Entertainment For Lively Minds
ATM: Vinyl to MP3/CD machines - TEAC LPR500 any good?
Posted by Retro Man on 23 August 2011 - 10:13am.
My old turntable/stereo has kicked the bucket and if I am going to replace it I'm keen to get something that can not only play my old vinyl but also convert to MP3.
I've seen software where you can plug wires from a stereo to a PC and fiddle about like that but I don't know if that is for me.
I saw a TEAC LPR500 in Richer Sounds, and that looked right up my street - stick on the vinyl, stick in a recordable CD put the needle down, press record and hey presto! You can use the set as a stereo to play everything too, however it is a hideously ugly brute and a little on the pricey side.
Do any of the Massive have or know this machine, otherwise, any other recommendations on a simple idiot proof system?
Thanks!
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Hi mate
try the Profile Pro USB turntable from Maplins
http://mobile.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=266227
It seems to tick the boxes and doesn't look to bad
Thanks Gordon
that looks good - but do you know if I need a stereo system to link it to?
I have separate Profile USB
Turntable and Cassette Player and I'm really enjoying converting some of my vinyl and cassettes.
I haven't got an interest in converting it all en masse just individual singles and tracks from an LP or cassette.
I'm really into 1960s pop at the moment so I've been making up some play lists using tracks I've converted and tracks I've already got on CD. Where I find I'm missing something I've bought it from itunes.
So the last three tracks I listened to yesterday on my mp3 player were From the Underworld by The Herd which I already had on a compilation CD, Have I the Right by The Honeycombs which I bought from itunes and For a Moment by Unit 4 Plus 2 which I converted from vinyl 45.
I love the crackling noise at the beginning of the vinyl track and it evokes a feeling of the tangible record.
Well, I got one from Maplins...
bloody bargain I think. Mind you I had a few tuts and huffs as it wouldn't work when I connected it at first, then there was no sound at all from my iTunes. Still the old technical trick of turn the PC off and turn it on again worked and I can now play the turntable through my computer just by sticking the USB cable in.
The recording is me (i.e. idiot) proof too, converts straight to iTunes and the sound quality is reasonable I guess. Considering most of my record collection is very old, scratchy and noisy anyway (that's the bands not the vinyl), this is an excellent idea - thanks Gordon!
I will investigate some of the other software out there too.
The Maplins jobby appears
to connect to the PC directly by USB. You should then be able to monitor the 'recording' by selecting the deck as an input on the PC & listening via the PC speakers (or 'phones).
It can also connect to a stereo system by the 'auxiliary' or tape input, as it has built in equilisation required for vinyl playback.
No
Don't use these types of machines, as generally, the turntables, cartridges, stylus etc are poor quality and results will be disappointing.
I recommend getting a good turntable, plug into audio in on a PC and use Audacity or somilar for the conversion progress. Fiddlier, yes but results will be way better, you will also have a much better TT to play your records on.
Agreed
I use Roxio for my conversions. I've done a ton of vinyl and sheds of Kershaw tapes that way.
Thanks for the info...
I'm off to Maplins...!
Absolutely not.
Dai is spot on - these things suck all kinds of arse.
The "playing the record" bit of these things is monumentally two-bob. No amount of tricksy encoding or connection jiggery pokery will fix the fact that the record output will be shocking.
All you need to do it properly is a decent turntable and a decent phono amp.
The Teacs £264 at Richer, right?
Project Essential turntable @ £150
BTech BT26 phono amp @ £25
That will sound immeasurably better than the Teac for about £90 less.
You just plug the "out" of the phono into the "line in" on your PC, and away you go.
Hi Bonzo
yeah that TEAC was £264, ridiculous and it looked like a Panzer tank - I was out the shop and straight up to the PC to "Ask The Massive", sweating at the cost...
Anyway, I went for the one that Gordon recommended (see above) and it is perfect for what I need.