Skip to main content

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Vinyl archiving (Read 4873 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Vinyl archiving

Hello everyone!

Since this thread touches different kinds of topics - from recording, flac, to mp3 - i've posted it here in general audio. If you feel it sure be somewhere else, please feel free to move it.

I am starting to record some of my vinyl lp's for two reasons. First, I like to listen to some of them on the go with my ipod, and secondly for the last two years I have been buying vinyl rather than cd's and I'd like to start archiving some of them.

I've read a few articles regarding recording vinyl. This is my current process: Connected the 'tape out' of my amp to the 'line in' of my imac. I'm using the software audacity to record 44,1khz stereo wav files and produce one file per side. I use XLD to convert the wav files to flac level 8 & keep them. Convert the flac files to mp3 via XLD Lame 3.98. Using iTunes to edit the id3 tags and embed cover art into the mp3 files.

Now to my question 

Would it make more sense to 'put more work' into the flac files and have these changes (divided tracks, embedded cover art) automatically transferred to mp3's when converted? I'm not sure if thats possible but I think of making cue files which would result into different mp3 files when converted? Could I 'merge' the four flac files - which I end up at the moment - without any loss of quality and make a cue file. If thats possible, how would I have to do that?

In essence: What would you propose to improve the process? I've only recorded ten lp's, so I'm still looking for a good way.

This is the first time, I'm using flac so please bear with my n00bism 
I'm looking forward to your input/ suggestions.

Vinyl archiving

Reply #1
Declick and denoise if you want.

Then split tracks in a CD compatible way. I use CDwav under windows. The filenames contain the metadata at this point!

Then FLAC, mp3, whatever. Either from split .wav files, or single wav+cue.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
David.

 

Vinyl archiving

Reply #2
Hello everyone!
I'm using the software audacity to record 44,1khz stereo wav files and produce one file per side. I use XLD to convert the wav files to flac level 8 & keep them.
The latest beta version of Audacity supports FLAC natively. It also allows basic meta data entry- limited fields, text only.

I have a quick tutorial that shows how to enter the FLAC meta data effeciently in Audacity. Hint: When entering the info for your first track, click "Set default." Audacity will remember the meta data for your next track.

That should save you a step or two.