FWIW - I use one of my Technics 1200s, a Mastersounds weight, and a clean Shure M44-7. I run a usb directly from my Pioneer DJM 750 MK2 into a Tascam DR40. I record everything in 320 and then boost the volume and remove pops in Audacity. Most records sound really good and it's awesome having your record bag on a USB stick. Highly recommend!
Tip 7, record at 24 bit or higher, this allows you to have a quieter recording so you don't clip, normalize the volume and convert to 16 bit with no loss of data.
hey everyone, just like to point out a couple of things #1 when spraying the vinyl, make sure it's spinning so you get a more even coating of the cleaning solution. also use the brush to clean, as it actually gets in between the grooves. you can paper dry or use a different brush to dry #2 increase the input volume on your software, BEFORE ripping the music. if you increase the volume after, you're also increasing the noise which gives you poor signal to noise ratio the rest was all good
Good view of the essentials, can not recommend the shortest possible signal path/processing chain enough. Here's my usual wall of text: The thing with Hi-Fi carts is they tend to have a different enough sound profile from your regular gigging carts that you may not like the result and end up wrecking the gains with post-processing. For instance, I was playing out with Concorde Pros and ripped with a spare ripping-only stylus of that model and got a Shure M97 for rips - I ended up shelving it as the stereo separation wasn't quite there and I found it to have too muffled highs. YMMV - I confirmed my thoughts by comparing several WAVs of good sounding tracks I'd also bought on vinyl and ripped (on labels with good cuts/presses...). Cleaning up the records, well... if you use liquids, really heed Mojaxx's warning and let the records dry thoroughly. Apparently, playing wet records means you'll have to play them wet everytime, if vinyl audiophiles are to be believed. Also, if you're going to use one of the common sprays I hope you have a good microfiber cloth to suck it all up before drying ; I typically found they increased surface noise overall (ergo, frustration - see below) and ended up only using liquids on the smallest possible problem areas. When recording, try to get a hot signal, but not so hot that you're bordeline overloading your preamps. If you can adjust it to be a little too low, do that - since you're recording in 24bit (aren't you?) you'll be minimizing your losses when bumping up the volume. For instance, it appeared that on my Audio 8 the signal was getting altered even before the I/O leds hit the red. Ramp up your Audio interface's buffer size before recording, even more so when recording at higher sample rates and on weaker machines. I just set it to the maximum size then since responsiveness doesn't matter during this operation. That will make sure you don't get pops because of the software! Needless to say, don't blast the record out when ripping, do it in the headphones, even if you have isolators :) Stick around and listen : should there be pops or skips that don't blatantly show up on the waveform, you'll know roughly where they are, plus you get a full focused (ish) pass on every track, which never hurts when you're going to be mixing them at some point! If you're annoyed by crackle in quiet bits... you'll have to work on yourself and let go. It was tough for me too :) Don't let even the almighty Izotope RX loose in full auto on your rips. Audition is worse but can still be useful in some long quiet bits. Don't even think about Audacity! This means you have to target problem areas which is a lot more work. RX works really well there, while using Audition's auto heal is only ok-ish on very obvious pops. They're both various levels of expensive. If you're too OCD, start by not cleaning pops that you can see on the graphs but can't notice during playback because of psychoacoustics and you'll be on your way to recovery :) Pops that are too audible prevent you from making the most of normalizing to a good volume, be sure to edit them out if that's the only edit you do. Otherwise when you'll load the track you'll be increasing the channel gain to compensate, and blasting CRUNCHYLOUDPOPSARGH to the PA because you'll have forgotten why the file wasn't loud enough. To fix L/R levels asymmetry quickly, depending on the program used you may be able to normalize to a set level with separate processing of each channel in one go. Do this after removing the pops as those might screw you up as mentioned ; other than that caveat this shortcut tends to fix most tracks without fuss AND do the normalization in one simple step. When normalizing, if you ever intend on downgrading your archive lossless copies to mp3, try and normalize to -0.3 dB max - can't quite find the science or articles behind it again but it seems that content that peaks above that tends to mess up most mp3 encoders, including even LAME. I think this was brought up in the series on podcast recording on this channel. Audacity was mentioned. You should definitely rip in 24 bit whenever possible but be aware that this appears to be a tricky subject on the Windows build of this program. If that's all you can use, get the most recent version you can and use the WASAPI driver for your audio interface. If you have something else, by all means go for that :) I feel I have to talk about Warping in Ableton Live. If you don't care about sound quality and can spare the time, sure, do it. When I did it, I only straightened out wonky cuts at a stable average bpm and used the repitch algorithm. Live 7's audio out probably let me down as well then. Disk space is cheap. Save your nearly unprocessed 96k 24bit for later, FLAC or zip them if you have to (I'd suggest formats you can use metadata so you don't have to pull it from the internet years down the line). When all clubs have CDJs that can play this, you'll be happy you did. Don't just bounce down to 320 MP3 and throw the source files. Keep a copy of your archives on separate media somewhere else. Be careful when resampling down to 44k 16bit, especially if that's all you're going to keep. Not every sample rate converter is made equal. I used to like Soundforge Pro's iZotope resampler. When I had to switch to Audition, I noticed it wasn't nearly as great and neither was Audacity. in my case dbPoweramp was the best compromise. This : src.infinitewave.ca/ put me on that track. Edit : buffer size part
Really great tips. Thanks for sharing. I learned many of this the hard way over years, heck even decades. Wish I would have originally recorded at higher bit/sample rates. Also, as you outline, the processing workflow (normalization, sample rate conversion, removing clicks for the O.C.D., etc) is important. Thanks!
@@dirtycleansound it seems to be regarded as best practice in most studio recording setups to start from higher sampling rate and bit depths, the bit depth seems to be the most important part. You may find it hard to decide between 44k vs 48k targets if you want to dig further.
Thanks for the write up! So I just recently got back in to turntables. What's a good cartridge/needle for mainly house and techno? Not a lot if scratching but maybe a little from time to time. I'm looking for something quality but for a good price.
