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(More customer reviews)I've been looking for a way to easily convert the old vinyl to iPod-ready MP3s. A bunch of my old LPs will never see the light of a CD so this looked like a great, one-step way of digitizing the old, round, black things with all the grooves.
Backstory: I'm a Mac guy, and I've worked with and taught audio production for a number of years so I more or less know my way around the audio world. That said...
This works quite well, but has a few limitations. Out of the box it plugged right in via the USB port and it also has stereo RCA jacks (such as would plug into the back of your tuner/amp) on the back. Drawback #1 is that the RCA jacks are hard-wired into the base of the turntable so if you don't use them (and are using the USB connector) there's no way to get rid of them. They dangle. This _could_ be causing a problem and I'll address that in a moment.
The turntable worked great, though I"m not sure why they put a pitch control on it if there's no strobe light to verify the speed of the unit. Sort of like putting a tachometer on a car with an automatic transmission. Why?
Beyond that, it has two speeds, 33 and 45 (with adapter) and the LPs sounded OK on the speed. If you are wanting to digitize your old 78s, you can record them at 33 and use the software (see below) to get them to the right speed.
Drawback #2: No tonearm cueing lever so you are manually dropping the arm onto the vinyl disk. Don't drink a lot of coffee before you cue your records, especially since it has a counterweight adjustment on the tonearm that make the tonearm almost wightless. It really tough (even without coffee) to drop that ultra-light arm onto the vinyl without bounce and shake. Be careful...
The audio processing software that ships with the unit is "Audacity," an open-source freeware that you can also download from the Web. If you are using an Intel Mac, make sure you download the new version, as the Mac software supplied on the disk is out of date. PeeCee users with Win2000 and XP should be ready to go. You can also use it with most other audio processing software apps.
Audacity software is a bit clunky, but it works OK for this task. I've used it for a number of years so I felt at home with it. If you are new to it you may not be comfortable with it for a while. But it does a good job and you can easily fix clicks, pops, and vinyl noise with the software. To make the final export to MP3 you also need to download MP3 conversion software (LAME...that's an MP3 encoder, not an opinion...and it's also free), as it's not part of Audacity. No biggie. Once it's downloaded and you link it once so Audacity can find it, you're done and it's forever invisible.
Drawback #3: There seems to be a very, very faint hum through the USB connection and I can't find the source. It may be a grounding issue but there is no grounding connection on this, a basically plasitc body and base. You don't notice the hum during the music, but if you listen it's there in the silence between the tracks. It may also come from those dangling RCA cables that you can't unhook. Until I can isolate and eliminate the hum, I'm just editing out the noise between the tracks with the Audacity "generate silence" command. Again, no biggie, but it's an extra step.
Once you've captured an entire side of a vinyl, you add "markers" to the recorded track to indicate the track breaks, hit Audacity's "Export Multiple" command, select MP3 (assuming you have downloaded the LAME software) and your ready for iTunes. It's slick.
Overall: The turntable works very well for my needs. A serious audiophile may scoff at it and be displeased with the minor hum problem or the lack of a cueing lever, but hey, the price is right. I'd give it a Five-Star rating if it had a cueing lever, detatchable RCA cables, and no faint hum between the tracks.
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Numark TTUSB Turntable with USBThe TTUSB is a unique, plug and play, USB compatible turntable that makes digitizing your vinyl record collection to your PC or Mac a snap. Packaged with all the necessary cables to connect with a computer or stereo playback system, along with software to remove clicks, pops, and other undesirable characteristics of vinyl, the TTUSB is a comprehensive package that breathes new life into older recordings.
USB Turntable Numark is known for their turntables, and this one lives up to the company name. Features include an adjustable Anti-Skate control for increased stereo balancing, 33-1/3 and 45 RPM speed playback (with 78 rpm support via software), line level RCA outputs with built-in preamp, and an adjustable pitch control of plus or minus 10%.
The USB output means a no-fuss, plug-and-play connection to your PC or Mac for easy archiving.
Stereo Line Input As an added benefit, the TTUSB also includes a 1/8-inch stereo mini jack input connector to facilitate the transfer of cassette tapes (or similar line level sources) to computer files-making this unit the perfect tool for archiving older recordings, regardless of their original format.
EZ Vinyl Converter 2 The included EZ Converter software quickly rips your vinyl collection directly to iTunes. MixMeister's software lets you easily designate each track with the click of a button, and retrieves track names and other info using Gracenote technology. Once it's in iTunes (or the playback software of your choice), make playlists, burn CDs, or transfer to your iPod or other media player.
Audacity For the editing of your transferred files, the included Audacity software (PC and Mac compatible) provides a wealth of easy-to-use features. Remove clicks, pops, and other vinyl surface noise. Export your analog music to popular digital formats such as WAV or MP3, and turn your old, forgotten records to the top of your digital music playlist.
What's in the Box TTUSB Turntable (Includes Pre-Mounted Cartridge, Platter, Counterweight, 45RPM Adapter, Slipmat), USB Cable, Software CD, User's Manual
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