How to Restore Old Phonograph Records
Record collecting is a hobby for some and an obsession for many. The problem with listening to records over and over again is that it can significantly depreciate their value. This is why more and more collectors are turning to restoring and digitizing their entire record collections. You have to know how to clean your records correctly before digitizing them. This can be a painstaking process, but for the audiophile record collector the end result is worth the effort.
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Things You'll Need
- Record player
- RCA to 1/8-inch patch cable
- Audio recording software
- Computer
- Phonograph record
- Discwasher D4 record cleaning kit
Instructions
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1
Lay the record on a flat surface, then take a clean paper towel and gently wipe away as much dust and debris as possible.
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2
Take the applicator brush from the Discwasher D4 cleaning kit and apply the washing fluid to the brush. Then use the brush to apply the washing fluid gently in a circular motion until each side of the record is completely covered. Be careful not to apply too much pressure, as this could scratch the record.
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3
Clean the record player platform with a clean paper towel by wiping away any dust or debris. Then use another clean paper towel to gently wipe away any dust from the record needle. This will prevent any popping or cracking sounds during recording. Wait for the washing fluid to dry completely before attempting to record.
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4
Connect the turntable to your computer by connecting the RCA end of the RCA to 1/8-inch patch cable to the turntable's left and right speaker outputs, which are usually located in the back of the record player. Then connect the 1/8-inch side of the patch cable to your computer's sound card input. Your sound input is usually located in the back of your computer with a little microphone graphic printed just above it.
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5
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.
On an Apple system, go to "System Preferences." Click on the speaker icon that says "Audio." Play back the record and adjust the input volume fader to the desired volume.
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6
Download Audacity, a free recording and and audio editing program, by going to audacity.sourceforge.net, then choosing "Audacity 1.2.6" for Windows or "Audacity 1.3.10 (Beta)" for Mac. Then follow the directions to download Audacity to your computer.
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7
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.
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8
Enable the track within Audacity by clicking on the "R" button and then clicking on the "Record" button. Place the record needle gently on the record to begin recording. After the song is over, slowly and carefully lift the needle from the record to stop the turntable from spinning. Press "Stop" in Audacity.
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9
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.
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10
Repeat steps 5 and 7 through 9 for each record you digitize.
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