Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD

Subject: RE: TECH Help: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 29 Dec 11 - 02:27 PM

Surely for most of that hour or so you are actually listening to the LP and did you not buy it to listen to it?
I have converted over three hundred tapes but with in excess of 2000 LP vinyl discs I won't bother as the sound of vinyl is superior to CD. I bought a new record deck when my old one went kaput. I bought a Denon and what I didn't know at the time was that it has a usb built in which enables you to record direct onto a memory stick etc. You also get the editing software as part of the deal.

Hoot

Subject: RE: TECH Help: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Gurney
Date: 29 Dec 11 - 04:44 PM

Hoot, most of my LPs I've had for a long time, some since before stereo, more than 50 years. I've heard them quite a lot, even though there are more than 500 of them. I still do listen to them, but since CDs it has become more irritating to turn them over every 20mins or so. That is why I'm slowly converting them.
Your ear may be good enough to detect a superiority in LPs to CDs, but mine aren't, particularly as the burned copy has some of the dust crackle taken out and was carefully washed before digitising. Even a high-quality MP3 that features no acoustic high and low pitched instruments I find acceptable, unless I play them back-to-back.
Some of my tapes, all cassettes, I have binned because they have deteriorated too far for (even) my ear. Pre-recorded and live recordings.
Just as presents this Christmas, we got a further 11.5 hours-worth of CDs. I'm losing ground.
BUT, what format does that Denon record in? Sounds interesting.

Subject: RE: TECH Help: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 30 Dec 11 - 11:21 AM

Gurney,
It records in MP3 format to a flash drive / memory stick. Apparently it will not record direct to another piece of equipment.

Like you some of my vinyl goes back to before stereo. I don't claim that my ear is that great and must admit that I find most CD's acceptable but lack of time prevents me from transfering LP's and despite a lack of space, I do prefer to keep the albums with all the notes and information that goes with them.

Hoot

Subject: RE: TECH Help: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Gurney
Date: 30 Dec 11 - 03:53 PM

Hmm. I have a couple of MP3 players that ARE USB memory sticks/radioreceivers/voicerecorders/ as well as MP3 players. Dirt cheap but only 2GB.
The Denon would need to separate the tracks automatically to be satisfactory, though.
The trouble that I've had with automatic track-separation when digitising is that sometimes it doesn't work properly, even when you specify how many tracks there should be, particularly in classical music that has gaps-for-effect and in LPs where they run one song into another. Then you have to do it over again with fading and messing about.
I'm not congenitally designed to be a recording technician, and I prefer to listen to compilations or random-play recordings, rather than straight LPs. I have made up some CDs of MP3s (if you record them as Data you can get more on. Titles, I suspect) for the car. The trick in Microsoft is to put them in a folder first and then switch the computer off, which puts them into title alphabetical order, mixing them pretty well.

Subject: RE: TECH Help: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 31 Dec 11 - 07:21 AM

The Denon doesn't seperate the tracks automatically but softawre comes with it "Trans Music Manager" which will do it automatically - supposedly, or enables you to split the tracks manually on your computer. Personally not being too technically minded I pause the recording momentarily between tracks. It takes slightly longer to do the recording but makes it easier eventually.

Hoot

Subject: RE: TECH Help: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Gurney
Date: 31 Dec 11 - 01:59 PM

Well, Hoot, then I can't see much difference between your system and mine when I use Polderbits, except that the Denon is likely to be a higher-quality device than my Optimus. They used to be, anyway.
Except that mine is permanently plugged together, a desktop. And there are three connections into my external soundcard -told you they blow easily- when you include my old Sony mini-disc recorder.
I should think that your soundcard would be safe though, as you are not recording into it.
Only about 250 LPs and 200 tapes to go. Minimum 450 hours if everything goes perfectly. Recording as I do, one long file, pause to turn the LP over, at least I can play along whilst I'm doing it.
A friend was telling me that he is turning his VHS into DVDs. Luckily I'm not into them!

Subject: RE: TECH Help: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jan 19 - 02:23 PM

It's that time of year again - it's cold outside so I'm turning to those indoor tasks I've put off for a while. My daughter handed me a vinyl album she wants converted to mp3, so here I am. I've done a lot of digitizing work in the past, but it's good to review the literature every so often.

