Some of the vinyl records I've converted.
During the 2005 Holiday Season I started to convert some of my vinyl Christmas albums to digital format. By that time we were listening mostly to CDs and I thought it would be nice to listen to that Christmas music in the car or on my iPod. Besides, some of the records had had a hard life and were getting pretty scratched up.
Since I have a Mac, it was a simple manner to connect the turntable and amplifier to my computer. I got a program, Sound Studio, to allow me to edit the sound files and I was in business. In addition to creating the sound files, Sound Studio allows me edit the files and remove many of the skips and scratches.
When I started this project I didn’t realize how long it would take. While I was still working I didn’t have a great deal of time, but even after retiring I still had plenty of things to do in addition to my conversion project. I worked on Christmas music when I had the time for about six months out of the year.
I must admit that there were times when I thought I would never get done, but Thursday evening I finished converting the last of my records. I’ve converted a total of 55 records to CDs.
I feel like I’ve earned myself a rest, but we have many more records that need to converted. What should I work on next — Henry Mancini, Glenn Miller or Arthur Fiedler?
Tags: Converting vinyl, Music, Technology
Senior Moments 
January 3, 2009 at 8:21 am |
What a huge project! I hope you ate a box of chocolates or something special to celebrate the completion. Good for you and I know you are enjoying!
January 3, 2009 at 9:06 pm |
Mildred, I wish I had thought of some chocolate as a celebration. But I am glad it’s finished and I am enjoying the music in the new format.
January 3, 2009 at 8:55 am |
It’s pretty easy to convert with a PC also….I use Creator 10 from Roxio. I’ve done quiet a few albums over the years. All it takes is a little patience….. and that’s what I have…a little. 🙂 I’ve also been cataloging my CDs and as I do it I’m converting all of them to MP3s on my disk. I’m up to almost 300 CDs so I’m about done. Once I’m done I want to buy some storage racks so I can have them in some sort of order.
January 3, 2009 at 9:05 pm |
Neal, it sounds as if you’re going to be busy for awhile as well.
January 3, 2009 at 1:14 pm |
How nice that you’ve put together your favorite music! I joined that MP3 suite which gives you unlimited music & movie downloads (I think it’s a 1 time fee of $50) – and so now i’ve been burning mix cds for myself.
January 3, 2009 at 1:35 pm |
I bet you breathed a sigh of relief when you got done! These computers are supposed to save us time, but all I seem to do is find more I want to do with one. And heaven forbid I don’t have time to be online!
January 3, 2009 at 9:02 pm |
Rose, I’m not sure that computers have saved me much time. As you said, I just keep finding more and more things to do. I still have a couple of hundred more records to convert, so I guess I won’t be bored for a while.
January 3, 2009 at 2:51 pm |
That sounds like a BIG job! I’ve got quite a collection of records myself and a turntable to play them on when I choose to listen. I’m not sure I’ll ever take the time to convert them, but one never knows about such things. I hope you enjoy listening to yours ;–)
Hugs and blessings,
January 3, 2009 at 8:58 pm |
HappilyRetired, I do ejoy being able to listen to what used to be vinyl records with a CD in the car or as MP3s on my iPod. I guess I’m just old-fashioned — most of the new music doesn’t sound as good as some of the older music I have on vinyl.
January 3, 2009 at 5:56 pm |
Shelley, I saw where the music industry is getting cooperation from some ISPs in blocking that because what you’re doing is really illegal. The MP3 Suite itself is not illegal but downloading the music is (at least most of it). What you’re really doing on sites like that is downloading music from other people’s computers.
January 3, 2009 at 9:22 pm |
WoW that’s an accomplishment!!! I don’t even have an ipod!
Thank you so much for stopping by & commenting!
January 3, 2009 at 9:50 pm |
Congratulations: that’s impressive, and ambitious … but also the clear cut choice. I’m just glad you didn’t go out 5 years ago and buy all the CDs … who would of thought they would have such a short self life. You can’t go wrong with the IPod format. As for me, I am sort of fanatical about my satellite radio: originally xm but now xm sirius. I’m listening to it now.
January 3, 2009 at 10:13 pm |
Robert, so far I have bitten on satellite radio, but one of our sons has it and absolutely loves it. But I’ll probably stick with my iPod for the time being.
January 4, 2009 at 12:00 am |
Well George, you have accomplished a big job!! I would like to have a satellite radio in my car…. I enjoy listening to talk shows..thanks for your visit to my place today…. Baba
January 5, 2009 at 2:24 pm |
Baba, so far we’ve resisted the temptation to get satellite radio, but we have a son who loves his!
January 4, 2009 at 11:05 am |
That actually sounds like a fun project but I can appreciate how time consuming that was. I don’t have any to convert. I took the easy way out and just purchased the CD’s ages ago. I wish now that I had looked into doing it your way. I now have all my CD’s on my IPOD for playing in my car. I love it. 🙂 It’s like taking my CD collection anywhere.
😀
January 4, 2009 at 8:29 pm |
2sweetnsaxy, I’d be absolutely lost without my iPod. How did I ever get along before they were created?
January 4, 2009 at 6:36 pm |
I better not show this to my husband or he might get tempted to do the same! I’ve an entire chest (used as a coffee table) full of old records, some of which were my dad’s.
Congratulations on this big accomplishment, George. Good luck with the rest of them!
January 4, 2009 at 8:25 pm |
Hilda, if your husband got started converting those records he would never lack for something to do!