[djcdc]

Hey guys,

I'm looking to convert all of my 12 inches and special mix records (anything that cant be found on cd) to MP3. Im looking for a good cartridge that will allow me to get quality sound. Im not looking for the most expensive cartridge but one that will just give me good clean sound. the majority of my records are hip hop/rap and disco/dance. There are rare records as well like jazz etc.. I was looking at the shure M97xe. Would this be a good choice for all around sound? Has anyone used the turntable from sharper image that plugs into a computer via USB? its like $199 but Im thinking about getting that and a cartridge. 600-700 pieces of vinyl is too much to have anymore, I just dont have the space and I want to downsize. Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[balou]

Quote:

its like $199 but Im thinking about getting that and a cartridge.

Those ultra cheap turntables usually don't have a replaceable cartridge. And I honestly can't imagine that this device would have anything near what you'd call 'decent' quality. My tip is to get used turntables - they can be had for cheap from flea markets, second hand stores and classifieds etc. Then you just need a phono preamp and a soundcard (I suppose you already have the latter).
About cartridges - can't say much about what to chose. With my current turntable I'm stuck to one single cartridge (the best there is for this old, incompatible-with-everything else dual turntable)

 

[Caribou679]

Quote:

Originally Posted by djcdc /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey guys, I'm looking to convert all of my 12 inches and special mix records (anything that cant be found on cd) to MP3. Im looking for a good cartridge that will allow me to get quality sound. Im not looking for the most expensive cartridge but one that will just give me good clean sound. the majority of my records are hip hop/rap and disco/dance. There are rare records as well like jazz etc.. I was looking at the shure M97xe. Would this be a good choice for all around sound? Has anyone used the turntable from sharper image that plugs into a computer via USB? its like $199 but Im thinking about getting that and a cartridge. 600-700 pieces of vinyl is too much to have anymore, I just dont have the space and I want to downsize. Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Hi!
I am not a user of turntables but I can refer you to this tutorial

http://www.blazeaudio.com/howto/lp-overview.html

which can be of some help with the basics steps needed to convert your LPs to digital. I used to do conversions from tapes to mp3.

Also Nero 7 is a suite of tools than can help you in recording and converting.

Per my past experience, you need to try different combinations to get the proper quality of conversion in recording.

have fun...

 

[JackH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by djcdc /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was looking at the shure M97xe. Would this be a good choice for all around sound?

This is what I use -- It's an excellent cartridge. I've been a fan of Shure cartridges for years, and this one is the best I've had.

Quote:

Originally Posted by djcdc /img/forum/go_quote.gif Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I highly recommend saving your music in a format that uses lossless compression, or no compression at all. That way, you won't lose quality every time you edit and re-save the file. You can always create mp3s whenever you want.

 

[babbkutz@comcast]

gems are not replacable and when you hear what is possible with the best analog repro ........well, you won't be able to forget it.....

 

[bhjazz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackH /img/forum/go_quote.gif I highly recommend saving your music in a format that uses lossless compression, or no compression at all. That way, you won't lose quality every time you edit and re-save the file. You can always create mp3s whenever you want.

X2.
Gigs (hard drive gigs, that is) are cheap these days. Save in .wav format. In fact, you can even dump .wav files to an iPod if you so desire. Connect your TT directly to the soundcard and find some good audio editing tools to record and save them. I like Cool Edit and Adobe Audition, but Audition is pretty pricey. Still, it's pretty amazing.

As for rare records, be durn careful with them. A mediocre or unclean stylus can ruin them forever. Get some Zerodust for your stylus! Also, consider shopping at TTVJ.com (a Head-Fi Sponsor), MusicDirect.com, AcousticSounds.com, . Lots of great turntables at many price ranges, some even come with a stylus already mounted, and I know you'll get a better product.

Also, go here. This is the main index for Head Fi. Check out the Todd The Vinyl Junkie Forum, the Dedicated Source forum, and the Computer forum. I know there are lots of questions there that are very similar to yours, and there are even more answers! Have fun!