Digitize vinyl records from regular turntable

How-to and equipment recommendations (2018 article)

Subject: RE: TECH: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 01 Jan 19 - 06:00 PM

This is a job that I have been procrastinating for many years.

I tried recording from my turtable to a DAT deck, and then transferring the tape to a second DAT deck close to my main computer, but that method is far two tedious for routine use.

Then I bought a turntable which has two apparently useful facilities. It will record to internal memory and then from that to a CD, the rationale being to avoid mechanical noise from the CD drive getting into the pickup while the record is playing. But that method is still pretty cumbersome. This device also has a USB output, but I was dismayed to find that that is mono. Heaven knows why.

Most recently I have gone back to my previous, better quality record deck and taken the signal from that to a Tascam DR-40, which is one of the now common small portable devices that record direct to memory card.

But I have done that just for a few tracks for a friend; not yet any of my own LPs. Will I get round to it before I die? That's "a definite qualified maybe" (to borrow a phrase from an old friend, now deceased).

Subject: RE: TECH: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jan 19 - 09:31 PM

Richard, once you get started it's an interesting process and I think you can stay on task if you do X amount per day. That's what I have to do with my father's collection, sooner rather than later. This small task my daughter asked for is just the beginning for me.

Back when Art Thieme wanted to convert his cassettes to CD several Mudcatters supported him in that work (a whole bunch of us chipped in and bought a computer, software, and digital media disks), and I keep him in mind as a role model when it comes to converting files. He finished the work he was doing for the Smithsonian or Folkways people and sent them all of his digitized files.

For most of us it is probably a matter of having the right cables and software. Once you figure out the best routine for you, and I think you can probably remove the DAT deck if you have the right software, it should be easier. I picked up some long cables to avoid having to move the turntable and cassette unit (all together - radio, CD player, Cassette player, and turntable connected by cable) nearer the computer.

Lots of people swear by Audible; I have the Nero suite so I'll work with that before I try anything else.

Subject: RE: TECH: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Tony Rees
Date: 02 Jan 19 - 12:56 AM

I have dabbled in this from time to time, and if I may would offer some suggestions:

1. Playing the original work. For vinyl, keep in mind that good (medium-high price) turntables offer a better sound than cheap ones, same for cartridges. Vinyl lovers will think nothing of paying e.g. $150 US upwards for just the cartridge, so an integrated turntable+cartridge on offer for say $100 is not likely to offer the best sound. For the record (pun intended) I use a mid-range Rega turntable ($400 or so) with a Rega cartridge ($150 or so), although previously I used a more expensive Garrott Bros ($400 30 years ago) until I felt like a new one was needed.

Historically, good component-level turntables do not output line level signal or digital/USB so you need an amplifier or preamplifier that will convert the cartridge level signal to line level. Someone will probably contradict me here, but I believe that the majority of newer turntables that offer e.g. a USB output will be optimized for convenience, not for sound quality.

Same for cassette playback systems, which originally varied from say $50 (cheap) to e.g. $500 plus (less cheap but also better). You need something that will get a good (or best) sound off the tape if possible, especially if this is a one time task; may involve selecting the correct tape type, bias, and dolby types according to how the original was recorded (especially if it is a live recording by an enthusiast, not just a commercial pre-recorded tape).

2. Recording into the computer (PC or Mac). You have to think about where the analog/digital (A/D) conversion is happening. Inside a computer is not a good place and the default hardware supplied i.e. sound cards are not great really. An external audio interface is really best, see e.g. https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/audio-interface-buying-guide/ . I bought an 8-channel one (Presonus) which sits in my home studio for live recording though if you only need 2 channels, these exist and are cheaper.

3. Software to record into. I use Reaper which is free for the evaluation version, or just $60 for the full version. I record then export (render) as .wav files (full CD quality) which can also be downgraded to .mp3 if you do not mind the drop in audio quality or that is what somebody wants. (To convert .wav to .mp3 I use Audacity which is free). Audacity might serve as the recording software too, I'm not sure (I use Reaper for its multi-track capabilities as needed).

