Neato Computer CD analog recording solution. (1 Viewer)

[Philip Hamm]

I've been using MiniDisc for the last few years to "portablize" my LPs. However, my experience with Sony MiniDisc gear, along with the general apparent decline of the format, has made me seek a CD solution.

Computer sound cards, except pro ones, are not good for analog recording. I've made some CDs this way as an experiment (with my "game" quality sound cards) with not terrible results. When listened to on their own, the CDs I've made using the line in from tape monitor have been OK. When compared to a MiniDisc of the same material, the CDs sound like complete dogshit.

However, recently I have implemented The Solution.

My Sony MDS-JB920 MiniDisc deck has really nice analog to digital conversion hooked into the tape monitor on my receiver. In "rec" mode with no disc, it monitors the input to the digital outs. I got myself a really cheap sound card on Ubid with optical in and out. I play my records, put the MD recorder in "REC" mode, and record using the digital input on the sound card. I then take the WAV files and trim them in SoundForge and write a CD in CD Architect. I've recorded one LP to CD this way and the results are really fantastic!

So neato, I just wanted to tell somebody!

 

[DaveF]

That's a pretty cool kludge. How long did it take to figure out that that process would work?

Of course, since discussing ways to replicate copyrighted material is against forum policies, will you now lock your own thread? :p)

 

[Philip Hamm]

I'm making CDs of my LPs and other analog sources for portable use. As far as I know that's not any more illegal than making a casette tape or using a component CD-Recorder to make mix CDs. (which I make occasionally with my computer.)

I wonder if this works with "copy protected" CDs?

I'm sure it would work fine assuming one has a CD player capable of playing the so-called "Copy protected" CDs with an optical out. If I was a fan of an artist who wanted to make a mix CD for my car and the artist's newest album was one of the newfangled "Copy protected" CDs I'd use this solution.

However, there's a major wrinkle. Windows Me which I use as my OS is not robust enough to record from the SPDIF in to SoundForge while doing anything else. My WAV files have stutters in them. Looks like I'll have to upgrade to XP.