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DVD-Audio from LP


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Hi all, I'm new around here but I suspect I'll stick around a while to see what you all think of this:

I watched a thread about transferring your LPs to CD and saw that there was a lot of misinformation and or lack of information floating around. I do this professionally so feel free to assume that I might know a thing or two about it :w I can answer questions on that topic too.

But to get to the real stuff here, I can't be alone in wondering why the record industry has failed to capitalize on the DVD-Audio format when it would mean a re-release for all their back-catalogues again. However there will always be stuff that is only available on vinyl pressings - and as the original tapes go missing or get damaged, these vinyl recordings will represent our only link to the material at any kind of high fidelity. Having owned LPs that are more expensive than my hi-fi is a little scary though, so I had been transferring to CD at a breakneck speed. Luckily I kept all my high definition wav files as a back up on CD-Rs. Stacks and stacks of them. So imagine my delight when I found that, believe it or not, you can make your own high definition audio discs (DVD-Audio) at home for a small layout in computer terms. Here's how:

Start with a good quality turntable. Whatever you do afterwards will be affected by the original signal quality coming from your turntable. Nothing in the computer chain can create lost definition so we're talking at least a quality belt-drive with possibly a moving coil cartridge. My set-up is reasonably audiophile: Linn Sondek'ish Heybrook TT2 with Rega RB300 tonearm housing Ortofon MC25FL cartridge. Total cost around USD 1500. That's the sort of stuff you need to make this excercise worthwhile. Something like a Technics 1200 with a Stanton cartridge just isn't up to the job.

Use a soundcard capable of 96 or 192 Khz sampling rates and 24 bit quantization (CD is 44.1Khz at 16 bit for a comparison) I use the ESI Juli@ which is available for around 160 USD.

Use a program capable of recording linear wav files from your soundcard (I use Cooledit - now Adobe Audition).

Record and Save a whole side of an LP (or single, EP, etc) as ONE file at as high a recording level you can obtain without 'clipping' or going into the red. Record at your maximum capable sample and bit rates. Look out, these files are HUGE! (they can be as much as 2 gigabytes per LP side for a 22 minute 192Khz/24bit file).

Save sections of the side-long file as individual files. These are your 'songs' or 'tracks'.

Declick as much as you feel you can handle - manually, never automatically.

Compile and burn the tracks on DVD-R blanks. I use a program called Discwelder Bronze from Minnetonka audio. It costs around 100 USD and is available for Mac/PC. There are others but most are VERY expensive (+2000 USD)

Replay in a DVD-A machine.

Audio Nirvana! The results completely blow CD out of the water, retaining more of the ambience and mystery of vinyl with none of the processed feel of CD. The stereo definition at even 96Khz 24 bit kicks CD's ass every time. No contest. I have worked on content from the Sex Pistols through Louis Armstrong, Japanese pressed Marvin Gaye to chopped up jamaican reggae 45s. Everything sounds better.

I can imagine there will be a lot of questions...

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