Capturing LP audio

[briands]

A guy from work is looking for a software recommendation to capture his vinyl collection. Anyone have a recommendation? Is there software that will break up LP into individual tracks? Identify tracks?

[stanger89]

I got my dad something like this a couple years ago:
http://www.ionaudio.com/products/details/profile-lp

There are probably "better" (higher quality) ways, but this is dead easy, you don't have to worry about phono preamps or software settings. Though the software they use may be available separately.

[KeithAbbott]

Recommendations from The Ultimate Digital Music Guide

Golden Records Vinyl Converter
Spin It Again

My advice though (which corresponds with the advice of the author) is to purchase any of the CDs that are available commercially, and rip only the remaining from vinyl that were never transferred to CD.

[wayner]

If you own an LP and you "acquire" a digital copy from someone else is that illegal? Why should you have to buy CDs that you already own on LP - hasn't the artist already been compensated? Sure you don't technically own the digital version of the work, but don't you "own" the right to listen to the music?

I know that some albums I have purchased on LP, cassette and CD. If I decide that I want to download the files from somewhere my conscience is clear because I already paid for the damn thing three times.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by wayner

If you own an LP and you "acquire" a digital copy from someone else is that illegal?

Yes

Why should you have to buy CDs that you already own on LP - hasn't the artist already been compensated? Sure you don't technically own the digital version of the work, but don't you "own" the right to listen to the music?

Basically you bought the LP and the right to listen to that media. Just think if you break that LP, you're not entitled to a replacement, you're stuffed. Potentially more importantly (or maybe just more clearly) that someone else doesn't have the legal right to distribute the digital copy to you.

On the other side I do agree with you to an extent, the industry really needs to make a decision IMO, are they selling us copies to a copy of the data (either on a physical media or a download) or are they selling a license to the music. If the former, I expect to be able to do what I want without violating copyrights, like convert it to different formats for compatibility and make backups. If they're selling me a license, I expect to be able to recover my copy if something happens.

I know that some albums I have purchased on LP, cassette and CD. If I decide that I want to download the files from somewhere my conscience is clear because I already paid for the damn thing three times.

Whether your conscience is clear or not is an entirely different issue.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by stanger89

Basically you bought the LP and the right to listen to that media. Just think if you break that LP, you're not entitled to a replacement, you're stuffed. Potentially more importantly (or maybe just more clearly) that someone else doesn't have the legal right to distribute the digital copy to you.

But I am pretty sure that you are allowed to make backup copies for your own use. Using your broken LP analogy, if you had a CD and you backed it up to your PC (or another CD) and it broke, do you then have to delete the backups? I don't think so. I do believe you are entitled to make your own backups. The question is do you have to go to the trouble of making the backups yourself or can you get them from somewhere else.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by wayner

But I am pretty sure that you are allowed to make backup copies for your own use. Using your broken LP analogy, if you had a CD and you backed it up to your PC (or another CD) and it broke, do you then have to delete the backups? I don't think so. I do believe you are entitled to make your own backups.

My point was, the copyright holder or seller aren't responsible to provide you with a replacement. It's not like when I buy a show on Amazon Instant, I'm entitled to redownload it (I think, never actually tried) if I lose my copy.

The question is do you have to go to the trouble of making the backups yourself or can you get them from somewhere else.

You have to make it yourself, because nobody is allowed to distribute copyrighted works without the copyright holder's permission.

Another way to look at the whole "I bought the song on LP, why do I have to buy the CD?" question. You bought SageTV V5, but that doesn't mean you automatically get to use any future version automatically.

It would be nice if like most software makers, media folks provided an upgrade path, but they don't (well actually, some have: http://www.dvd2blu.com/)

[Skirge01]

Actually, I recall someone from the RIAA/MPAA once saying that you aren't buying any sort of "rights" to the music; you're buying the media it's on.

I agree it's ridiculous and a money grab, but that's what our government (in the US, at least) is paid (off) to protect.