So my take home message would be, cheap and/or convenient is not necessarily best, ideally you may wish to care about optimizing the sound quality especially at the input stage/s. I have been given "CD-ised" versions of LPs by well meaning friends which are basically painful to listen to and are considerably worse than the LPs they came from. Ideally the CD or other digitized files should be the best possible representation of the original vinyl or cassette if that is what you will be keeping and preferentially playing in the future.

I have also come to the conclusion that it is not always worth digitizing LPs or pre-recorded cassettes if they have been since re-released on CD since: even if CDs are less purist to the analogue freak, they are (or should be) a generation closer to the original master and LPs (especially if a little old) do suffer from clicks and pops as well as increased distortion as the arm tracks towards the middle of the record (where the linear speed is a lot slower), so for stuff I like that is readily available I just re-purchase it on CD these days (does not apply to all material, I know), or just enjoy the vinyl.

The cassettes I transfer are generally live recordings not commercially available; other stuff sounds a LOT better on CD (even cheap second hand copies) if available, since cassette always struggled to be a truly hi-fi medium in the first place.

Basically with a CD re-release of material previously on vinyl or cassette, someone else (with access to much more expensive gear than a non-professional) has already done the transfer direct from the original master tape, so the result *should* be better than a home user can do based on an imperfect intermediate medium (I know there are exceptions to this as well).

OK, the above thoughts come from someone with a long-term if fairly modest interest in the hi-fi aspects of recorded audio (also have recorded my own music on the system/s mentioned above, for which the planet is not noticeably any better) and may or may not be applicable to others, but I thought might be worth chipping in just in case...

Regards to all - Tony

Subject: RE: TECH: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Tony Rees
Date: 02 Jan 19 - 03:47 AM

I've put up a recently copied .wav file (coincidentally entitled "Wave, being the name of the tune) from a home recorded cassette here:

wave.wav

This is off a tape I made of 2 friends playing duet nylon-string guitars, recorded onto chrome cassette in my little home studio (very basic, built around a PA mixer and 4 PA mics), 29 years ago. Late last year they asked me if I could copy the tape to CD so here is one of the tracks, recorded using the Presonus/Reaper/Audacity chain described above, and using a mid price 30 year old Yamaha cassette deck for playback (my "better" deck having gone on the blink and may never work again - ah well.). I actually routed it through an analog mixer as well and added a little digital reverb (a 30 year old Alesis box) too. I think it sounds OK :)

Cheers - Tony

Subject: RE: TECH: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jan 19 - 10:12 PM

That's a nice file, Tony.

Years ago when I worked on my father's estate I picked up an AIWA unit with a receiver, dual cassette player, radio, 5-CD changer and turntable. I've used it successfully for several of these sorts of operations from cassette to computer, so I'm sure it will work for the LPs. I have the choice of cables with stereo or RCA plugs to send the signal to the computer audio card.

Subject: RE: TECH: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 03 Jan 19 - 04:52 AM

I agree with Tony Rees's 02 Jan 19 - 03:47 AM post. My original rationale for using the DAT deck was that I presumed it to incorporate a good A-D converter. I don't know how good the A-D in my Tascam device is, but I would expect not bad as it is intended for live recordings.

Apropos the matter of getting down to the task; over the last few years I have got most of my DAT live recordings transferred to WAV files. I have also digitised a large proportion of my quarter-inch tapes, working from a Revox deck to either an internal but good-quality sound card or, latterly, an external one.

I've been put off dealing with the LPs by two considerations. One is that, when I had done one, I found a jumped groove in the digital copy. I would need either to put up with that happening occasionally or sit and listen to every LP. (But you might ask why I want them at all if I don't want to spend time listening to them.)

The other consideration is that, as Tony says, some of them will have been re-issued as CDs, taken from the original master tapes.

Subject: RE: TECH: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: DaveRo
Date: 03 Jan 19 - 07:02 AM

... you might ask why I want them at all if I don't want to spend time listening to them.

I digitised the majority of my 300-odd LPs. I started nearly 20 years ago.

I eventually installed an old laptop permanently next to the hifi. It ran Audacity and nothing else - no internet so it booted quickly. Any old laptop will do - mine had a 'Windows 95 ready' sticker on it! (And old laptops often have line-in sockets.) When I wanted to listen to some music I would fire it up and record an LP - or decide it wasn't worth recording! When I had half a dozen LPs I transferred the Audacity files to a powerful computer to process them.

