Since the advent of the CD in the 1980's, the old vinyl record format has languished. Nowadays kids don't even know what a vinyl record looks like. Us old timers, however, usually have a stack of records gathering dust somewhere. Even if we actually own a turntable we just don't take the time to dig through the old pile and find our favorites to play. Enter - the USB turntable! This is a turntable that you can connect to your PC with a regular USB cable, and transfer your favorite vinyl records to a more accessible digital format like MP3.
I like the fact that this invention brings old long lost favorites back to life, and that it's so easy to use. But mainly it's just been so much fun rifling through my old stack of vinyl records, look at the covers, handle the records and hear the songs again. I'm not one to advocate throwing the records themselves away, unless you're really tied for space in a small apartment or something. It's just an added way to enjoy music that you at one time actually took the time to go to the record store and buy.
The USB turntable is a fairly new invention, having been around for only a year or so. The reason for their increasing popularity is that they make ripping old records so easy. Just plug the cable into your computer, put the record on, fire up the easy to use software and you are on your way. You can also choose to edit the songs after they have been transferred to a digital format. Many records, especially the ones that you played over and over again back in the day, are plagued with scratches and dents. This makes it through to the digital recording unfortunately. However, there are now great software programs to identify and remove sounds that aren't part of the original recording. After having applied the proper software filters and a little hands on editing, your tunes will sound like new.
| Gunnar Bengtsson writes about how to convert vinyl records into digital formats with a USB Turntable. |
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