Reviewed on 2008-04-24Works as advertised The setup of the hardware and software was quite straightforward. Though I am a tech savvy person, I actually bothered to read the instructions and found that they were quite complete.
The conversion is a two-step process - you initially record your albums in raw digital format and then convert them to the "real world" format of your choice - e.g. CD, MP3 etc.
(You don't necessarily have to keep the original raw recordings as they can take up quite a bit of space.)
CD digital conversion is supported out of the box but you will need to download a conversion add-in for MP3 - the one suggested by the Audacity software worked fine for me.
The Audacity software works well - see my notes below to help you optimize your experience.
Some things to keep in mind when converting your records to digital format:
The physical condition of the record can make a huge difference in the amount of noise. If you can, (in case you've forgotten about this practice) make sure you clean your records before you play them.
Even if your records are in great shape, digital recordings made with this turntable can reveal poor quality in the original recording. This is particulary true if you choose to record in CD quality WAV or high-bit-rate MP3).
The Audacity software lets you create CD quality (actually Super Audio CD quality) WAV files as well as ultra high bit rate MP3's. These files can get quite large. So, think about what you will be listening to your recordings on - if it's just your iPod, to save space you could get away with a lower quality conversion. If you intend to listen to your recordings on your home stereo, use a higher bit rate for MP3's or create CD quality WAV files and burn your own CDs.
Use the "amplify" feature in the Audacity software to make sure your recordings are all at the same level - will save you turning the volume up and down.
Quibble: It's too bad this version of the turntable doesn't have a dust cover.
Reviewed on 2008-04-19Pretty Good Stuff This is a good product. The software could have better documentation but all in all this was worth it. The merchant shipped quickly and delivery was just as it said.
Reviewed on 2008-04-13software easy to install but... I bought this to turn my lps into cds, but the crackle and pops that needed to be removed were not easy with using the software that came with this hardware. I will continue to study and try.
Reviewed on 2008-04-08One of a kind I bought this turntable to convert over 200 records into a format that our MP3 players could use. In no time at all we had it up and running digitizing the music unto our computer. I especially like the feature where you can record a 33 1/3rpm at 45rpm and then convert it back to 33 1/3 after digitizing it. It cuts the recording time by 26%. Another nice feature is that you can filter most of the extra noise from scratches out of the recordings. I would highly recommend this product.
Reviewed on 2008-04-08Junky Mine came with EZ Vinyl Converter and Audacity. The EZ Vinyl software did not recognize my turntable with the USB connector. As a matter of fact it hoses my Vista Laptop when plugged in. From experiance this is the sign of an incompatible driver.
The Audacity software is actualy freeware software and can be downloaded from their web site. Its problemmatic at best.
The unit is very cheap. 99% plastic. I do like the fact that I can plug it into a reciever or other preamp and not use the flaky USB interface. It has a switch that lets you turn on and off the built-in preamp. There was a slight hum when the preamp was engauaged.
While the tone arm does have an adjustment I found it to be somewhat sticky.
I cant tell you how well the USB inteface worked as I could not get mine to work.
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