@@dirtycleansound I guess check out Mojaxx's review of the new Ortofon Concorde mk2 - the Mix should be good value. If you can get a set of the old concorde on the cheap, could be nice : they're still doing styli for those. The gray PRO sounds fine, used to be fairly priced, but a little quiet - if that's a problem, maybe go up to the blue DJ S. If you go for a pair of concordes, you save more with a twin pack. If you already have headshells, maybe look for OM versions of those old ortofon to save a bit more money. There's also a video on the OM MF7, which seemed like great value but appears to be discontinued, much like Shure's M44 so I'd be careful about either of those.
I use platinum notes 10 from mixed in key to ensure all my rips are set to the same output level regardless of the original vinyl recording level or the different levels used when recording.
I use a tascam DR-07 when ripping vinyl! it's definitely time consuming, but I get a clear & loud recording. I also do the same for my old mixtape cassette recording's!
I have been ripping vinyl for years with cool edit pro as you said if you don't have to rip it don't I only rip vinyl now if I cant find an original sounding digital copy one example is Bellamy Bothers Crossfire when you listen to original single its so different to what's on line
I disagree with the first point. A well-mastered vinyl record or CD will always be better quality as you can save it in lossless FLAC/ALAC. Can't do that with 256 kbps iTunes files
I use audacity and and arkiv OM. Got alot of old school chicago house rips. let me know if you want to trade. gonna rip some late 9os house soon. good luck
@@moscasucio1686 that sounds great man I'm just going to get new needles soon ro use an ortofon Concord. Dontscottie@gmail.com could you just say hello to start an email chain? I got some crazy old house Classics and bangers but it's still all pretty deep
I noticed at the end that the example rip was recorded in 16-bit with about 12db headroom. That's effectively about 14-bit quality at best once you've normalised it to max volume, and that's not even taking into account any other processing that might be done. It's defintely wise to leave that much headroom when recording, but I would strongly suggest ripping in 24-bit, there's very little reason not to nowadays. It ensures you won't lose any quality with further processing. Also, on a different note, a lot of people swear by playing vinyl wet to reduce crackling and popping. I haven't bothered myself as I don't mind it, but I've seen a couple youtube tutorials about it and it definitely seems to work on worn-out records.
pkaulf Damn, you're eagle-eyed! That's actually one of my 'quick and dirty' rips which I use to get audio into Serato DJ to BPM my vinyl. It was the only unprocessed vinyl rip file I had to hand. I'm really not sure about wet playing. I too have seen some people swear by it, but others who say it's a terrible idea. So I'd rather play it safe.
It's also a bad idea signal-to-noise-ratio-wise. I dunno, we DJs adjust our levels anyway before we bring the vinyl into the mix, why not do it here as well? Who needs 12db of headroom anyway? In my experience, some record peak out at 8db from the RMS.
Grown up with vinyl before digital music , we used to always wet the record if it was in bad condition to help it glide over said scratch etc. Not sure of damage to needle etc, but we did this for years with no immediate effect
i always clean my records with a spin clean first then rip with audacity, the dennon dn-x1600 has a nice audio interface, also don't forget the rubber mat and record weight, and make sure your stylus is clean
My way to do it: - Using Technics 1200 MK'2 + Pioneer XDJ-RX2 + audio interface (Mackie Big Knob Studio) - The XDJ-RX2 has two USB slots. One of the slots has a recording option. - Just use the set-up as normal: the Technics are connected to the Pioneer-systeem. And the Pioneer-system (and speakers) is connected to the audio interface. - Put a USB in the XDJ-RX2. Press record and play the record. - When the record is finished end the recording. - The system will now generate a WAV file on the USB. - Put the USB in your computer and there is your WAV. - You can use the WAV file or convert it to 320-mp3 with iTunes/Audacity etc. Note: you can even record this way without an audio interface. The Technics are connected to the Pioneer system so the USB will record the master signal of this device. Important: not only the system or the way of recording is important for improving quality. Start with your cartridge and stylus. Best is some HIFI cartridge. If you don't want to break the bank and still want to use it for mixing purposes too, try the Ortofon Concorde Club. This cartridge has an eliptical stylus and 8mv output.
I went and bought a Belt drive turntable to rip vinyl. The direct drive wobble from a technic or whatever turntable may be slight, but noticeable when mixing a vinyl rip into a digital track. If you are ripping into something like Ableton, it matters less because you can fix that wobble with the snap to grid feature.
Belt-driven turntables usually offer much higher wow and flutter compared to a direct drive. And the audible motor rumble of a DD should actually be a thing of the past.
Sometimes I do have to "rock the coin on the cart" even after balancing.. some records do just seem to be cut that way... I came here looking for more info on how to set levels on the recorder to avoid clipping but capture the loudest possible sound.. many times my older stuff just wont match the levels of the newer stuff that is compressed/ultramaximized (prob wrong term). Looking for ways to get louder without killing the dynamic range. realize those are mutual exclusive concepts, but I imaging there is a middle ground with a good process for getting a max level.
Good tips. I've recently done a video of my workflow. The BEST and most important tip for people looking to rip vinyl is CLEANING. Get the record as clean and noise free as possible, this saves so much time and pain in the noise reduction steps.
I am about to digitally archive the joint collection of myself and some friends of 12" club mixes dating from the mid 80's to about 1992. I have a big bottle of Tite-Bond 2 for the ones with a lot of beer and such spilled on them, and a Spin Clean for washing all of them. I will be recording with a new AT-VM540ML on my SL-1500 through a Nikko Beta-II preamp in 24/96 and using some digital restoration software to remove any additional pops and scratches that may come up. While I plan to archive the clean recordings, I also plan to do a tiny amount of EQ and compression when appropriate. However, I have no experience with that, and I am wondering if you have some recommendations for videos to watch about it. I have been watching Dennis Ward's videos at HOFA, but I think that is too in-depth. I probably just want to give a bit of boost to the low end (which wasn't as prioritized in that era), and maybe a touch of compression to boost the overall signal. Any help appreciated.
