Modernize My Spins

July 14, 2008 11:30 AM

Best place to get some vinyl ripped to electronic format, in Seattle?

I've got a bunch of LPs that I'd like to get converted into an electronic form of some sort. I'd prefer someone local, so I can avoid shipping the vinyl half-way-cross the country and back. Anyone know of a reliable service in Seattle?

Ideally, I'm looking for someone who will split albums into tracks, and can scan the original 12" cover art.

posted by nomisxid to Technology (8 answers total)

For the price you'd pay others to do the work you could buy a USB turntable. They often come with software to help you split into tracks or you could use something free like audacity. Then you could scan the artwork at kinko's or your favorite local copy shop.
posted by horseblind at 11:37 AM on July 14, 2008

First hit on google for "USB" turntable: http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/mp3/90a0/

The bonus of DIY is that you can redo it as many times as you need if the sound doesn't come out the way you want it.

Plus, you can also use audacity to smooth over some of the dither/pops/whatever in the sound. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ (That's a bit advanced, though.)
posted by Citrus at 11:44 AM on July 14, 2008

Response by poster: I have a USB turntable, what I don't have is time. Please answer the question at hand.
posted by nomisxid at 11:45 AM on July 14, 2008

Pay a friend to rip the vinyl using your USB turntable? Craigslist?
posted by rancidchickn at 11:50 AM on July 14, 2008

Hi,

I don't like to promote my company on Metafilter, but Seattle is the home of Reclaim Media. You can find us on Stone Way N (Wallingford) and will do exactly what you need (including 3 megapixel images of the cover art). We're also he company that digitized the record collection for kcrw: The Music Library Reborn.

We'd love to help you with your records.

Best,

Carl Coryell-Martin
Reclaim Media.com
206-669-0598
posted by ccoryell at 11:54 AM on July 14, 2008 [2 favorites]

I just came across this Craigslist ad the other day when I was searching for a record player.
posted by revolution_aries at 12:27 PM on July 14, 2008

And if you are into someone a bit more boutique, Joe Roeder at Precision-AR does very good work, including record surgery (repairing skips). I don't have experience with anyone else in the seattle area.

best,

carl
posted by ccoryell at 12:32 PM on July 14, 2008

I was given a Ion USB turntable and from the few records I have ripped it seemed to work just fine. Insound has some turntables for sell. I've never bought a turntable from them, but have been buying records from then for seven years now so its a good site. I aslo remember seeing a device that looked like a huge dvd player/burner but was for ripping vinyl(I think it was on boingboing but couldn't find it ) but it was really expensive
posted by Rustbeard at 10:46 AM on July 15, 2008