Splitting tracks is the most time consuming bit. Get some software to do it. I used an ancient free program called 'Gramofile' - but that's Linux-only. I would only do it visually with Audacity as a last resort. Some LPs are easy to split - e.g. old Trailer, Leader, Transatlantic folk LPs tended to have clear gaps. Other are hard - live performances, tracks that have silences in the middle between parts of different volume, and ones where one track runs into the next. But I could usually split most of the tracks automatically and only have to use Audacity on the failures.

Adding ID3 tags can also be a faff. I automated a lot of that: where there was a later CD release I could pull tracknames from online sources - it used to be CDDB. (Though CD reissues often have extra or different tracks.) Most often I got up the LP tracklist on Discogs or Mainly Norfolk in a window and cut/pasted into EasyTag in a second window. EasyTag can also rename the files to the track names.

I regret not photographing the sleeves as part of the process. Until I moved house and disposed of the LPs I often referred to them.

Subject: RE: TECH: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jan 19 - 12:46 PM

One thought here.. just be wary if you are preserving an archive to last and pass on..    I transferred recordings to CD 20 years ago.. now I am discovering on odd CD's there is distortion. This is CD rot, on some CD's over a period of time the covering layer may well degrade. So as a permanent method of preservation, it is not all it was cracked up to be..   Then eventually DVD's will disappear, and the tech..to play it on. So it's going to be a perennial battle to preserve photographs, recordings, and videos.. Even cloudspace is only good until someone decides to bring the system to a halt and change it in some way!

Subject: RE: TECH: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 04 Jan 19 - 02:19 PM

GUEST - As a lifelong hoarder and obsessive, though very disorganised, archivist
[plus I long ago worked in a museum photo archive printing from glass negatives];

I had to come to terms with CD rot..

Despairing as it may sound - everything perishes eventually...

Subject: RE: TECH: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Gurney
Date: 04 Jan 19 - 03:14 PM

As P.F.R. above says, CDs are a very long way from permanent. I have professionally recorded CDs that are showing signs of deterioration, and some self-burned CDs that are unplayable. Not just MY self-burned CDs.

A couple of bright spots. I had occasion to burn an LP copy recently, and I found that 'LP Recorder' freeware still works on this W7 machine, although my old Nero software (for W98) doesn't.
Also, I needed a new cartridge for my turntable and found 'L.P.Gear' in the USA could supply one that may well be better than the old one was when it was new.

What a trip down memory lane this thread is. I feel like drinking to absent(web)friends.

Subject: RE: TECH: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: GUEST,Greg F.
Date: 04 Jan 19 - 05:35 PM

Despairing as it may sound - everything perishes eventually...

Yeah, just remember that magnetic tape audio & silver iodide in photography have a lifespan considerably longer than digital media.

Sometimes technology is the problem, not the solution.

Luddites of the world unite - you have nothing to lose but the technoaddicts.

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Gurney
Date: 04 Jan 19 - 11:35 PM

'The mountains may crumble,
Gibraltar may tumble,
They're only made of clay;
but CDs should last one play!'

Or several.

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 05 Jan 19 - 12:02 AM

CDs/DVDs/Blu-Rays - great ideas, wrong materials...

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: DaveRo
Date: 05 Jan 19 - 04:37 AM

When I digitised my LPs I produced both CDs and mp3s. In those days I played the CDs at home and in the car. Now I mostly play them off a hard disk at home (I haven't unpacked the CDs since moving) an SD card in the car, and via Bluetooth from my phone. The early CDs may have rotted, but it doesn't much matter; I knew they might when I started.

When I started, hard disks were small and expensive . Initially I produced mp3s of mediocre quality (128) though that quickly improved as disks got bigger. And I knew I could rip the early CDs again to higher quality in future years, though I haven't so far - and maybe some won't play.

If I were starting now, I wouldn't produce CDs. I'd produce FLAC files for playing indoors, and for backups, and mp3s for mobile use. I might choose aac files rather than mp3 these days - though mp3s are more widely supported.

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 05 Jan 19 - 05:18 AM

DaveRo's idea of digitising an LP whenever you feel like listening to one makes good sense. The trouble in my case is that I seldom do feel like just sitting down and listening. That applies even to recently acquired CDs: I listen to them once or twice in the car, then into the cupboard they go for years.

