DIY LP ripping

You might be finding the MP3s more convenient at this point, but take the time while you have the record all cleaned and mounted up to make a hi rez file of the music as well.  Use FLAC or ALAC at 24/96 at least.  You will thank yourself down the line.

You will find it harder in years to come to go back to the ripping again for better files, and you will want Hi Rez files at some point.

I think it may be more to the point that his diagram shows a simple linear amplifier connected to the phono.  I'm not sure you can make it work as diagrammed to try to equalize-in the RIAA correction after it's been input into the Creative Xi-Fi.  Chances are, you'll be missing a lot of the signal by the time you try to equalize it.  More importantly, the Fio doesn't have near the gain required to pull the signal off of the phono cartridge, either. You need 38-40 dB(!) of gain as the industry standard for a magnetic cartridge (moving coil needs much higher gain).

There are a number of inexpensive add-on phono preamps available.  Here's a bunch you can get from Parts Express, for instance:

http://www.parts-express.com/wizards/searchResults.cfm?FTR=phono+preamp&search_type=main&WebPage_ID=3&searchFilter=phono+preamp

Or, you could build the Hagermann Bugle:

http://www.hagtech.com/bugle.html

Any of these should be sufficient to feed the line-level inputs on the Creative Xi-Fi, with no post-processing required (unless you want to remove pops and scratches) .

On the software side, I recommend ClickRepair and DeNoise found here: http://www.clickrepair.net/software_download/ I use them on all my rips, and they work very well.

My set-up, for reference, is:

VPI Scoutmaster with Soundsmith Aida -> Hagerman Cornet 2 Phono stage -> E-Mu 0404 USB -> Cubase LE, then DeNoiseLF, ClickRepair and DeNoise, in that order.

Thanks this is perfect timing, especially the clickrepair and de-noise links.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markon101 

Thanks for all the tips guys!

 

Would I get better sound quality using an old receiver for amping the turntable?

 

That's not an easy answer - it depends on the receiver.  For instance, I use an old Sony VX6 with a Technics SL-7 (Shure V15 III cartridge).  The VX6 was a top-of-the-line receiver and has pre-amp outs (a break between the pre-amp and amplifier connection paths).  Needle drops sound absolutely incredible from the pre-amp outs, but not so hot from the tape outs - by today's standards with our headphones and headphone amps, that is.