“How can I record my old LPs” is a question I get asked from time to time.
It’s actually pretty simple, provided you have the right connectors and some recording software. No need for any sophisticated recording studio equipment or software in this case. Keep reading to find out how I set this up…
(Remember Copyright laws apply to your old albums as well as current CDs and DVDs. So you can re-record LP’s you own for your own use to play on your computer, iPod, or car CD player.)
As an example, I’ve included a track by one of my favorite Gospel groups – The Imperials – who have brought great music and messages for over 40 years to a mainly Christian audience. This one is “If My People”, (based on a section in the Bible – 2 Chronicles 7), and was originally recorded on vinyl in mid-1970’s.
(See the player below)
Here’s what I did:
- Connected the stereo line out from my audio system to my computer soundcard input.
- Opened WavePad (free, but highly functional audio recording software from NCH Swift Sound) on my PC.
- Set the album playing to check sound levels on WavePad
- Recorded the track using WavePad with 48k sample rate, stereo settings
- Saved the recorded file in mp3 format, with variable bit-rate and highest quality settings.
- Uploaded the .mp3 file to this website using FileZilla (free FTP program)
- Included the track in this post using the WordPress PodPress plug-in.
PodPress enables you to include Podcasts in your WordPress blog – cool! But I’m just using it to play an example music track. You see below you have several play options:
- play using the PodPress player
- right-click to download and play on your favorite mp3 player
- left-click to open and play on your PC
By the way, for more info on how you can have a website with these capabilities built in, click here.