at least once I knew what to listen for).

What are your experiences?
paulfolbrecht
ghasley
2,432 posts
 
I've been doing this for a very short time but i am pleased with the outcome so far. I'll try to be brief.

Rega p5 ttpsu into Vac Sigma 160i phono stage, pre-amp outs to Korg MR2000S 5.6mhz DSD recording. I then transfer the files from the Korg to my Mac Mini and playback through my Playback Designs MPD-3.

Excellent vinyl sounds every bit as exquisite when played back digitally...good to average vinyl is a toss up as it just sounds different from the digital cd version. For the most part when comparing a redbook cd compared to the same tracks recorded from vinyl the vinyl version's digital playback is preferred by me and others who i can wrangle into giving a sh%!.

I'm sure my vinyl setup is probably not as strong as it should be for true archiving but it is very pleasing to me. In the future, i will look for the 45rpm version of a recording first ala the Blue Note reissues...then i'll buy new music digitally in at least 24/96 if no good vinyl version exists.

Its worth the effort in my opinion.
ahendler
416 posts
 
I use the Zoom H2 to make digital copies of my vinyl so I can play favorite vinyl on other systems I have in the house. Recently I had a friend over and played for him a recent digital copy of an lp. I did not tell him what he was listening to. About halfway thru he said "if I didn't know better I would have thought we were listening to vinyl". Enough said. The Zoom is a fantastic device and for only $170it is easily within reach to anybody
birdies
85 posts
 
I seem to have better luck than Paulfolbrecht and Stanwal with the Masterlink. I record to 24/96 and burn 24/96 discs. Transferred to a DAC delivery system, I've watched a roomful of eyes pop. It is too bad that you can't deliver the files directly from the Masterlink's hard drive, but so be it.
rccc
216 posts
 
Ive been archiving with an asus xonar sound card at 24/96. I find it to be nearly indistinguishable from the vinyl on most albums. I am slowly putting together a server which I think will be my main source eventually, the vinyls always there when I want to play it.
orpheus10
8,668 posts
 
I have recorded my vinyl, and my TT is in moth balls. Since I re-engineered a vinyl computer interface in order to have one good enough, I can't comment on that; but the playback is as good as it gets. The computer is not the limiting factor, the interface is the limiting factor. No matter how good your analog rig is, the computer will give you back what you gave it.
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