Tag Archives: vinyl to MP3

ION Audio Profile Flash Turntable

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Here’s another consumer-grade turntable you can use to convert vinyl to MP3 portability. The ION Audio Profile turntable has a slot for a USB or flash drive, and the entire process seems as simple as starting the turntable and hitting “record” to get the process moving.

The chief draw for the ION Audio Profile turntable is that you don’t need a computer to record the audio. I haven’t used one of these yet, but in doing my research on this unit I discovered several favorable reviews stating that the audio quality is good for the average user. Some complain about rotation speeds on this unit and others like it being different that “true” 33RPMs, but typical listeners won’t complain, based on what I’ve read.

My main complaint with all these vinyl-to-MP3 recorders is that a degree of babysitting is needed to make them work properly. There’s either no silence sensor to split an entire album side into separate tracks without user intervention, or what is there isn’t really accurate or even able to be calibrated. I’m naturally coming at this from a busy/lazy person’s perspective–most users probably don’t mind the small amount of manual labor needed to break the recordings up into tracks.

All in all, I’ve seen this model get mostly favorable reviews and I’m contemplating a purchase of this simply because it’s got the computer-free recording feature. The built-in preamp lets you connect to most RCA stereo line/aux inputs, and it’s got a handy 1/8in stereo line in for recording from other sources–a nice touch.

What I’m most interested in is a hands-on, top-to-bottom review of this unit and others like it from a hard core vinyl junkie (not necessarily an AUDIOPHILE, mind you). If that’s you and you want to contribute a review of this or any other model turntable, please get in touch as I’d love to have some guest blog posts or even regular contributions from passionate vinyl lovers.

Drop me an e-mail at jwallace (at) turntabling (dot) net.

–Joe Wallace

Crosley CR2413A Memory Master II CD Recorder Turntable

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crosley memory master II CD recorder turntable

I’m familiar with other Crosley products and was very tempted to get a Crosley Memory Master II for review here–after all, not everybody has a pro setup or is interested in ultra-high quality MP3 versions of their favorite vinyl LPs; most people just want to rip, listen, and enjoy.

But the customer reviews for previous versions of the Crosley Memory Master were so discouraging that I hesitated to waste even the shipping fee to get one of these to Turntabling central. I’d be very interested in learning who out there in Turntabling-land has used one of these and what they think.

The specs look good--this model is equipped with a line out to run into your stereo system if you don’t want to rely on the internal speakers, and there’s a USB connection for ripping direct to Mac or PC. This model lets you use a recordable CD to rip the records in real time…but near as I can tell there is nothing that specifies how individual tracks are broken up once the recording process begins. Just try looking for a definitive customer review of the Crosley CR2413A and you’ll come up with more questions than answers.

Continue reading Crosley CR2413A Memory Master II CD Recorder Turntable →

Ion Audio Profile Flash LP to SD Card Conversion DJ Turntable

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Ion Profile Flash LP to SD TurntableTo begin–not sure why the Ion Profile Flash LP to SD turntable is billed as a “DJ turntable”. It DOES have a preamp in it so it can be used in a variety of settings, and it also has a line in (1/8 inch jack) so you can dump exterior audio sources to SD or USB flash or external drives. What this turntable DOES have going for it is the simplicity of the operation–record your vinyl direct to MP3 (at 192kbs at 44khz). That’s pretty sweet for most home use. Want to hear those great old Slow Children or Hazel O’Connor albums in the car? Now you can.

But for a DJ, this might not be the red hot tool you need, especially if you’re picky about conversion to MP3. I personally prefer a higher rate than what you can get here but would be very tempted to buy this for home use if I didn’t already have a USB turntable.

My advice is to do some SERIOUS comparison shopping on this one if you’re interested. For example, you can get this turntable at Zzounds.com listed at $149 and $7 shipping (at press time–prices may change), but over at Amazon it sells for $112 at press time with free shipping (at press time). Shop around!

–Joe Wallace

Golden Records Vinyl/Cassette to MP3 Converter

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Golden Records is what I’d call a good entry-level vinyl-to-digital converter. If you have never tried to convert your vinyl records to MP3 or redbook CD formats, this is a great way to give it a try. Among the most attractive features of Golden Records is the normalizing function, which will give your new MP3s consistent volume for the entire album. Some of those indie/alternative albums like The Blasting Concept series and the amazing Homestead Records compilation The Wailing Ultimate are unfortunately the victims of wildly diverse recording and mastering techniques from track to track. Differing volume levels make listening to the tracks on MP3 a bit of a right pain in the arse—unless you use the normalizing function to make them all even across the board.

Audiophile purists won’t be so thrilled with normalizing as it can alter some of the dymamics of a song, but for most of us normalizing isn’t a bad thing at all. Golden Records is advertised as being designed specifically for vinyl and cassette transfer to MP3, including a handy set of fix-it features to get rid of clicks, pops and other artifacts.

If you’re an advanced audio nut you won’t need this software package, but Golden Records is great for anyone just getting started and needing a solution to get those all-time vinyl favorites running on your iPod in no time.