What will it take.....???

[Dudelive]

I am in need of some advice. I want to know just how much of a pc would be required for the following:

1...Conecting a turntable to a pc.
2...Connecting a dual cassette tape deck to the same pc.

Now with the above information, will a celeron 466 with 832? meg of ram be able to do what I need?
A SB Live card will also be used, the one with remote.
I have considered using windows 98, as it is smaller and no where the resource hog as the later systems.

I will be recording LP albums I have to cassette tape.
Some of the albums will need some cleaning up as they are older albums and can not be replaced. I plan to use the software for the cleaning on another computer because it will be faster.

When all is up and working the way I want, it will be used as the source for playing music that has been recorded and saved to HD. Looks are not that important as another case can be made to fit the decor and there fore not stand out as a pc.

This is unusual I know, since I have not saw any information on it before. I just may not have looked in the right spot.

Thanks
Dudelive

[rikytik]

Recording analog from a turntagble or tape deck is not demanding of resources. Last year I copied 300 LP's to mp3 files. We were getting ready to move and I've been carrying those heavy LP's for years and rarely played them.

Your setup is quite adequate. The task is not demanding on pc resources. First thing is to get a pre-amp for the turntable, because the cartridge on a typical turntable doesn't put out enough signal for the normal audio in on a pc. Running it into the mike input is not a good idea. Over modulates easily. I got one for $9 from Radio shack. Battery operated. It's on or off. Just a little box the size of a pack of cigarettes. If you record from a tape deck, no problem, they have enought signal to just run into your line input.

Next is to pick out a good capture program. I still prefer Audiograbber. Yep, the same one that's been out for a number of years. You just pick Line input from the menu and away you go. Easy to control and yhou can add free encoders to give you whatever quality you want. As I say, very little demand on pc resources or cpu speed.

There are programs to clean pops and surface noise from LP's. I need to review the subject. I have such programs in my archives, but not my memory I never found much need for the filters, but if your lp's are in rough shape it could be really useful.

You need more info just ask. I can review what's in my archives in the way of scratch and pop stuff.

What you are doing is not unusual, but great, because you can do most anything you want with the mp3 tracks after. Play 'em from the pc, make collections on cd's and play 'em on an mp3 player--which is what I do, connected to the regular stero setup.

[Dudelive]

Quote:

I still prefer Audiograbber

Actually that really does not surprise me, because if you think it through there are some great programs that are suited for this that have been around for awhile. Newer is not always the better way to go.

I knew someone had to have done this before besides me. Yes I have done this before but with an amd processor and 1gig of ram. Although what I really want to do here is connect the reel to reel recorder, cassette deck, and turntable by the way I also used the very same preamp that uses batteries.

What my plans are is to make my own case with remote control for the music and view it through the tv for a monitor and then just choose from the playlists I to want play that will be added.

Encoding and cleaning up the pops and clicks will be done mostly on another computer due to the time it takes on a slower computer.

Quote:

There are programs to clean pops and surface noise from LP's. I need to review the subject. I have such programs in my archives, but not my memory I never found much need for the filters, but if your lp's are in rough shape it could be really useful.

I may later ask for info only as to the programs as most of these are 30 years+ in age and some are 45 years+.

I was also thinking that the computer mentioned would be more that enough to do only what I mentioned. Heck....I got the computer...need to connect all the components anyway to something. This just seemed as it would be better and a way to get rid of a spare pc. The size would be limited to the MB, power supply, dvd burner (Cheap one) and lighting of some sort would be optional. Still thinking this through

Other opinions out there?

Thanks
Dudelive

[rikytik]

Sounds like you got it in hand Dudelive. I copied my 300 LP's and 45's last year and they were all from the 50's and 60's. I had absolutely no problems using Audiograbber and a Dell P3 pc, with 500 mb of ram. All the mp3 files are on a HD untouched and I've made selected mp3 collections of them to please my sweetheart.

I'm planning to rip most of my 600 cd jazz collection soon so that I can simply donate or sell them and further unload dross. CD's are easier because you can get the track names from CCDB. LIfe is getting easier.

