Actually the process is fairly simple. The complete nightmare is making sure the various components and connections do what they should.
It also took me some time to conclude that manipulating sound files with software was the best way to achieve what I wanted to.
The component hi-fi CD recorder is a smart bit of kit and does everything better than your original cassette player on which you used to copy the music from your LPs, right?
WRONG.
It does some things better, but systems have moved on. In my opinion whilst you may get better results from the improved technology, the complexity and time taken to get them to the standard we are now used to from CDs is greater. I didn’t want the hassle of constantly messing around with level controls, potentially having 30 minutes of silence after 45 minutes of music, not having “track markers” because the underlying stylus noise was too much to provide the automatic recognition in the 4 second gaps, and “finalizing” CDs only to find on playback that I’d missed the start of the first track (and so on…!).
So the component Mini Disc recorder was considered. In theory simpler to operate, but in practice just diminishing the sound quality further if then trying to transfer from MD to CD (and taking twice as long!).
Fortunately by the time I reached the conclusion that software was the way to go my personal computer needed upgrading. Good sound card, good CD burner, good software and away we go.
Anyway back to “the process”.
The record or tape is played via amplified connections and a sound file is captured. From this background hiss, rumble, and clicks can be reduced or removed. The sound file can then be brought up to an optimum level, track markers added and a CD produced.
Generally, I would only produce two sound files for each LP (one for each side).
One reason being that whilst an underlying recording level for an LP exists, if each track has a separate sound file created when optimising the playback levels, even the heaviest Rock Gods will have different levels of “loudness” in individual tracks. My experience is that irritating echo and underlying rumble can result, which sounds worse than if you did nothing at all.
A second reason being that with only two sound files you can produce better results quicker!
Part of the process is automatic (the creation of a sound file) and part of it is manual (putting in track markers and manipulating the sound).
For records and cassette tapes in good existing condition you get excellent results.
(for damaged, dirty or poor condition originals please refer to "What Do I Do?" for more details)
