How To Transfer Your LP Records to CD or MP3

We all love those records from the sixties, seventies, and eighties, and deterioration on these records is an inevitable fact. What if you could use modern technology to backup or even restore those old records to CD? It is not as hard as you might think, with a few supplies and this guide you will be well on your way to success.

To start you will need a few basic supplies, which you can find at your local Radio shack store. You will need to have a turntable that has two audio outputs, (Left and Right audio - Red and White), that we can connect to your computer. The stock number for this item is 420-7012, and can be ordered if it is not in stock. You can purchase an 1/8 inch to RCA patch cable, stock number 150-2474, for about $49.99. This cable has the highest level of electromagnetic shielding and will prevent any interference from getting into our recordings. Also you may need to purchase a pack of RCA Couplers, stock number - 278-0874. The only other thing you need is software that can record incoming audio data. I recommend that you download Audacity, which is available at http://www.audacity.soundforge.net.

To set all this up you will want to run the setup program that you downloaded from Audacity, or open up your preferred program. Then connect the RCA side of the adapter cable to the back of the turntable. If your turntable already has RCA leads coming out of the unit then you will need to use the RCA Couplers to connect the cable. Plug the 1/8 inch headphone plug into the red microphone input on your computer's sound card. This jack is usually located next to where your computer speakers plug in. You may have to adjust your sound properties for your microphone if you find that you are not getting sound. This can be done by going to Start-Programs-Accessories-Entertainment-Volume Control.

(Note: This part of the lesson assumes your using Audacity Software)

Once you have the Audacity software up and running on your PC, then you need to make a demo recording to be sure that everything is connected correctly. On Audacity there is a big red recording button, similar to what you may see on an old tape recorder. Press this button and then press play on your turntable, with a record already loaded. Let this record play through one track or for a few minutes, and then press stop on the Audacity software. If this was done successfully you will see a window open up with a blue sound wave in it. Press play in the software to verify that audio was recorded.
Use this same process to record tracks off of your records. When you have finished playing a track on the record, press stop on the software and on the record player. You can then go to File-Save as MP3, and then name the file the same as the name on the track. Repeat this process as much as necessary to record all of the tracks that you wish to preserve.I have used this process many times to prevent excess wear and tear on my record collection, and it is really beneficial. You can take these same files, using Windows Media Player, and burn them to a blank CD for playback in your home stereo, or car. I wish you the best of luck on this process, and I hope you keep rockin'!

DLP - 6/19/07