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How to Record a LP to a Computer

LP records have outlasted every recording format that has come after it. The analog reel-to-reel tapes have come and gone, cassette tapes are a thing of the past and CDs are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Still, audiophiles everywhere are seeking ways to preserve their vinyl records digitally. The prospect of digitizing vinyl can seem daunting, but really all you need is a turntable, computer, very basic audio recording software and a few cables and adaptors to connect your record player to your computer.

Things You'll Need

  • Turntable
  • Soft paper towel
  • LP record
  • RCA to 1/8-inch patch cable
  • Audio editing and recording software
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clean the turntable platform and gently wipe the record needle with a soft paper towel to prevent any static or popping sounds from occurring during recording. Load the LP record into your record player. Connect the RCA side of your RCA to 1/8-inch patch cable to the "Left" and "Right" output channels located at the rear of your turntable.

    • 2

      Connect your record player to your computer by connecting the 1/8-inch side of the RCA to 1/8-inch patch cable into your sound card in the rear of your computer. The input into your sound card will be a 1/8-inch input and will usually have a little symbol shaped as a microphone above it.

    • 3

      Go to "Control Panel" on a Windows system. Click on "Sounds and Audio Devices." Select the "Audio" tab. Under "Sound Recording", click on the "Volume" button. The Windows mixer utility will open. Play back the record for a few minutes and adjust the input volume fader to the desired volume.

      Go to "System Preferences" On an Apple system. Click on the speaker icon that says "Audio." Play back the record and adjust the input volume fader to the desired volume.

    • 4

      Download Audacity, a free audio editing and recording software available at Sourceforge.net. Choose "Audacity 1.2.6" for Windows systems or "Audacity 1.3.10 (Beta)" if you use an Apple system. Follow the instructions to download the software to your hard drive.

    • 5

      Create a new audio track within Audacity by clicking on "File." Select "Create New Track." A window will open, prompting you to name the track. Name the track after the song you are attempting to record from the record player.

    • 6

      Enable the track within Audacity by clicking on the "R" button and followed by clicking on the "Record" button. Place the record needle gently on the record to begin recording. After the song is through, slowly and carefully lift the needle from the record to stop the turntable from spinning. Press "Stop" in Audacity.

    • 7

      Save the track as an MP3 file, in Audacity. Create a folder with the name of the artist and the album you are recording. Be sure to save each song you record to the correct folder.

    • 8

      Repeat steps 5-7 to record each song from your LP record.

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