record my LPs and cassettes to mp3

Slow, but sure.

This past Saturday (whoa! how did it get to be Wednesday already?) I managed to spend about 5 hours working on this goal.

I believe I have “perfected” (as much as possible) the ability to create an excellent quality digital sound reproduction of analog recordings.

I recorded one and a half LPS and one cassette.

The cassette was “A Cappella Praise” by The Maranatha! Singers. It was recorded in 1991. It turned out GREAT!

The full LP was an indie recording by a group I was personally with – REBOUND – which we cut back in 1973. Also, great results.

And the half an LP was Side One of “Cool Water” by Sons of the Pioneers, recorded in 1959. Lots of hiss and pop, but it was almost completely eliminated by the software! Yay!

It was fun. I am looking forward to doing a bunch more of this!!!!

OK. So my collection of black vinyl and rapidly deteriorating audiocassettes is no doubt too large for this to be a realistic goal in the sense of wanting to record EVERY track to mp3. I figured out that it would take me six years to do this even if I manage to devote 10 hours a week to the project. It is not in the least likely that I will be able to devote that much attention to this goal.

HOWEVER (comma)...

If I do not at least start, I can DEFINITELY never finish, eh?

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

...or something like that.

So.

As of this web-based declaration of my goal, I have already recorded one audiocassette and two LPs to mp3.

The audiocassette was “The Best of Dan Seals” (1987) which is not AT ALL representative of my general taste in music. I chose that particular AC because I was just learning how to do this and I figured if I screwed it up I would not be all bummed about it. Of course, I know that I can just do it again anyway if I mess up.

The two LPs were:

1) Roger Whittaker’s first Christmas Album (1978) – because I NEEDED to get the song “Tiny Angels” into mp3 in order to perpetuate our family tradition of playing that song as the children go to sleep on Christmas Eve. My kids are grown and all of them have children of their own for whom they all wish to institute this tradition. Awwwww…

2) Sandy Nelson’s “Drums, Drums and More Drums” (1969)(I think… it was a few months ago now, and I am typing this where I cannot check to make sure. I’ll correct myself later if I’m wrong). I recorded this one mostly as a demonstration to a coworker of the quality I can attain in the process. She is interested in having some of her vinyl transferred, but has thought that the quality would not be sufficient. Changed her mind.

So. Hopefully some time soon I can begin to chip away at this goal, and I can record my progress here!