With new records, I hardly ever need any processing after, but older records may have some wayward transients so I put a transparent limiter on with 1/2db gr at its loudest point before exporting. Help to match them up with my newer records (well closer anyway!). Also use the rubber mat, MS weight, and shure audiophile stylus & cart.
I wouldn't use an Audio Technica AT95E (as shown) because you will lose a hell of a LOT of bass compared to your M44-7s. I use the slightly less bassy M44-G and even compared to those the AT95E bass response is VERY weak. Also if ripping old vinyl from the 80s and early 90s it may be worth adding a tiny touch of compression, once in your DAW before you rip, in order to bring the perceived volume to similar levels as contemporary productions.
Thanks for your videos. I have a big question: how can I digitize my vinyl and upload it to TH-cam? Is it allowed to do this without being notified of copyright infringement? All the best.
hi..currently using technics mk2' fluid amped monitors..numark. mk6 usb..what else do i need to rip vinyl....(dont have a laptop/mac etc......any idea would be appreciated thanks
Good tips!....itz good to knw,it wasn't any fancy app/wizard tech stuff!...lol...maybe ill try it on some of my old local Detroit artist's...Esham,Smiley,...Awesome Dre...
The vinyl I want to rip is very old and obscure happy hardcore, German trance, makina, italo, Italian dance, Euro dance etc, so there aren't any digital copies available. Ones I have found are actually low quality and simply "remastered" digitally instead of being a true 320kb quality track, like the vinyl.
That's why I have gone back to vinyl as there are no decent UKG/jungle/96-98dnb rips out there and not all realeses were digitised. Expensive hobby though. 😁😁😁😁
Good video. Best option is Night Club mk2. I have both, Gold and Mk2 and it is way better. Stereo image is much wider. Lows are more detailed, but not so loud as on Gold. Using SL 1210 mk2 together with stainberg ur22 Concord Night Club mk2 is perfect!
Iv been ripping lately .. Iv pretty much got the idea on how to do it but I just wanted to double check.. Am recording straight from my turntable direct into my rx2 usb drive . When the Audio playing should I always record it at 0db? So the first amber on the mixer ?
I've been using this exact same method. Using a new ortofon pro-s stylus. Selfgrounded Technics sl1200 m3d with new rca cables installed. Connect the TT to my pioneer xdj rx1. (recording brand new, never played before vinyl, house music) I keep the signal on my mixer in the green. Far from clipping. After that I import into adobe audition, make sure left and right channels are volume adjusted if needed, and then raise the overall volume to right under 0db. So it doesn't clip. I save as 320kbps. The rips still sound kinda "dull" compared to mp3s I buy online when I play out. I can adjust the volume with the gain and raise the highs with the eq a bit, but it still doesn't sound as "clear and loud" as purchased mp3s. What could I be doing wrong? Should I save as .wav instead of 320 mp3 ? Help / suggestions are appreciated.
I would've liked if you talked about Audacity (which is great for ripping vinyl). Another thing would be the recording quality (44.1kHz 16bit is more than enough while there is plenty people out there ripping with 192kHz 24bit, which is total overkill). I liked though that you mentioned the AudioTechnica AT95E which sounds better than loads of cartridges for 100 or more bucks.
Does Pioneer DJM S9 allow you to record directly from the USB? How can I get the shortest recording path with the Pioneer DJM S9? Any help is appreciated. I've tried recording my vinyl but it sounds terrible so I gave up.
djkoz78 yes you can, although I found I had to use Rekordbox to get the signal to be detected. For some reason Audacity could see there mixer but not detect any signal. Luckily Rekordbox records as WAV and you can edit afterwards. Make sure you get the updated driver from the Pioneer website so you can configure the mixer output correctly
You can record with Serato but you will need a soundedition software like Audacity or Adobe Audition CC. BTW Audacity and Audition can record directly from USB
I've been using this following method: I'm recording brand new, unplayed vinyl (house music) Using a new ortofon pro-s stylus. Selfgrounded Technics sl1200 m3d with new rca cables installed. Connect the TT to my pioneer xdj rx1 which records in .wav directly on to my usb. I record with the signal staying in the green, not even close to clipping at all. After that I import into adobe audition, make sure left and right channels are volume adjusted if needed, and then raise the overall volume to right under 0db. So it doesn't clip. I save as 320kbps. The rips still sound kinda "dull" and lower in volume compared to mp3s I buy online. When I play out I can adjust the volume with the gain and raise the highs on my eq a little, but it still doesn't sound as "clear and loud" as purchased mp3s. What am I doing wrong? Should I save as .wav instead of 320kbps mp3 ? Am I using the wrong stylus? Help / suggestions are appreciated.
friendly tip if you are serious about sound quality.replace that stylus and cart with a proper MM cart and never record through a mixer, go staight to a phono stage like a good ADC with a usb out and then straight to audacity.it will make all the difference
been looking for advice on this for a while, cheers i recorded some vinyl straight into a audio 6 and it sounded fine through my daw but when i exported it had a bad fuzz any tips havent tried since but i record mixes through my mixer usually and have done since and its been fine
Ali Velmi The Audio 6 is a good Interface, it should give you clean recordings. I'd try and disconnect various parts of the chain, I wonder if you have a ground loop going on somewhere.
