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I have a turntable with a installed pre-amp and two (output) audio cables in the back. I want to record my record albums to my computer. How can I make the connection to my laptop. And what free software is the best for recording? Will Windows Media Player be able to do it? I have windows 7 Ultimate installed.
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Thank you for the tip on Audacity. My turntable is pre-usb. It has a pre-amp but only two output audio plugs. My laptop has only a single audio micro-jack plug in for audio, plus USB ports. So how can I connect the turntable to the laptop for recording? Is there an interim device which I can plug the audio cable into, and run USB from the device into my laptop? I'm trying to keep from buying a new turntable and/or amplifier. Thanks.
And no interim device. Just a cable or maybe some audio plugs to micro-jack adapter (check amazon).
You can buy a short adapter cable which has two RCA input jacks ("female") on one end going into a single stereo mini-plug on the other end. This is a common/standard adapter and should be easy to find in a store on online at monoprice.com or amazon.com, etc. I second the opinion that the free Audacity software is a good choice for recording the sound from the turntable onto your hard drive (or onto an external hard drive connected to your laptop if you prefer). Audacity has a zillion features so read the Help file or a tutorial online if needed to get started with recording. I would urge you to record in uncompressed format such as .wav for the best quality. So-called "lossless" formats such as FLAC or others save some space but they do REMOVE some of the bits that make up the music!
Record in the highest quality you can and then work on the raw recording with Audacity. You can clean up the recording or retain the pops and clicks for a true vinyl experience, as you wish. Audacity has options to remove them for you but I wouldn't recommend you use them. Learn to use the program and clean up the recording manually - it's much more precise.
You mentioned having only ONE output jack on your laptop, if that's the case, it may only provide output from the sound-card (either for headphones or external speakers) If this is the case, then the "Y" cable solution suggested simply will NOT work. My (HP) laptop is designed that way & the solution I came up with was in my pile of old & unsupported peripheral gear I refused to let go of. Let me explain... Back in the days of Windows XP, I purchased a device made by Creative labs called "Sound Blaster Extigy" It connected via USB & among other things, decoded Dolby 5.1, had s/pdif + analog audio outputs (which I used to connect to my sound system) it also sports LINE IN and MIC jacks (which is where it becomes useful to you) Unfortunately, Creative labs is one of those technology companies which puts out innovative products but, rarely keeps up driver support & the included software would not run for me on Win 7. However, the good news I discovered was that my computer WOULD recognize the device itself & give me access to the INPUTS (both mic & line) I just did a quick eBay search & saw that there were a few people selling them relatively cheap (approx $20 + shipping) which is a deal considering that the original retail price for it was about $150 "back in the day" Note: there are also a couple of Amazon "marketplace" sellers who have them listed for sale at more than twice that amount. I hope this info helps you sort out this issue
A single mini-jack (or micro-jack?) on a laptop may be a combined input/output jack or it may be output only. So, exactly which brand and model is your laptop? What are the specs for that jack? Is it a mini-jack or a micro-jack? What does the user manual say regarding what you can connect to that jack? If you can answer these questions you will know for certain if a Y-adapter will work for you or if you need an outboard box as suggested above by sjulty.
If you need an outboard box check these out:
This one says for video but you can use just the audio jacks (red & white): https://www.amazon.com/Yosoo-Converter-Adapter-Video-Capture/dp/B0199DRWQ8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1471711115&sr=8-4&keywords=rca+converter+to+usb
A nicer one here: https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UCA202-Audio-Interface/dp/B000KW2YEI/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1471711115&sr=8-7&keywords=rca+converter+to+usb
A simple Y-adapter cable, if appropriate: https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-MUMFRCA-Stereo-Audio-Cable/dp/B000A88L9E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1471711674&sr=8-2&keywords=female+mini+stereo+to+rca
or here: http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=666&seq=1&format=2
Thank you everyone for your replies, especially andrew baggins. I have found the Behringer U-Phono UFO 202 which is designed specifically for my situation (Audacity is a free download) and I have ordered it from Amazon ($29.99). It comes with its own pre-amp (although my turntable has one, too). I have heard a lot about Audacity (and its alleged complexity). Is there a comparable free, easier to use program out there? Thanks again.
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