Once the recordings are in the form of digital files, whether FLAC, MP3, uncompressed WAV or whatever, copying from old media onto new ones is comparatively quick and easy. The only problem is knowing when to do it before the old media become unreadable. Then again, some of those old media may last longer than we do.

For some videos that I was dealing with on behalf of a society, I made copies onto a hard disc and two different brands of "archival quality" DVDs, to be kept in three different houses.

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Gurney
Date: 05 Jan 19 - 08:08 PM

Oh yes, I've also lost two harddrives over the years, one a stand-alone one and one in a computer, both containing copies of LPs.

The only thing that hasn't let me down, so far, is burning LPs onto DVD blanks, as MP3s. But it takes a lot of LPs to fill one up, so you need copies elsewhere, and then you REALLY have to want to hear a particular number.

I started doing that because I thought that I was going into hospital, so I quickly copied a lot of CDs into MP3s on players, for listening whilst confined, and the DVDs were back-ups for those players.

I suppose I should try copying onto DVD blanks rather than CD blanks. There are a LOT of DVD blanks in the Op. Shops. I still don't know if it ia a coincidence.

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Tony Rees
Date: 06 Jan 19 - 04:33 PM

My curiosity a little piqued by happening upon this thread, I did a little internet sleuthing and discovered that creating - often high resolution - digital files from vinyl is quite an accepted practice in the "audiophile" community, where the resulting files are called "needledrops" (google if interested).

Reasons given for creating these files range from portability across different devices, safeguarding the original vinyl so that it is only played once, carefully optimizing the cartridge setup (and vinyl original) to suit the recording (so this step does not have to be repeated every time the music is played), sharing copies with others (probably illegally), as well making new-format versions of the content prior to disposing of the originals (also probably illegal)...

Needless to say, methods employed are a lot more high end than (for example) using a $100 turntable with USB out. But then if the recordings are made in studios where a single microphone can cost $000's and the recording desk tens of the same, maybe that is justified.

On the other end, some wag suggested that just pointing a video camera at the turntable and recording the LP as it plays would suffice... that way you get both audio *and* video. Perhaps I should try it :)

Best - Tony

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 06 Jan 19 - 05:01 PM

The ideal way of extracting the exact signal as present in an LP groove must be with a laser, making no physical contact at all. How that relates to either the signal extracted by a top class cartridge or the original signal that was sent to the cutting head that made the master disc is a matter for speculation.

Personally I have more faith in a digital chain, provided that each stage of that chain is well designed, than in a chain involving a hard stylus rubbing along the sides of a groove in a piece of soft plastic. But each to his own.

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Tony Rees
Date: 06 Jan 19 - 05:53 PM

Yes Richard, laser seems in theory a perfect way to go, I vaguely recall a commercial product in that area once but it vanished - see here http://diffuser.fm/laser-turntable/ (only problem was perhaps the cost at $15,000 or so...)

Also I should have added in my post a little above, that much of the interest in making/trading/purchasing "needledrops" among audiophiles - a group of which I do not consider myself a member, although a maintain a watching interest - stems from the belief that a pristine vinyl record, when digitized at a resolution and bit depth higher than the standard CD format - retains some magical information that is lost in reissues of the same material on CD (presuming that the original was analog in the first place).

I am on the fence about that one, but probably do not possess replay equipment capable of revealing such differences if they indeed do exist. However each to his own, once more. Regards - Tony

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 06 Jan 19 - 07:25 PM

Richard AND Tony...
Re:
Immediately above....


Do You Have References? ? ?
A producer or business would be oustanding.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

small> What you have just posted is right down my jolly track.

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Tony Rees
Date: 06 Jan 19 - 09:21 PM

Hi Gargoyle - RE laser turntables, see here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_turntable

RE CD standard being insufficient (in some eyes/ears) to capture "all" analog audio information, I can look out some references if you or others are interested - I'm not sure to which portion of the conversation you were referring...

Best - Tony

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Tony Rees
Date: 06 Jan 19 - 10:41 PM

OK, 2 sides of the CD vs. hi-res digital formats "debate"...

