Records to MP3 - Convert Vinyl to Digital for iTunes

It's easy to make quality digital copies of your records, turning them into digital tracks to listen to on your iPod or PC. It's a simple process and inexpensive.  There are a couple of approaches to making mp3s out of your records, the most common is to use a turntable specifically made to plug into your computer via a USB port, like the Numark TTUSB. Another popular method is to simply connect your existing stereo to your computer and use recording software to create the files.  The hardware and software required to transfer your vinyl records' songs into digital files is easy to use and inexpensive.

The easiest way to convert your vinyl to digital audio files (like mp3) is to purchase hardware specifically made for this purpose - a USB compatible turntable. The Numark TTUSB is the most popular piece of equipment for this purpose. It can be purchased for about $90 on the Internet and sells for $100-$150 in retail stores (BestBuy sells it for $99).

Using a USB turntable makes digitizing your vinyl record collection super easy; it comes with all of the cables and software you need. You also dont have to deal with putting your computer next to your existing stereo and turntable...something that may be a hassle if your stereo is in a different room than your PC.

The software that comes with USB turntables also helps to equalize sound levels and to reduce the hiss and pops that may bug some folks...though, many people like to preserve that vinyl-feel. The software walks you through how to rip each song on your record into a digital file. If you use the TTUSB turntable, it comes with "EZ Converter" software that helps you automatically create tracks to iTunes.

See the video at the bottom for an overview of the Numark turntable.

If you are a serious audiophile and a techie tinkerer, this may be the route to take as it is somewhat interesting to play around with connecting your existing analog equipment to your digital system. It starts with connecting your stereo amplifier's line out or Aux jack to your sound card/computer's line-in jack.

You then use software like Microsofts' Plus! Analog Recorder, Magix Audio Cleaning Lab or Pinnacle System's Clean to record, filter and import the songs from your albums. They are made to copy analog audio files from sources like cassette tapes or vinyl records to digital files. Each of these spftware packages have a user interface which is fairly easy to figure out. I'd recommend "Plus! Analog Recorder" (which is a part of Plus! Digital Media Edition) - it sells for about $20. You can also use software that you may already have for ripping CDs like Roxio's Easy-CD creator or Nero 6. Both of these have basic utilities for importing and filtering analog audio-in.

Some tips that may help with this process:

- Some of the software may not auto detect all of the song breaks all the time, so you want to keep an eye on it as it is recording so that you set the markers correctly.

- Check out the software's filtering options - some offer excellent pops-and-hiss controls that work quite nicely in reducing obnoxious levels of crackling and hissing without negatively impacting sound quality.

-Tagging the tracks with corresponding album and track info can be a pain - software like Plus Analog Recorder offer ways to tag ahead of time, making it easier to label the track, album and artist titles (so you don't have to do it later in iTunes).