Topic: Vinyl -> Wav?

[little birdie]

Is this possible?  Do I need any expensive equipment?  I'm just now getting into taping... haven't really bought anything too extensive yet.  I want to convert all my vinyls to wav so I could listen to them through my iPod.  I'm not too familiar with all the lingo around here so you might need to do a little explaining if you give suggestions.  The output on my record player is a standard stereo output, I believe... it's the common red and white plugs that you can plug right into any television.  The only inputs I have on my computer that I could imagine plugging into would be the usb and mic input.  It's nothing too extensive considering I'm on a laptop.  Can anyone help me out here?

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

Between a turntable and your sound card you need a phono preamp.  That is a device that changes the equalization curve from that recorded on vinyl back to flat.  here is a description of what a phono preamp does:
http://www.fact-index.com/r/ri/riaa_equalization.html

If you have a reciever with a phono input, you can plug your turntable into the phono input of your reciever and then use a RCA to miniplug adapter to run from the tape out of your reciever to the input of your sound card. (assuming your laptop sound inputs are miniplug).  You don't want the mic input on your laptop, use the line input port.

You don't need a reciever if you have a standalone phono preamp.  Thats what I have.  Run this straight into your soundcard line level input.

If you have sound processing software that has an RIAA filter built in, you can go directly to your laptop line input using a RCA female to miniplug adapter.  After you have captured the WAV file from vinyl, apply the filter and you'll be ready to make MP3s, or whatever an ipod takes.  

I've been listening to Thick As A Brick lately on vinyl.  


EDIT:  I found this http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=970-1018.  I use something else, but this is a cheap fix and you can get your RCA->mini cable there and is probably good enough for what you are doing.

[mgleason007]

I would suggest:

GOOD turntable > phono preamp > Edirol UA-5 > laptop (via USB).  This is probably your best bang for your buck.  I'm sure the A/D in your laptop is anything to write home about.  If your records are in good condition you will be very disappointed using it.