digitalize vinyl or get original mp3/wav?
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  1. #1
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    Default digitalize vinyl or get original mp3/wav?

    Hi All,

    I started out years ago as a vinyl DJ and have a big collection of vinyl nowadays.

    I decided to skip the cdj and go straight to the digital dj world of laptops and controlers

    Besides buying new music digtitaly I also have a lot of already payed for music on vinyl. One of the options is tot digitalise it myself, but that gives a mp3 or wav file that doesn't have a thight bpm. An other option is to buy the music again in a webshop, but I already paid for the music. There is also the option to ask te label directly to get the mp3 file of the vinyl I already purchased in the past?

    Do you have experience with this or wat would you sugest would be the best way to go?

    Regards,

    MFx

  2. #2
    DJTT Moderator Dude Jester's Avatar
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    It does seem a shame, but i would recommend replacing the tracks with digital files. Some vinyl rips do sound ok and can be gridded reasonably easily, but its a pain in the ass tbh.
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  3. #3
    sebastiannz
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    I've got about 120 vinyl that I've ripped to FLAC. Took ages and I'm not sure it was worth it. Considering the cost of mp3's, if I could have got these tracks digitally I would have just got them in mp3 and paid. Heaps easier and I actually find the quality just as good. So I'd save yourself some time and just buy them all again if you have the $$ :-)

  4. #4
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    Thanx for the answers. Would it be worth to try to get the mp3's at the labelcompany? I already bought the music...only on vinyl. If I had a lot of money to spend, buying the again wouldn't be a big problem But as long as my cashflow isn't that good.... ;-)

  5. #5
    sebastiannz
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    worth a try.

    If you end up ripping I ended up buying one of those ARKIV needles specifically designed for ripping vinyl to digital. Very nice sound. Then I recorded using Audacity and exported in flac format. How many records do you have ? You could maybe pay someone to do it...?

  6. #6
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    Well I have close to 1300 records and at least between 400 or 500 I want to have digital again...but that takes to much time...

  7. #7
    sebastiannz
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    Yes it is VERY boring. The only good thing is listening to the tunes, but you end up wanting to mix them...cos the intro/outro parts are boring (but you can't skip them). So yes...frustrating. I was happy when I finished doing mine, and I only had 120. One strategy is to just do a few a day rather than all at once

  8. #8
    Tech Guru Sherlock Ohms's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sebastiannz View Post
    worth a try.

    If you end up ripping I ended up buying one of those ARKIV needles specifically designed for ripping vinyl to digital. Very nice sound. Then I recorded using Audacity and exported in flac format. How many records do you have ? You could maybe pay someone to do it...?
    I do this, as in the genres I play there's still a bunch of labels that only do vinyl, so if you want the tune you buy the wax and rip it.

    On the other hand, I have no problems torrenting tracks I already physically own (it's the only time I'll do this. I figure if I already own the vinyl, I have a 'licence' for the tune itself, and the artist has already been paid)
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  9. #9
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    Record labels won't give you digital files for free. You might get a freebie here and there, but basically, fuggetaboutit.

    But then, you're asking the right question: is my time more valuable that the cost of purchasing the tracks in digital format? A definitive answer to that question can only come for yourself. But let me tell you what I do:

    1.) Only if both the music on the record as well as the actual media are of decent quality, I select the record for digitizing. E.g., I have some vinyl that is seriously effed up with large scratches on the surface. I won't digitize it--it's not worth my time. And also, I have some vinyl containing music I don't really like (or can't really use) anymore. I won't digitize that, either.

    2.) I check if the music is available in an online music store or at Discogs in CD format (used). If so, I generally prefer purchasing over digitizing, especially if it's something where I'm quite sure that I'll play it out (so that I want the best sound quality and tightest grids I can get).

    3.) If it's not available, or I don't consider it worth buying, I go about and digitize it myself. There are dozens of guides out there. My only point on this is that I consider the resulting FLACs (or MP3s) very good. I rarely ever have issues with drift or bad audio quality or the like. If there is drift, it's usually due to inprecise, analog equipment used in production of the music and not due to the process of digitizing. If the audio quality is bad, it's usually due to bad equipment (think old needle) or user errors (think incorrectly adjusted levels).

  10. #10
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    i record my records in batches of ten or so, fire them into ableton to warp them so the bpm doesnt drift, then export, analyse in MiK, then beat grid etc...
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