Just wondering because I've been doing a little of that lately. About a week or so ago, I acquired a NAD PP-3—a USB phono preamp—dirt-cheap on eBay. It was a fluke really…the seller was unloading it "as is for parts" because it was thought to be defective even though cosmetically it's like new. I don't think she/he even tested it, because I've found no problems with any of the inputs or outputs…it's a $200 piece of gear that cost me $28 + shipping.

The best thing about it in terms of the RR2150 is that the PP-3 has a line input, so that I can use it and still get the benefits of the RR2150's phono stage. I tested the moving magnet in- (it also has one for moving coil cartridges), but I like the RR2150's better. I have no intention of digitizing my entire LP collection (though the wife would probably welcome that); but since in most cases I don't have CD duplicates of my LPs, it's good to have the ability to digitize the rare album tracks that I'd like to send to my friends.

yes! not me but a small group of people i know have been using some very high-end gear to make hi-rez digital files from LPs. the results for me have been new copies of albums ive had for yrs that sound better than my cds in a blind test. better bass is the biggest improvement, but certainly not the only one. we have been using friends and family that are not music nuts in our tests too, and its generally better all round.

good for you!

I copied my entire LP collection to CD sometime back using a JVC CD recorder and immediately copy any new LP that I acquire.. I still play the LPs, but it's handy to have a back-up copy that's more portable and robust.. I was really suprised at the quality of the transfer. It's not up to LP standaeds, but it sounds more like the LP than most of the commercially produced CDs that I've heard of the same performances.

Though I did copy a few vinyls to CD (convenience) I don't plan to, as mostly I have CDs.

I did, however, copy lots of 4 channel live material to CD. Did it ways: (1) mixdown 4 ch analog to 2 chan analog; (2) Convert 4 ch analog to 4 of the six channels in a dts format. Copied the 4 analogs to a digital hard drive machine. Imported into computer. Then using a program assigned the (now on computer) 4 channels into a digital bitstream. The result is a dts disc with 4 channels, identical to the original tape. Playable thru my Sony 950 DVD;Any of my Oppo machines.....and from a non-dts machines such as my Sony 455 or TASCAM CD01U thru a Millenium dts decoder. So the original imaging of the performance is still there. Output to 4 speakers across the front. Decoder gives me digital or analog outs. Digital will feed the room in a 5.1 environment. The analog plays thru 7.1 analog inputs.
Happy "camper"

I've been using a Behringer USB unit (I forget the model number). I never did get the free software that came with it to work. However it works great with Sony Soundforge.

Soundforge does a great job cleaning up the clicks and pops added by many years of abuse.

Yeah, it's probably for the best that you couldn't use the free software. I'm currently using the free version of Vinyl Studio (think it's called "VS Lite"), and it says it'll let you erase the pops and clicks, but there's a catch: Unless you spring for the paid version, you can't save or burn anything you've cleaned up. Oh, well…

In the last few months I've assembled some new-to-me vintage Pioneer gear originally sold in 1978 and it certainly rekindled my interest in stereo and vinyl. I don't have too many albums but I now realize much of my vinyl (from the late 60s to early 80s) will never be transferred to CD and it sure would be nice to have portable versions. I've looked at the NAD PP-3 phono preamp that has a analog to digital converter with a USB output for digitizing LPs. Anybody here used it and can report on how well it works? I'm also curious what Behringer product EEman used. I've read about Vinyl Studio and its nice to know about the "lite" limitations. Has anyone used other click/pop software with success?

Lastly, has anyone imported the digitized LPs into iTunes? Any lessons to be shared? Thanks!

If anyone is interested my vintage Pioneer system is:
SA-8500II integrated amp w/60 watts per channel
TX-8500II tuner
PL-610 semi auto turntable w/ Shure M97xe cartridge
Outlaw ICBM used as a stereo high/low pass filter for my sub and satellite speakers
Cambridge Audio DacMagic fed by an Airport Express/iTunes

I'll date myself: Pablo Cruise - A Place In the Sun from 1977 is spinning as I write this...

I'm listening to Eno's Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) from 1974 as I write this, AvFan…but I bought it in the mid-'80s.

Anyway, the NAD PP-3 has been performing beautifully for me, but the truth is I don't have anything to compare with it. I've imported everything I've digitized into iTunes through Vinyl Studio…it's a pretty simple process. I can honestly say that the "cleanup function" of Vinyl Studio does its job quite well, though. As a teaser, VS Lite allows you to erase an LP's pop and clicks, but won't let you burn a CD with more than four cleaned-up tracks. So as a test, I burned one side of John McLaughlin's Devotion (four tracks, incidentally) and then placed the "clean" and "unclean" versions side by side in iTunes. My vinyl sounds pretty clean to start with, but there was no denying that Vinyl Studio made the tracks sound pristine. Of course, it's still an mp3, which isn't the kind of lossless quality that nfaguys is talking about up above, but it's cool nonetheless.

tru:

Thanks for the report on the PP-3. It seems so straight forward for A/D conversion and I'd get to compare its phono preamp to the Pioneer's. I'll keep an eye on ebay for one. I don't have nfaguys sophistication but I rip all my CDs to AIFF so I'm looking for LP software that does some form of lossless too. Does VS rip to wave format? If so, I can convert it to AIFF using Max file converter on my iMac.

The Wayback Machine has been dialed to 1962 to hear Herb Albert and the TJ Brass' first album, The Lonely Bull. I'm sure glad recording engineers got a better handle on stereo because there are a couple of goofy recordings on this LP. Regardless, a few memorable tunes mostly because they were used as music for a few game shows.

Vinyl Studio does indeed rip to wav. files, AvFan. Question: How does Max file converter work? It's something I should look into. I rip my CDs to AIFF also.