yeah so i tried again no fuzz now in my DAW But the track is really missing the low end i can send you it so you could see for youself , my chain is just my technics 1200 to my soundcard and into ableton, im recording in Mono too as one rcas abit buggy but i cant seem to work out whats going , when i play it back through my mixer (output from the soundcard back into the mixer) if i boost the low band EQ to the max it starts sounding normal again
Could very well be the mono. Maybe try using the other inputs? Or have you isolated this to the rca on the turntable and not a problem with the A6 ? In which case you should try and fix it/have it looked at. On the A8 you could mess with the frequency response of the phono preamps (timecode / phono / line), but I'm not sure if it's an option in the control panel for the A6. In any case you want that to be set to phono - line level will wreck the low end for sure, although it'll also be veeeeery quiet :)
Ali Velmi are you sure it’s the rca? Try taking a q-tip and cleaning the 4 contact points in the tonearm where the cartridge is mounted. I have cured so many one channel turntable issues at gigs with a trusty q-tip. It’s essential to have a few in your DJ bag! It’s well worth fixing the rca if that is the culprit.
that battered sl3 card.... eliptical needles can be used on straight arms but you need to angle cart by 20+ degrees www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=33214
1) I recommend NOT using a DJ or under $100 USD cartridge. A better cart will give a better sound. B) A turntable such as a DJ turntable is just fine as long as it is a direct drive. The arm type does not matter, although, if you use one with an S arm, you can change cartridges at will. C) it is perfectly fine to process or clean up your sound as long as you are careful.
Tip 0. Never, ever, Ever. EVER!,. Put Your fingers on the playing surface. Doesn't matter how much of that Cleaner You spray on It will Never get the Grease that It produced from Your fingers Off. he got those Records for Nothing as Promo's (Like Me) so It will not matter to Him. But If You are Buying them It will matter to You. Practice and Enjoy.
I get the whole don't rip if it you don't have to buy who wants to buy the song twice? Secondly for me a lot of my vinyl is absolutely not available to purchase digitally. I live in Florida & our contribution to the dance scene was Florida Breaks & I have about 4 crates of Florida breakbeat that you can't find anywhere.
djkoz78 Then that stuff is exactly the kind of records that are worth ripping! Although (and I'm no expert on Florida Breaks) I see my favourite label in the genre, Zone Records, has a big retrospective compilation available on iTunes... which I'm just about to purchase. Nice.
MojaxxVDJ Believe me I've tried multiple times to rip them they always come out terrible. The audio quality sucks compared to the vinyl. It's like when i try to rip them they are turned down by half the volume. I need them professionally done but I guarantee that's expensive.
Have a tip too. Do not put stickers on covers if it is not generic and put some protective sleeves on it so you can put stickers on those. I know most dj's are not audiophiles but this is horrible.
Mr Byer I like to rip as clean as possible, then do any EQing when playing the digital files out later. That's my taste though, you can EQ at the rip stage if you prefer.
DJs usually have easily replaceble records. And the process of scratching alone does more damage over time. So not such a big deal. Though kinda ironic same guy has cleaning solution for them
never ever rip through USB. Also just rip it straight into audacity. and for the love of god dont rip it to AIFF, its proprietary and shit, use FLAC files instead, preferably 24bit and has the same quality and smaller sizes.
Why are you putting the audio path through that garbage Rane mixer? I can't believe that thing has any award-winning quality components. I noticed you are also cleaning the records on the very turntable you use to play them, torquing the bearings in the process. You don't want to do that.
FWIW - I use one of my Technics 1200s, a Mastersounds weight, and a clean Shure M44-7. I run a usb directly from my Pioneer DJM 750 MK2 into a Tascam DR40. I record everything in 320 and then boost the volume and remove pops in Audacity. Most records sound really good and it's awesome having your record bag on a USB stick. Highly recommend!
Tip 7, record at 24 bit or higher, this allows you to have a quieter recording so you don't clip, normalize the volume and convert to 16 bit with no loss of data.
instablaster...
@Eric Borb It's amazing the amount of absolute idiot "experts" on youtube. Like you.
Yes, thank you!
hey everyone, just like to point out a couple of things
#1 when spraying the vinyl, make sure it's spinning so you get a more even coating of the cleaning solution. also use the brush to clean, as it actually gets in between the grooves. you can paper dry or use a different brush to dry
#2 increase the input volume on your software, BEFORE ripping the music. if you increase the volume after, you're also increasing the noise which gives you poor signal to noise ratio
the rest was all good
Good view of the essentials, can not recommend the shortest possible signal path/processing chain enough. Here's my usual wall of text:
The thing with Hi-Fi carts is they tend to have a different enough sound profile from your regular gigging carts that you may not like the result and end up wrecking the gains with post-processing.
For instance, I was playing out with Concorde Pros and ripped with a spare ripping-only stylus of that model and got a Shure M97 for rips - I ended up shelving it as the stereo separation wasn't quite there and I found it to have too muffled highs. YMMV - I confirmed my thoughts by comparing several WAVs of good sounding tracks I'd also bought on vinyl and ripped (on labels with good cuts/presses...).
Cleaning up the records, well... if you use liquids, really heed Mojaxx's warning and let the records dry thoroughly. Apparently, playing wet records means you'll have to play them wet everytime, if vinyl audiophiles are to be believed.
Also, if you're going to use one of the common sprays I hope you have a good microfiber cloth to suck it all up before drying ; I typically found they increased surface noise overall (ergo, frustration - see below) and ended up only using liquids on the smallest possible problem areas.
When recording, try to get a hot signal, but not so hot that you're bordeline overloading your preamps. If you can adjust it to be a little too low, do that - since you're recording in 24bit (aren't you?) you'll be minimizing your losses when bumping up the volume. For instance, it appeared that on my Audio 8 the signal was getting altered even before the I/O leds hit the red.
Ramp up your Audio interface's buffer size before recording, even more so when recording at higher sample rates and on weaker machines. I just set it to the maximum size then since responsiveness doesn't matter during this operation. That will make sure you don't get pops because of the software!
Needless to say, don't blast the record out when ripping, do it in the headphones, even if you have isolators :) Stick around and listen : should there be pops or skips that don't blatantly show up on the waveform, you'll know roughly where they are, plus you get a full focused (ish) pass on every track, which never hurts when you're going to be mixing them at some point!
