This is the Online column, written for The Southland Times)
Reader Ken (yes folks, I have more than one reader), was wondering how to go about transferring old media files to something a little more this century.
Now, let me first say that I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to music and actually enjoy all the little hisses and pops that punctuate all my favourite albums. Yes, I have a lot of CDs, but I also have a decent vinyl collection.
That said, I can understand where Ken is coming from. I’d be devastated if any of my old albums were ever damaged so perhaps it is timely to look at how to convert them so I can put the originals away somewhere safe. Hey, you never know, my old Rainbow or Frank Zappa vinyl might be worth something some day. I’m not so sure about my husband’s Samantha Fox albums, though.
A quick search online and I found a point-by-point tutorial on Styli, a New Zealand-based online needle store.
The instructions look pretty straightforward and involve a stereo audio phono lead that will cost around $15, some freebie software from Sourceforce and a turntable with a phono output.
The author of the tutorial also recommends using Verbatim’ Vinyl CD-R for “consistent audio quality and a long lasting recording”.
I’d recommend the little suckers just because they look so cool, like miniature vinyl.
When it comes to the old cassette tapes, a program called Spin It Again seems to have good reviews from various sources and has a comprehensive tutorial online. Unfortunately, this time you’ll have to pay out $US34.95 but there is a free trial download available.
For video, the costs to set yourself up can vary greatly, depending on the brand of video capture hardware and video software you opt for.