I want to digitize some more of my LPs using my Audio Technica AT-PL50 turntable. The last time I did this I used (IIRC) my Griffin iMic but since I moved 5 years ago, I can’t find it. Since my AT-PL50 has RCA plug outputs, I’m going to order this unit. They recommend Audacity which I have but I also have VinylStudio,which I hope will work with the unit. Has anyone used this unit? With VinylStudio?
Dennis, did you mean you’re going to get another Griffin iMic, or did you have another interface in mind? I didn’t see one in your post.
It’s in the subject: ClearClick Audio2USB USB Audio Interface
Haha. You got me there. Getting a little dull in my old age, sorry. 
No experience with the ClearClick. I have a Behringer, an older model of this one.
BTDT I also suffer from CRS!
The Audio2USB comes with an USB-C plug AND an USB-C F to USB-A M adapter. However I’m sure yours will work with an USB-A F to USB-C M adapter for futureproofing.
I also use a Behringer UFO-202. I have it plugged into a 10-port USB hub that connects to my Mac with a B-to-C cable. Works fine.
Some people have complained about the Behringer device, saying something about latency issues, but it’s worked just fine for me. My ears don’t hear any problems - sounds just like plugging the cassette deck/turntable into my amplifier and speakers. But audiophiles will violently disagree with me, because that’s what they do about everything.
My only concern with the ClearClick device is that (based on what I saw on its product page), I don’t think it has a built-in phono pre-amp.
But I see that your AT-PL50 (product page) has a switchable pre-amp. So you should be OK. Just remember to turn it on when using the ClearClick and turn it off when connecting it to an amplifier’s phono input. (If you forget, you’ll find out real fast when you either can’t hear anything or hear massive clipping.)
I used to use a program called ClickRepair to minimize Clicks. What programs are out there for that now?
I decided to check out the Behringer products and ordered their UCA222
Thanks everyone
And the nice thing about the Behringer products is that, as far as macOS is concerned, it’s a generic audio device. So any and all software should be able to work with it.
I’ve used Audacity, but it should work with everything else that can record live audio.
I DO NOT!
;-}
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I bought a box for this so long ago, that Apple orphaned it before I got past my procrastination. :-{
In the hope of avoiding the accursed “audiophile” label, I’ve wondered how important is the DAC in these devices? I’ve never seen specs given for any of them.
I actually have a couple of gadgets that I acquired for other purposes, but occurred to me they might serve. A Zoom Hand Recorder H4n and a Mackie ProFX10v3 mixer that sends the mix as USB digital.
(Maybe I should just try them; although, I did mention this project has involved a lot of procrastination.)
I’m sure that a pro-audio DAC will be much higher quality. And if you’re digitizing audio for a commercial purpose, you may want to invest in one.
But for your personal listening pleasure, it may not matter that much. The losses from inaccuracies in the DAC may well be less than the losses from consumer-grade analog equipment (turntable, pre-amp, etc.).
For a device in the $20-40 range, I’d just give it a try. If it isn’t acceptable, you haven’t lost that much (and you might be able to return it, depending on who you bought it from).
But if you’re curious, here’s the list of USB audio interfaces sold by Sweetwater (a great pro-audio store): https://www.sweetwater.com/c695--USB_Audio_Interfaces. Looking at “2x2” interfaces (two inputs, two outputs - suitable for stereo applications)there are 67 products, with prices ranging between $23 (for the Behringer UFO-202) up to $1400.
Do you need an expensive model? That depends on what you plan on doing with it and how sensitive your ears are to audio quality. I can’t answer a question like that. (But a good store, like Sweetwater, will have sales associates that can discuss it with you and help you select an appropriate product.)
Thanks, David. Yes, my man at Sweetwater is Austin… ;-)
But just a quick browse through their stuff was a useful exercise. None of it had specs more specific than 24-bit/192kHz. I would have to spend a LOT of money to get better than what my mixer already has, so I have my answer.
And I didn’t have to disappoint Austin with a lost sale…
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I’m going to be a contrarian here.
Before digitizing old LP albums, have you given a thought to:
a. seeing if the recordings have been posted to YouTube in mp4 format
b. if so, downloading the songs with something like “ClipGrab”. and then…
c. converting them to mp3 format (or something else)
??
No pops or clicks or surface noise to get rid of that way (in most cases).
It does involve a differrent “workflow”.
Another option:
a. search for the songs/albums on binsearch.info
b. if they are there, select them from the binsearch list and then save “as an .nzb”
c. open the nzb with an app like “SABnzbd”
d. save the files from that (will usually be in mp3 format)
You DO need a “pay for” usenet provider for this, I’m using newsdemon.com (bought a “block” of gb’s for a fixed price… it was only about $6.00)
Could be A LOT less work this way…
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But note that:
- YouTube uploads are not necessarily the best quality. May easily be lower than what you get by digitizing a record yourself with a halfway decent turntable.
- You aren’t necessarily getting the same edit of the song. Some albums (e.g., Tales of Mystery and Imagination by the Alan Parsons project) were reissued many times, and different issues may have different mixes, different edits, or may even have re-recordings of some (or all) of the content.
- There could be legal issues. Yes, you paid for the vinyl, but laws that permit (or seem to imply permission for) format-shifting probably don’t permit downloading someone else’s rip. Especially if it’s not the same edit.
Same issues as with YouTube. Quality and legality.
You may remember Steve Jobs’s speech when introducing the iTunes Store. He went on at length about how file sharing networks tend to produce low quality recordings and are mostly illegal. I, for one, agree with him. And those concerns remain valid whether or not you own a legal copy of the material.
… or a lot more, if you have to preview a dozen or more downloads to find one that matches your edit and is a high quality recording.
I first see if the album is available in the iTunes Store. But I have many that are not nor can I buy them on a CD.
If you are into collecting physical media, two places I like are Discogs (think eBay but entirely devoted to music) and Amoeba (online good, physical stores outstanding).
I sometimes grab music, as described by @j.albert , off YouTube (I use Downie to download then QuickTime Player to separate the audio). The sound quality of what’s posted is inconsistent but it can be an easy way to get digital versions of rare and out-of-print stuff.