If you're annoyed by crackle in quiet bits... you'll have to work on yourself and let go. It was tough for me too :)
Don't let even the almighty Izotope RX loose in full auto on your rips. Audition is worse but can still be useful in some long quiet bits. Don't even think about Audacity!
This means you have to target problem areas which is a lot more work. RX works really well there, while using Audition's auto heal is only ok-ish on very obvious pops. They're both various levels of expensive.
If you're too OCD, start by not cleaning pops that you can see on the graphs but can't notice during playback because of psychoacoustics and you'll be on your way to recovery :)
Pops that are too audible prevent you from making the most of normalizing to a good volume, be sure to edit them out if that's the only edit you do. Otherwise when you'll load the track you'll be increasing the channel gain to compensate, and blasting CRUNCHYLOUDPOPSARGH to the PA because you'll have forgotten why the file wasn't loud enough.
To fix L/R levels asymmetry quickly, depending on the program used you may be able to normalize to a set level with separate processing of each channel in one go. Do this after removing the pops as those might screw you up as mentioned ; other than that caveat this shortcut tends to fix most tracks without fuss AND do the normalization in one simple step.
When normalizing, if you ever intend on downgrading your archive lossless copies to mp3, try and normalize to -0.3 dB max - can't quite find the science or articles behind it again but it seems that content that peaks above that tends to mess up most mp3 encoders, including even LAME. I think this was brought up in the series on podcast recording on this channel.
Audacity was mentioned. You should definitely rip in 24 bit whenever possible but be aware that this appears to be a tricky subject on the Windows build of this program. If that's all you can use, get the most recent version you can and use the WASAPI driver for your audio interface. If you have something else, by all means go for that :)
I feel I have to talk about Warping in Ableton Live. If you don't care about sound quality and can spare the time, sure, do it. When I did it, I only straightened out wonky cuts at a stable average bpm and used the repitch algorithm. Live 7's audio out probably let me down as well then.
Disk space is cheap. Save your nearly unprocessed 96k 24bit for later, FLAC or zip them if you have to (I'd suggest formats you can use metadata so you don't have to pull it from the internet years down the line). When all clubs have CDJs that can play this, you'll be happy you did. Don't just bounce down to 320 MP3 and throw the source files. Keep a copy of your archives on separate media somewhere else.
Be careful when resampling down to 44k 16bit, especially if that's all you're going to keep. Not every sample rate converter is made equal. I used to like Soundforge Pro's iZotope resampler. When I had to switch to Audition, I noticed it wasn't nearly as great and neither was Audacity. in my case dbPoweramp was the best compromise. This : src.infinitewave.ca/ put me on that track.
Edit : buffer size part
Really great tips. Thanks for sharing. I learned many of this the hard way over years, heck even decades. Wish I would have originally recorded at higher bit/sample rates. Also, as you outline, the processing workflow (normalization, sample rate conversion, removing clicks for the O.C.D., etc) is important. Thanks!
So you recommend recording in 96k and then bouncing down to 44.1?
@@dirtycleansound it seems to be regarded as best practice in most studio recording setups to start from higher sampling rate and bit depths, the bit depth seems to be the most important part. You may find it hard to decide between 44k vs 48k targets if you want to dig further.
Thanks for the write up! So I just recently got back in to turntables. What's a good cartridge/needle for mainly house and techno? Not a lot if scratching but maybe a little from time to time. I'm looking for something quality but for a good price.
@@dirtycleansound I guess check out Mojaxx's review of the new Ortofon Concorde mk2 - the Mix should be good value. If you can get a set of the old concorde on the cheap, could be nice : they're still doing styli for those. The gray PRO sounds fine, used to be fairly priced, but a little quiet - if that's a problem, maybe go up to the blue DJ S. If you go for a pair of concordes, you save more with a twin pack.
If you already have headshells, maybe look for OM versions of those old ortofon to save a bit more money. There's also a video on the OM MF7, which seemed like great value but appears to be discontinued, much like Shure's M44 so I'd be careful about either of those.
I use platinum notes 10 from mixed in key to ensure all my rips are set to the same output level regardless of the original vinyl recording level or the different levels used when recording.
This is a well presented and informative video. The bloke clearly knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Rock on...
I use a tascam DR-07 when ripping vinyl! it's definitely time consuming, but I get a clear & loud recording.
I also do the same for my old mixtape cassette recording's!
I have been ripping vinyl for years with cool edit pro as you said if you don't have to rip it don't I only rip vinyl now if I cant find an original sounding digital copy one example is Bellamy Bothers Crossfire when you listen to original single its so different to what's on line
I disagree with the first point. A well-mastered vinyl record or CD will always be better quality as you can save it in lossless FLAC/ALAC. Can't do that with 256 kbps iTunes files
will be encoding 500 house records this winter, so thanks very much for the useful tips!
I use audacity and and arkiv OM. Got alot of old school chicago house rips. let me know if you want to trade. gonna rip some late 9os house soon. good luck
@@moscasucio1686 that sounds great man I'm just going to get new needles soon ro use an ortofon Concord. Dontscottie@gmail.com could you just say hello to start an email chain? I got some crazy old house Classics and bangers but it's still all pretty deep
I noticed at the end that the example rip was recorded in 16-bit with about 12db headroom. That's effectively about 14-bit quality at best once you've normalised it to max volume, and that's not even taking into account any other processing that might be done. It's defintely wise to leave that much headroom when recording, but I would strongly suggest ripping in 24-bit, there's very little reason not to nowadays. It ensures you won't lose any quality with further processing. Also, on a different note, a lot of people swear by playing vinyl wet to reduce crackling and popping. I haven't bothered myself as I don't mind it, but I've seen a couple youtube tutorials about it and it definitely seems to work on worn-out records.
pkaulf Damn, you're eagle-eyed! That's actually one of my 'quick and dirty' rips which I use to get audio into Serato DJ to BPM my vinyl. It was the only unprocessed vinyl rip file I had to hand.