From Doug Sclar, writing on the Steve Hoffman (audiophile) discussion forum:
"CD's just don't have the lower level detail that Hi-Res formats do, and the difference, once you learn to spot it, is not minor. The 24 bit discs, and downloads, just have a much more stable, detailed, three dimensional soundstage. If you learn to listen for the fullness and long decays of the reverbs, you should notice the difference immediately." (Oct 2011)

On the other hand, the *only* peer reviewed (?) scientific study, using double-blind (A/B/X) listening tests on around 550 occasions, concluded that the rate of correct:incorrect identification of when a hi-res (SACD.DVD-A) had a notionally "degrading", standard CD-quality encoder-decoder added to the circuit, and when it did not, was almost exactly the same as chance (50:50). In other words, in that study, no-one could consisttently distinguish the standard (16 bit), CD resolution version from its high resolution (24 bit) cousin. Copy available here: http://drewdaniels.com/audible.pdf

So you pay your money and you take your choice, I think.

Regards - Tony

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Tony Rees
Date: 07 Jan 19 - 05:38 AM

More sleuthing RE high resolution audio...

Why it cannot possibly have any extra value and all claims it can be perceived are nonsense:

24bit-vs-16bit-the-myth-exploded

Why on the other hand it may well exist and be detectable:

A Meta-Analysis of High Resolution Audio Perceptual Evaluation

Again, you pay your money...

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: DaveRo
Date: 07 Sep 24 - 08:05 AM

5 years ago I wrote: When I digitised my LPs I produced both CDs and mp3s. In those days I played the CDs at home and in the car. Now I mostly play [the mp3s] off a hard disk at home (I haven't unpacked the CDs since moving) ...

I did unpack them and the ones I ripped to CD generally sounded better than the mp3s played on the RaspberryPi connected to my amplifier and speakers.

Partly as a result of that I got a new Rpi 4 with a separate 'DAC hat' and the mp3s then sounded better than the CDs, so they stayed on the shelf. The other day I played one of the earliest CDs (Fairport's What we did on our holidays) and it was badly distorted. So this is the long-expected CD rot described later in the thread. I might as well throw the lot away and make space for new ones.

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Sep 24 - 03:14 PM

CDs can pick up a film from the container they're stored in as it off-gasses; have you tried washing the CD in question?

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: DaveRo
Date: 07 Sep 24 - 03:43 PM

No, but I'll try it.

Fairport's 'What we did on our Holidays' was not the earliest LP I copied but it was - and is - a favourite and was certainly among the first I copied.

I mentioned up-thread that I regret not photographing the sleeves. But I still remember that the sketch on the front included the words 'Noticeably worse sound'!

Subject: RE: Tech: Transferring tape or vinyl to CD
From: DaveRo
Date: 20 Sep 24 - 06:26 AM

Back from my holidays so I had a go at this Fairport CD which I burned 20 or more years ago and which showed periods of distortion when I played it recently with the CD player attached to the amplifier in my living room.

I put it in the optical disc reader in my desktop computer and played it on that. There were quite a few gaps and jumps in the music.

The disc looked pristine - it has been kept in an individual plastic case. I washed it with washing-up detergent and water. The result was no distortion on CD player. The computer still appeared to detect faults - the seconds counter kept pausing - but it managed to keep playing with no audible (to me) gaps or artifacts.

So thanks for the suggestion, SRS. I shall do that if I find more distorted ones.

I conclude that washing the CD improved it enough for the CDDA error-correction in the players to work but that the disc is still faulty. (It might of course have been equally faulty when I burned it.) I wondered if there was a way of measuring the degree of faultiness? And if washing it hadn't improved it could I recover the music to some extent? I found this:
How to rescue audio CD

I copied track 1 of the CD to a wav file using cdda2wav and checksummed the wav file. I did that twice more and compared the checksums. All three wav files sound OK to me, but the checksums were all different.

cdparanoia (according to that thread) does this several times to arrive at a 'best' version. I did the same experiment with cdparanoia instead of cdda2wav and this time the checksums matched. So cdparanoia seems like a good tool to attempt to recover a failing CD.

cdda2wav and cdparanoia are ancient Linux tools. Windows and Mac versions may be available:
cdparanoia - Hydrogen Audio knowledgebase
Windows 10 or 11 users could of course install WSL and run the Linux version of cdparanoia.