Btw, copying LP's is a real drag because you got to be there all the time to stop and start the tracks. I found that the automatic start and stop features in ripper programs don't work good enough to give you the result you want.

[Dudelive]

I have done it both ways and when time is an issue I will start side 1 and go do what ever else I need to do. When I get back I manually select and save the tracks with correct names. then listen to each one and see which ones need which type of cleaning if any. CD's can be "ripped" much faster than doing this because you HAVE got to play it all the way through which is very time consuming when you are in a hurry. That is the reason why it has not already been done by me here.

Thanks
Dudelive

[rikytik]

You are already a pro, Dudelive. Wish I'd got your advice when I did my project. I spent at least 100 hours doing my project. Luckily I'm an old retired guy and nobody cares what I do with my time. I even scanned the album covers. My favorite cover is Whipped Cream: Herb Alpert and the Tiajuana Brass.

[Dudelive]

Cleaning up the songs are actually fun. After the software is through then the manual way is what takes time.

In all reality I use this sorta stuff as a way of unwinding. Beats the heck outa the other ways that have been tried by others and failed.

When I can get to it I really want to make a stereo out of a computer. After thinking some about it, I am not sure if it will even have a cd-rom drive (that would just give out any way). All that would be needed would be a USB drive to install the files with. It would not even have to be a fast hard drive. A real good fan would be a must as good fans are normally quiter.

The part I will have to be sure works without fail would have to be it booting up and displaying to the tv from the video card. Just display to tv only, sound will be connected to surround sound of the sorts in the computer.

Now to break this news to my wife..................not yet.

Still looking for other ideas as to what to do and what not to do.

Thanks
Dudelive

[tubebuoy]

Cleaning up files:

Rule Number 1.

DON'T! The most (in)famous hiss reduction program is "Sonic Solutions". This is a PRO app and was used on the second batch of Hendrix releases, The Steve Miller Bands' Greates Hits and many others. It SUX!!!! It totally removes the ambiance and leaves a 'flat' 'lifeless' sound stage. The hiss plug ins with Sound forge/wavelab etc are even worse! Do yourself a favor and stay away from hiss reduction!

Rule Number 2.

DON'T! Click/Pop reduction. Once you rip your LP/Tapes to wav files do NOT run the whole thing through a click/pop app. This will again reduce the overall sound quality. However, lets say you have a NASTY POP 2 minutes into a track. With a good wave editor you can use your mouse to highlight that split second and apply your click/pop app to that one point in time leaving the rest of the file intact!

If you use Soundforge as your wave editor I can give you a few more tips.

PC as a stereo?

Are you talking about running the sound card into powered speakers or or a real stereo?


}---:?

[moen]

Sounds interesting...I have dozens of LPs similar to Rikytik's like Herp Alpert and many more mostly from the 60's. THey have only been played once, namely when I put them to cassette tape. A few arer even still in their original shrinkwrap, totally untouched.
I also want to put them on CD now.
Besides, I have already transferred more than 700 old ones from my parent's 78s to about 9 CDs using A good program called AIPL Singulato which aotomatically puts each separate song from a tape, 78 or LP into its own separate file. THese old songs have various amounts of hiss, clicks and pops, and I am planning to use some prog (undecided which one) to clean up these old songs.

BUT, now tubebuoy, you are telling me you would not recommend this cleaning??? correct????
moen

[rikytik]

@Moen. If you have very newish LP's they sell pretty easily. I was very pleased with my sale of LP's. Even well used LP's like Herb Alper's Whipped Cream went for a reasonable price (maybe it's that sensational album cover. Yumm. Even many of my wife's calssical LP's sold easily.

I avoided noise reduction programs, but did do some serious pop reduction, sometimes with Sound Forge.

I have a huge Jazz cd collection, more than 600 cd's. They are in Case Logic binders. I kept the main paper list of songs for each but tossed the jewel cases. Sure saves a lot of space but certainly reduces the resale benefit.

The most cherished LP's I sold were all of Joni James LP's. They are in high demand. When I was in the Army, she was the only vocalist I listened to. I was fortunate to hear in person in Germany and the NCO club in 1963. What a treat.

Good luck with your project (s).