I'm really not sure about wet playing. I too have seen some people swear by it, but others who say it's a terrible idea. So I'd rather play it safe.
It's also a bad idea signal-to-noise-ratio-wise. I dunno, we DJs adjust our levels anyway before we bring the vinyl into the mix, why not do it here as well? Who needs 12db of headroom anyway? In my experience, some record peak out at 8db from the RMS.
Grown up with vinyl before digital music , we used to always wet the record if it was in bad condition to help it glide over said scratch etc.
Not sure of damage to needle etc, but we did this for years with no immediate effect
i always clean my records with a spin clean first then rip with audacity, the dennon dn-x1600 has a nice audio interface, also don't forget the rubber mat and record weight, and make sure your stylus is clean
How do you get the BPM and key on the labels of the vinyls? What's the best method for finding that information?
My way to do it:
- Using Technics 1200 MK'2 + Pioneer XDJ-RX2 + audio interface (Mackie Big Knob Studio)
- The XDJ-RX2 has two USB slots. One of the slots has a recording option.
- Just use the set-up as normal: the Technics are connected to the Pioneer-systeem. And the Pioneer-system (and speakers) is connected to the audio interface.
- Put a USB in the XDJ-RX2. Press record and play the record.
- When the record is finished end the recording.
- The system will now generate a WAV file on the USB.
- Put the USB in your computer and there is your WAV.
- You can use the WAV file or convert it to 320-mp3 with iTunes/Audacity etc.
Note: you can even record this way without an audio interface. The Technics are connected to the Pioneer system so the USB will record the master signal of this device.
Important: not only the system or the way of recording is important for improving quality. Start with your cartridge and stylus. Best is some HIFI cartridge. If you don't want to break the bank and still want to use it for mixing purposes too, try the Ortofon Concorde Club. This cartridge has an eliptical stylus and 8mv output.
nice video, where i can found this slipmat brown please? thanks
I went and bought a Belt drive turntable to rip vinyl. The direct drive wobble from a technic or whatever turntable may be slight, but noticeable when mixing a vinyl rip into a digital track. If you are ripping into something like Ableton, it matters less because you can fix that wobble with the snap to grid feature.
Belt-driven turntables usually offer much higher wow and flutter compared to a direct drive. And the audible motor rumble of a DD should actually be a thing of the past.
The conic Stylus is better due to possible excess bass freq that we get from a elliptical one?
Super Fine Junk - Down 2 The Earth has little to no online presence, so hopefully sometime soon I could get it online
Great precise tips and insights
Sometimes I do have to "rock the coin on the cart" even after balancing.. some records do just seem to be cut that way... I came here looking for more info on how to set levels on the recorder to avoid clipping but capture the loudest possible sound.. many times my older stuff just wont match the levels of the newer stuff that is compressed/ultramaximized (prob wrong term). Looking for ways to get louder without killing the dynamic range. realize those are mutual exclusive concepts, but I imaging there is a middle ground with a good process for getting a max level.
Good tips. I've recently done a video of my workflow. The BEST and most important tip for people looking to rip vinyl is CLEANING. Get the record as clean and noise free as possible, this saves so much time and pain in the noise reduction steps.
What products do you use for the cleaning of your vinyls? Are there any products that you would recommend?
!! Opening a video on records with a shot of your greasy FINGERS holding the thing is totally unacceptable, beyond any logic
I am about to digitally archive the joint collection of myself and some friends of 12" club mixes dating from the mid 80's to about 1992. I have a big bottle of Tite-Bond 2 for the ones with a lot of beer and such spilled on them, and a Spin Clean for washing all of them. I will be recording with a new AT-VM540ML on my SL-1500 through a Nikko Beta-II preamp in 24/96 and using some digital restoration software to remove any additional pops and scratches that may come up. While I plan to archive the clean recordings, I also plan to do a tiny amount of EQ and compression when appropriate. However, I have no experience with that, and I am wondering if you have some recommendations for videos to watch about it. I have been watching Dennis Ward's videos at HOFA, but I think that is too in-depth. I probably just want to give a bit of boost to the low end (which wasn't as prioritized in that era), and maybe a touch of compression to boost the overall signal. Any help appreciated.
Awesome video!
Thank you so much!
With new records, I hardly ever need any processing after, but older records may have some wayward transients so I put a transparent limiter on with 1/2db gr at its loudest point before exporting. Help to match them up with my newer records (well closer anyway!).
Also use the rubber mat, MS weight, and shure audiophile stylus & cart.
Is Traktor any good for recording?
Good Tips Mojaxx!
I wouldn't use an Audio Technica AT95E (as shown) because you will lose a hell of a LOT of bass compared to your M44-7s. I use the slightly less bassy M44-G and even compared to those the AT95E bass response is VERY weak.
Also if ripping old vinyl from the 80s and early 90s it may be worth adding a tiny touch of compression, once in your DAW before you rip, in order to bring the perceived volume to similar levels as contemporary productions.
You were pulling out some beautiful white label UKG gems. I was salivating haha
Thanks for your videos.
I have a big question: how can I digitize my vinyl and upload it to TH-cam? Is it allowed to do this without being notified of copyright infringement?
All the best.
hi..currently using technics mk2' fluid amped monitors..numark. mk6 usb..what else do i need to rip vinyl....(dont have a laptop/mac etc......any idea would be appreciated thanks
I love this channel and this guy is just the best! Peace from tunisia
Good tips!....itz good to knw,it wasn't any fancy app/wizard tech stuff!...lol...maybe ill try it on some of my old local Detroit artist's...Esham,Smiley,...Awesome Dre...
The vinyl I want to rip is very old and obscure happy hardcore, German trance, makina, italo, Italian dance, Euro dance etc, so there aren't any digital copies available. Ones I have found are actually low quality and simply "remastered" digitally instead of being a true 320kb quality track, like the vinyl.
That's why I have gone back to vinyl as there are no decent UKG/jungle/96-98dnb rips out there and not all realeses were digitised.
