How to Transfer an LP Record to a CD
While many music aficionados love the texture of sound that comes from an old-fashioned LP record, transporting records around to listen to while you're on the go is not a very feasible proposition. Instead, more and more people have taken to converting their old record collections into CDs. CDs are built to last, can be taken anywhere and are cheap to make. Converting LPs to CDs is not only an easy process, but allows you the chance to hear that favorite album of yours again.
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Things You'll Need
- Stereo/record player
- Computer
- "Y" connector
- Audio recorder software
- CDs
- CD burning software
Instructions
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1
Connect your stereo/record player to your computer. To do this, take the "Y" connector and insert the end that has two plugs into the back of your stereo in the plugs for "Out." Attach the other side, the side with a single plug, into your computer's input for a microphone.
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2
On the bottom right side of your computer desktop, right-click the volume button and press "Open Volume Control." Turn the volume for the section "Line In" about halfway up to keep the audio from being recorded too low or too high.
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3
Open your audio recorder program. (There is a free one located in the Resources below.) In the program, make sure the Input for the recorder is "Line In." When the LP player is ready, press the "Record" button on your audio recorder program and press play on your LP player. You should see various meters rising and falling as the recording starts to let you know that the songs are being recorded. When complete, press the "Stop" button on your recorder.
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4
Use the editing program to clean up your tracks. Open the track you recording in Step 3 and remove any silence at the beginning or end of the track. You can also split up the record into tracks based on the different songs that you recorded. Save each track separately as an MP3 on your computer.
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5
Open your computer's CD burning software. Insert a blank CD into your computer. In the software, input and organize the tracks you recording from the LP. Press "Burn" on the software to burn them onto the CD.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't want to go through all of the steps above, you can purchase an item called a USB turntable that will automatically convert the sound from records into digital music files that can then be placed onto your computer and converted into CDs.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit vinyl record and cds image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com
