Best Hardware to Convert Cds to Digital
How to digitise your CD and record collections
What are the all-time direct-drive turntables, CD drives and hi-fis for digitising your CDs and records? BBC Music Magazine's audio expert Chris Haslam answers all your questions and more
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What should you lot do with CDs, LPs and cassette tapes?
In 2019, 79.5 per cent of all music consumed was streamed using online services. In that location's no escaping digital and the undisputable convenience of information technology, but what about your CDs, LPs, cassette tapes – and even those quondam reel- to-reel recordings hiding in the attic? Naturally I nevertheless advocate a good quality hi-fi with CD actor and turntable, but if you're looking to streamline your drove, or perchance salvage some irreplaceable analogue recordings, y'all can digitise pretty much whatever format for futurity enjoyment.
How to digitise your CD collection and upload your CDs to your calculator
If your figurer has a CD drive, uploading your CD drove is easy, albeit potentially time-consuming. Mac owners can organise their library using the Music app, while PC users can download free music direction software including Brazenness and Exact Sound Copy. I would recommend storing your music collection on a separate hard drive, while an NAS (Network Fastened Storage) drive makes your music accessible over the cyberspace for wireless streaming.
How to digitise records and LPs
Digitising record collections is a trivial trickier, requiring a turntable with a USB output (attempt Audio Technica, Sony or ION) or a phono preamp with USB such as the Pro-Ject Phono Box USB Five (£149, henleyaudio.co.uk) that works with your existing turntable.
How to digitise cassette tapes
Cassette tapes – which degrade faster than vinyl – can as well be digitised, and if yous have a tape deck yous can connect its 3.5mm headphone output to your reckoner's microphone input. Alternatively, players with USB outputs work well, while cheap £xxx portable tape players like the ION Audio Tape Limited can do it easily – although don't expect flawless results.
How to ameliorate the sound quality of digitised records
Always record in the best possible sound quality you can, but have realistic expectations, particularly with 78rpm records which are never going to be perfect. And remember, unlike CD 'ripping' you'll need to use software to create private tracks and name them. You can also clean up poor recordings, although that might lose the individuality and little imperfections that your recordings have picked up over the years and that you've grown to dear.
What about reel-to-reel recordings? My father has a collection I'm nifty to preserve and with his old player however working (merely) and a five-pin DIN-to-stereo jack, I can connect to his computer'due south microphone. That said, I may crook and call on the services of an sound conversion specialist. vinyltodigital.co.uk is a company that tin can work with whatever format, including the short-lived MiniDisc.
The best CD drive for digitising your CD drove
Naim Uniti Cadre £ane,999
With capacity for over 100,000 CDs, this wonderfully achieved CD drive and music server makes transferring your collection to digital completely fuss- free, with piece of cake playback in the highest possible quality. naimaudio.com
The best straight-drive turntable on the market for digitising your record collection
Sound Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB £289
Perfect for vinyl lovers and digital streamers, this direct-drive turntable plays 331⁄three, 45 and 78rpm records, has Bluetooth for streaming to a split speaker and USB output for digitising your old records to a estimator. audio-technica.com
The best how-do-you-do-fi system to digitise cassettes and CDs
Teac Sound TEAC AD850 £399
This innovative hi-fi dissever with CD player and cassette deck plugs into your existing set-up – cheers to the USB input yous tin digitise and transfer your music straight to USB flash drives. teac-sound.eu
This article appeared in the December 2020 issue of BBC Music Magazine.
Authors
Chris Haslam is a freelance consumer technology journalist, specialising in tech, audio, lifestyle, health and interiors. He is the monthly audio columnist for BBC Music Magazine, rounding up the best audio equipment on the market for classical music lovers. He is besides a contributing editor for Wired Great britain.
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