Expensive hobby though. 😁😁😁😁
Good video. Best option is Night Club mk2. I have both, Gold and Mk2 and it is way better. Stereo image is much wider. Lows are more detailed, but not so loud as on Gold. Using SL 1210 mk2 together with stainberg ur22 Concord Night Club mk2 is perfect!
Jonas S. I haven't had a chance to try the NC mk2 yet, I've heard nothing but good things about it. Are you using the S or the E?
MojaxxVDJ ,
I use E.
www.thomann.de/intl/ru/ortofon_concorde_nightclub_e_sys_mk_ii.htm
What is the name of the software you are uding to RIP the vinyl?
Do the files on the cd dissapear, or gets lower qulity after ripping?
I have a str8-150 and a dim-t1, what will be the most direct method? I also have a focus rite sound card available.
craig jones I would try two ways... phono from 150 into the T1, and line into the focusrite. See which sounds best to you.
MojaxxVDJ Thanks bro! from VA USA
Anyone recommend a decent cork mat?? What are you using please Mojaxx?
Iv been ripping lately .. Iv pretty much got the idea on how to do it but I just wanted to double check.. Am recording straight from my turntable direct into my rx2 usb drive . When the Audio playing should I always record it at 0db? So the first amber on the mixer ?
I've been using this exact same method. Using a new ortofon pro-s stylus. Selfgrounded Technics sl1200 m3d with new rca cables installed. Connect the TT to my pioneer xdj rx1. (recording brand new, never played before vinyl, house music) I keep the signal on my mixer in the green. Far from clipping.
After that I import into adobe audition, make sure left and right channels are volume adjusted if needed, and then raise the overall volume to right under 0db. So it doesn't clip. I save as 320kbps.
The rips still sound kinda "dull" compared to mp3s I buy online when I play out. I can adjust the volume with the gain and raise the highs with the eq a bit, but it still doesn't sound as "clear and loud" as purchased mp3s. What could I be doing wrong?
Should I save as .wav instead of 320 mp3 ?
Help / suggestions are appreciated.
I would've liked if you talked about Audacity (which is great for ripping vinyl).
Another thing would be the recording quality (44.1kHz 16bit is more than enough while there is plenty people out there ripping with 192kHz 24bit, which is total overkill).
I liked though that you mentioned the AudioTechnica AT95E which sounds better than loads of cartridges for 100 or more bucks.
Does Pioneer DJM S9 allow you to record directly from the USB? How can I get the shortest recording path with the Pioneer DJM S9? Any help is appreciated. I've tried recording my vinyl but it sounds terrible so I gave up.
djkoz78 yes you can, although I found I had to use Rekordbox to get the signal to be detected. For some reason Audacity could see there mixer but not detect any signal. Luckily Rekordbox records as WAV and you can edit afterwards. Make sure you get the updated driver from the Pioneer website so you can configure the mixer output correctly
Ed O'Sullivan I don't own rekordbox only serato dj & ssl
It's free, you don't need the DJ plus pack to record 😉
Ed O'Sullivan sweet thanks
Is there a particular software needed to rip or can I use the serato DJ software? I have a Pioneer DJM-S9 mixer. All new to me.
You can record with Serato but you will need a soundedition software like Audacity or Adobe Audition CC. BTW Audacity and Audition can record directly from USB
Dwayne Carter get Audacity. Its free and easy to use. Serato wont let you edit your recordings.
Dwayne Carter I would record the individual channel using Serato DJ's record function, then use Audacity to edit the recorded file afterwards.
Thank you for the tip. I didn't know Serato has a recording function...... YES!
Thanks mblp..... I appreciate the response.
Great tips
I've been using this following method: I'm recording brand new, unplayed vinyl (house music) Using a new ortofon pro-s stylus. Selfgrounded Technics sl1200 m3d with new rca cables installed. Connect the TT to my pioneer xdj rx1 which records in .wav directly on to my usb. I record with the signal staying in the green, not even close to clipping at all.
After that I import into adobe audition, make sure left and right channels are volume adjusted if needed, and then raise the overall volume to right under 0db. So it doesn't clip. I save as 320kbps.
The rips still sound kinda "dull" and lower in volume compared to mp3s I buy online. When I play out I can adjust the volume with the gain and raise the highs on my eq a little, but it still doesn't sound as "clear and loud" as purchased mp3s. What am I doing wrong?
Should I save as .wav instead of 320kbps mp3 ? Am I using the wrong stylus?
Help / suggestions are appreciated.
friendly tip if you are serious about sound quality.replace that stylus and cart with a proper MM cart and never record through a mixer, go staight to a phono stage like a good ADC with a usb out and then straight to audacity.it will make all the difference
Does anyone know the brand of that hot neon USB cord? 2:15
Chroma Cable from DJ Techtools i think :)
forgotaboutdres It is an Exform USB cable. Very nice indeed, but only available in Japan as far as I know.
www.exform.jp/djusb.html
I don't rip vinyl but when I do mixes I treat the vinyl with Gruv Glide.
1:22 serious classic UKG 2step record...
I use a Tascam DV-RA1000HD to rip vinyl. Because it has a hard drive, I can store the music and work on it later.
been looking for advice on this for a while, cheers
i recorded some vinyl straight into a audio 6 and it sounded fine through my daw but when i exported it had a bad fuzz any tips havent tried since but i record mixes through my mixer usually and have done since and its been fine
Ali Velmi The Audio 6 is a good Interface, it should give you clean recordings. I'd try and disconnect various parts of the chain, I wonder if you have a ground loop going on somewhere.
yeah so i tried again no fuzz now in my DAW But the track is really missing the low end i can send you it so you could see for youself , my chain is just my technics 1200 to my soundcard and into ableton, im recording in Mono too as one rcas abit buggy but i cant seem to work out whats going , when i play it back through my mixer (output from the soundcard back into the mixer) if i boost the low band EQ to the max it starts sounding normal again
Could very well be the mono. Maybe try using the other inputs? Or have you isolated this to the rca on the turntable and not a problem with the A6 ? In which case you should try and fix it/have it looked at.
