Getting Vinyl Into Digital

[admin_exported]

My apologies if this is an old one - I scanned the forums and couldn't find anything precisely on what I'm looking for.

I have a large vinyl collection and a venerable turntable (Linn Axis/K9) neither of which I am planning to replace. I am just looking for the best value for money way to capture occasional LPs for travel on my laptop/phone (not iPhone) in the same way I capture one of my CDs when the whim takes me to carry something on my travels. The WhatHiFi review of the ion turntable confirmed my worst suspicions about that item.

Anyone come across the perfect device? I only have a laptop, with USB 2.0, no PCs to plug any specialist cards into.

Thanks for any info.

 

[John Duncan]

You need a Project USB Phono Box (though looks a bit dear now, there may be cheaper alternatives)...

 

[John Duncan]

Or alternatively, use the tape out from your amp (which presumably has a phono stage?), via 2xRCA-3.5mm jack cable, to the Mic In on your laptop...

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the referral to the phono box. Yeah I know that analogue into the audio input works theoretically but mine sounds a bit noisy judging by a mic in recording I did.

The Project thing looks just the item ta very much.

 

[Tonya]

I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for : http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/lp-to-cd-converter/index.html but it looks rather cool.

I haven't tried it though, but the idea that after you play an album on this turntable, it pops the CD out of the front is quite clever.
But I suspect that this is indeed the "ION" that you were referring to, so perhaps another solution is required, I didn't see the review of this yet.

There are some other similar items there that do the job as well.
Happy hunting!

 

[The_Lhc]

kencohifi:Thanks for the referral to the phono box. Yeah I know that analogue into the audio input works theoretically but mine sounds a bit noisy judging by a mic in recording I did.
The Project thing looks just the item ta very much.

I've got one of these, works very well, I'm using an old Project Debut II with it. I don't have any problems with the unit itself but I've found that the sfotware I use (dbPowerAmp auxiliary input) can have trouble detecting the gap between tracks (and of course gapless tracks are an issue). It's an older version of the software though, I haven't bothered updating it or trying anything else, so others might have better suggestions.