Tips from Bobby and Oliver for Turning LPs into MP3s and CDs

The era of the 8-track has solidly come to an end. but vinvi is a medium that just won’t go away. Our strange obsession with the plastic platters keeps the record player atop the stereo system, and all of our albums nearby. Do you treasure the fuzz and hiss that reminds one of an era long past? Do cracks, pops and scratches mean more to you than digital remastering? If so. we have the guide for you! Follow these few easy steps to make all your records into MP3s, and never need to drop the needle again.

A New Era for LPs

Setup
In order to convert your records to MP3 format, you must first prepare your PC with the proper hardware and software for the job.

RCA Cable

To start, you will first need to connect your stereo system to your computer with a stereo RCA-to-headphone cable. This type of cable is available for just a few dollars at any audio component store. Connect one end of this cable to your amplifier’s line-out.

Connect the other end to the line-in of your sound card.

Second, you will need a software application that is capable of recording sound through the line-in jack of your sound card. We recommend MusicMatch Jukebox for its ease of use.

Finally, you’ll also need a recordable CD-ROM (CD-R) player in your computer to burn your MP3s onto a CD. CD-R is a recordable CD format that is used for both recording data and audio CDs. CD-RW is another type of recordable disc format, but it is better suited for storing data, as many stereo systems are not compatible with CD-RW discs.

Step One
To begin recording, start MusicMatch and choose your input source from the following menu path: options, recorder, source, and line-in.

The “recorder” window will appear underneath the music library. If it doesn’t, click the REC button. Click on “artist” and “album” to change the name of the file and enter the song title on the right before recording.

Now, simply press the record button in the window and begin playing the record. When your recording is complete, press stop, and the new track should be recorded and placed at the bottom of your music library. Repeat this process for each track you record.

By default, each track is saved in 128kbps, which is more than sufficient for most high-quality recordings. Once you have completed your first recording, you should play the file and confirm that it was recorded at the proper volume level. (If the track is distorted or too soft, you can adjust the volume input level on either the stereo system or from within Windows by double-clicking the speaker icon on your task bar, which is at the bottom of the screen. In the “play control” window, select options, properties, recording, and finally, OK. A “record control” window should appear, where you can choose a proper volume level. Be sure that the mute button is not selected, or else you may record silence and frustrate yourself to no end.)

MusicMatch offers a host of additional, advanced preferences for recording as well. You can configure these options by choosing from the menu path: Options, Settings, Recorder tab, and Advanced. Options include fades, off-set, and more. As you become more familiar with making your own MP3s from records, these preferences can help you make near professional-sounding recordings from your old analog music. Once you have compiled 74 minutes (or less) of MP3s, you can make an audio CD.

Once you have garnered enough MP3s, you can organize a list of tracks that will be copied onto the recordable CD. The upper, right-hand window of the MusicMatch Jukebox is the playlist. To copy a song onto the playlist, drag any file from your music library to the playlist window. In general, blank CD-R discs hold up to 74 minutes’ worth of music. (MusicMatch does not currently support the new 80-minute CD-R format.)

Once you have added all your tracks to be burned, press the CD-R button above the playlist.

A new window will appear, consisting of many CD-burning options. Be sure to select audio (default) as the type of CD to create. By selecting data, the other option, you can store over 600MB of MP3s on a blank CD. However, this format will not be playable on a traditional stereo system.

The status bar on the bottom of the window informs you of how much space you have left on the blank CD. You may add or delete songs from your song list in this window as well. In the options area, we recommend that you select “test then write CD” for more reliable burns. Also, if you are mixing electronic music, such as house or trance, you may want to leave “2-second gap” unchecked, avoiding the silence between songs.

When you are ready to copy your tracks to CD, drop a blank CD-R disc into your CD write and press the “create CD” button.

Traditional CDs use a music format called Red Book Audio (RBA), When MusicMatch burns your tracks to the disc, it is converting the MP3 to a WAV format (which is compatible with RBA) before writing it to the blank CD-disc. This process can take some time and for reliable burning it is best if you do not use your computer while this process is taking place.

By registering the MusicMatch software (for only $30), you can get encoding speeds and CD burning rates that are six times faster and can print CD linear notes with track names and track times. If you plan on burning and archiving many CDs. we highly recommend purchasing the upgrade.

There, that wasn’t so bad, was it? If you have any other MP3 related questions, you can be sure that our Beginner’s Guide will have the answers you need. Good luck., and happy burning!

Bobby adds:  "In regard to the process of converting records, cassettes, etc. to CDs a notation needs to be included that if your source device has flush outlet ports instead of RCA (raised) ports you will need a cable ($4) with a single, long prong on each end. The RCA cable has dual short prongs on one end and a longer prong on the other."

The links below are two more sites that Bobby and Oliver recommend checking out.

http://www.webtechgeek.com/center-Frame-Index-Reviews-page.htm (go down to ref item 5)
and http://www.tape-to-cd.com/

Bobby and Oliver are members of one of the friendliest online email computer groups around.  It's called Computer Help and Discussion and if you want to know more about this or any other computer topic, you can find these guys there, along with lots of other supportive and friendly folks.