On the A8 you could mess with the frequency response of the phono preamps (timecode / phono / line), but I'm not sure if it's an option in the control panel for the A6. In any case you want that to be set to phono - line level will wreck the low end for sure, although it'll also be veeeeery quiet :)
Ali Velmi are you sure it’s the rca? Try taking a q-tip and cleaning the 4 contact points in the tonearm where the cartridge is mounted. I have cured so many one channel turntable issues at gigs with a trusty q-tip. It’s essential to have a few in your DJ bag! It’s well worth fixing the rca if that is the culprit.
that battered sl3 card....
eliptical needles can be used on straight arms but you need to angle cart by 20+ degrees www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=33214
Great tips as always!
1) I recommend NOT using a DJ or under $100 USD cartridge. A better cart will give a better sound.
B) A turntable such as a DJ turntable is just fine as long as it is a direct drive. The arm type does not matter, although, if you use one with an S arm, you can change cartridges at will.
C) it is perfectly fine to process or clean up your sound as long as you are careful.
Thanks for this video,luv the fresh prince t shirt,I'm going to rip my vinyl collection onto pc...this video is a great help👍👍👍👍
What app/program was that at the end to tighten up the sound?
droneskie I use Adobe Audition, but if you don't have a preferred audio editor already, Audacity is free and does a great job.
@@Mojaxx at what db volume level do you record or make sure your meter audio level is at? Thank you 🙂
nice.my method for ripping vinyl is to record directly into my Zoom H4n at 320kbps
Rip to at least FLAC 16/44 and not MP3 320 kbps since you need them for archiving.
Is it really directly into the zoom or is it passed through a phono RIAA pre first?
at what db volume level do you record or make sure your meter audio level is at? Thank you 🙂
Thanks. I want to get those wipes !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tip 0. Never, ever, Ever. EVER!,. Put Your fingers on the playing surface. Doesn't matter how much of that Cleaner You spray on It will Never get the Grease that It produced from Your fingers Off. he got those Records for Nothing as Promo's (Like Me) so It will not matter to Him. But If You are Buying them It will matter to You. Practice and Enjoy.
Ughhh, yea. It always bothers me when i see that.
a&h db2 send straight from record matrix to pc sorted.
D twist Rewind Yep, that's a super clean setup.
Nice battlecat in the background.
I get the whole don't rip if it you don't have to buy who wants to buy the song twice? Secondly for me a lot of my vinyl is absolutely not available to purchase digitally. I live in Florida & our contribution to the dance scene was Florida Breaks & I have about 4 crates of Florida breakbeat that you can't find anywhere.
djkoz78 Then that stuff is exactly the kind of records that are worth ripping!
Although (and I'm no expert on Florida Breaks) I see my favourite label in the genre, Zone Records, has a big retrospective compilation available on iTunes... which I'm just about to purchase. Nice.
MojaxxVDJ Believe me I've tried multiple times to rip them they always come out terrible. The audio quality sucks compared to the vinyl. It's like when i try to rip them they are turned down by half the volume.
I need them professionally done but I guarantee that's expensive.
are you using the preamp before into your pc? are you rec' with higher levels?
thanks !
Top man, thank you
Have a tip too. Do not put stickers on covers if it is not generic and put some protective sleeves on it so you can put stickers on those. I know most dj's are not audiophiles but this is horrible.
I’d like to buy all those classic house vinyl you showed in this video!
Are they for sale?
It was UK Garage.
Big up mojax he knows his shit this is why l have respect for the guy he loves this shit thanks 👍🏾👍🏾👊🏽😀
Sugar Daddy! Set Me Freee!
I use magix audio cleaner 16
excellent!
What about Eq'ing??
Mr Byer I like to rip as clean as possible, then do any EQing when playing the digital files out later. That's my taste though, you can EQ at the rip stage if you prefer.
MojaxxVDJ true, just like the old days with vinyl. However for playback purposes on home systems etc, I might Eq in Ableton or Protools.
Thank you!
But you went so fast!
Can you do this one again for dummies?
I have never had a record slip when playing as it spining
Tons of info in a pretty short video.
I ended up ripping my vinyl through rekordbox and it sounded awfull coming out at 141kbps :(
Dope!
Let’s not forget proper record handling, the exact opposite of what you’re doing.
Phân tích hay hay thật tuyệt vời nhất thế giới
Damn
we never hold the record like that: cant believe
DJs usually have easily replaceble records. And the process of scratching alone does more damage over time. So not such a big deal. Though kinda ironic same guy has cleaning solution for them
Cleaning fluids or distilled water. Normal water will leave sediment and ruin your record.
never ever rip through USB. Also just rip it straight into audacity.
and for the love of god dont rip it to AIFF, its proprietary and shit, use FLAC files instead, preferably 24bit and has the same quality and smaller sizes.
AIFF is not proprietary in any way (it's basically just raw PCM data with a few headers), are you thinking of ALAC?
I've never had any issues ripping via USB. Definitely a hell of a lot better than using the headphone jack (don't ask.)
DJs should stick to what they do best... mixing.
Why are you putting the audio path through that garbage Rane mixer? I can't believe that thing has any award-winning quality components. I noticed you are also cleaning the records on the very turntable you use to play them, torquing the bearings in the process. You don't want to do that.
is he having a laugh with what he first said. A hifi ripped vinyl will surpass any itunes or beatport mp3 any day of the week.
Another tip: Do not put 25 Vinyls on your Turntable, cuz' that's not good...
put needle on record, hit REC. wait.. repeat..
Les mains sur le vinyl :-(
R U Sleeping....jeeeeeez!
!! You are opening a video on vinyl records by showing your greasy FINGERS holding one???
So illogical. It's unacceptable....
By the way, the comments in French all refer to that shocking image of your fingers on vinyl