Analog-to-Digital Audio:

[Tim]

Tim:
>> I'd be very surprised if any of those plastic turntables were
>> anything but utter crap.

Mikkel L. Ellertson:
> Considering the quality of the analog to digital converter most
> people are going to be using, it probably would not be much better
> using a quality turntable, cartridge, and preamp. The A to D
> converter in the sound cards of most computers is not that great.
> (Good enough for mp3, but that is about it.)

I was thinking more about how woeful the analogue side of things would
be:  Cheap cartridges with poor audio quality.  Plastic turntables that
make their own noises.  Lack of damping from external noises, etc.

Using moderately decent home HiFi turntables with the average sound
card, even a cheapy, produced quite good results, here.  The only thing
I would have complained about was surface crackle, and I'm picky about
audio quality.  I still play my records, as records.  They have their
charm, despite some inconveniences.  And listening to vinyl crackle on a
digital recording is a bit strange.

I've never really had much luck at eliminating dust-caused crackle when
playing records.  I suspect that the room the stereo's in is just bad
for static electricity.  I've tried brushes and cloths over the years, I
don't want to try chemicals, and the local water supply would be a
really bad idea for trying wet transfers.

-- 
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