HOME PRICING ORDER FORM PREP INDEX
	Affordable Slide & Photo Scanning 100% USA Work at our Wisconsin Offices. The only place we ship your slides and photos is BACK TO YOU!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vinyl Records Transferred To MP3 or CD
33 1/3 RPM & 45 RPM

 

Click Here For Order Form

Click Here For Audio Cassette Tapes Converted To Digital

Do you have old 45 rpm or 33 1/3 rpm vinyl records that you would like to get transferred to MP3 so that you can listen to them on your computer or your iPod or other MP3 player? We can do it for you at a reasonable price. (Our service is not meant for "audiophiles." We do a very basic transfer. We minimize clicks, scratches, hiss and rumble without removing trebles. We normalize volume and tone: bass and treble. Although we think we do a very good job of digitizing your vinyl records, if you are the type that sits next to your speakers trying to find every nuance of sound, you would probably be better off paying some other service two to three times what we charge. Since we are only charging a minimal amount for this service, please only send one or two of your records for the first time through so you can judge whether we can satisfy your needs. Otherwise, please be ready to accept whatever we can salvage from your old records.)

 

Straight transfer of your Vinyl Records, 33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm to digital format. Nothing fancy. Just a simple transfer. Our $8.00 pricing includes cleaning your records, transferring one side of each platter to digital MP3 format and a CD or DVD data disk to hold the digital files. Each side of the record will be converted to multiple MP3s based on the record tracks. We use automatic track splitting. We do not name the individual files. They will be named "track 01," track 02" and etc and will be in a folder with the Album Name. If you want your individual tracks named by us, we will do it for an additional $5.00 per album. We create your MP3s using a Bit rate of 128 Kbps at 44.1 KHz for CD quality stereo sound.

 

Minimum order of $16.00 not including return shipping. Return shipping is $5 for the first vinyl record and $1 for each additional record. If you don't need the records back, this will reduce your return shipping costs since you would only have to pay first class postage for sending your CD disks.

 

Note that you must have a player that will play the MP3 files. Computers will play them but you can't just put the disk in a regular CD player and have it play unless your player is capable of playing MP3s.

 

Regular music CD disks have WAV files for the music.

If you want WAV files instead of MP3 files, there is a charge for additional CDs of $5 for each vinyl record. MP3 files for both sides of the LP record are about 25 MBs. WAV files are about 300 MBs. We can get about 25+ full albums on one CD disk as MP3 files. If we used WAV files, we put one album per disk.

 

We do not make duplicates of our disks. Under "fair use" laws, you are allowed to make one backup copy of your music to another medium. When we go from Vinyl or Cassette tape to MP3 or WAV, we are backing up your music that is lawfully yours.

Click Here For Order Form

 

Click Here For Audio Cassette Tapes Converted To Digital

 

Care Of LPs, 45s And Other Vinyl Records

Most LPs and singles released after the early fifties are composed of
polyvinyl materials and are more durable than it's predecessors. When
cleaning vinyl records, I recommend a 50/50 solution of isopropyl alcohol
(70% by Vol.) or denatured alcohol (fewer impurities) and filtered or
distilled water (again, fewer impurities). A few claim that alcohol is
damaging to vinyl... 70% or more by volume strength and continual contact for a long period of time, maybe... but not in the recommended dilution. Alcohol is water soluble and leaves little or no residue. A mild detergent, such as Johnson and Johnson Baby Bath, can be used in small amounts with water with no rinsing necessary. Photo Flo is a wetting agent used in photography to
help reduce water spots and marks during the rinsing of negatives. A couple
of drops in the above solutions also help in reducing residual deposits.

The solution should be applied with a soft, clean washcloth, wiping in a
circular motion with the grooves. Rinse the cloth often in the solution and
replace with a fresh mixture when needed. I recommend thoroughly drying the record with a soft, clean towel... this further reduces residue left behind.
Try not to get the labels wet.

 

Dirty covers and labels are best left alone. If the cover is laminated or
glossy, a damp towel can be used... A mild furniture polish does nicely too.
Marks or writing on the cover may be able to be removed with a rubber eraser.

Lighter fluid (naphtha) or even hair spray works great on pen marks.
Permanent marker can be removed by marking over it with a dry erase marker, then wipe with a dry cloth... It really works! Stickers, labels, tape and
such can be removed by heating the area with a hair dryer. The heat breaks
down the adhesive and makes it softer and easier to remove sticker and all
without a great risk of damaging the cover or sleeve. Sticker residue can be
removed with most citus-based cleaners or lighter fluid (naphtha). Again, I
stress that these only work well on glossy covers. Matte finish cover and
label marks are usually set. You stand a chance of removing part of the print
or color and making the situation worse.

Ken's Music Library
#0308
May be freely distributed... Please advise of any additions or corrections...
vinylville@door.net

---

General Care For Records

It is equally important to handle, store and play records with the same care
used in cleaning. Once a record has been thoroughly cleaned, it should be
placed in a new, clean inner sleeve. It doesn't make much sense to put dirty
socks on freshly cleaned feet, right? Inner sleeves come in different
styles and are made with different materials. There are many opinions to
which sleeve is best... I prefer quality made, paper sleeves. I have
experienced no damage or problems with these sleeves, when handled properly.

I prefer to keep the sleeved record in the original cover jacket along with
the original sleeve and any inserts. Some prefer to put the record in a plain
jacket and store it and the original jacket together in a outer poly sleeve.
This helps prevent further wear to the cover, inner sleeve and other inserts.
In either case, use outer poly sleeves to reduce cover wear and dust.

 

Vinyl Record Storage

Always store records vertically, leaning as little as possible but not too tight
either. You should be able to easily and freely insert and remove a record
from between two others without moving them. Storing records too tightly or
horizontally can promote ring wear on the cover or sleeve and cause
unnecessary stress to the record's materials, surface and label, resulting in
warps and contact damage. It is best to store records in a cool, dry area.
Avoid any source of heat such as direct sunlight, heaters, fireplace, etc.
and moist or humid areas. Warmth and humidity are ideal conditions for mold,
mildew and other fungi which can infest the cover, label and inside the
grooves. When handling and playing records, hold the disk by the outer edge
and label. Eliminate contact with the playing surface. Always replace disk in
it's sleeve and cover immediately after play. Ensure that your playback
equipment is set and adjusted correctly and that the stylus is not worn...
Extreme damage can result.

Ken's Music Library
#0307
May be freely distributed... Please advise of any additions or corrections...
vinylville@door.net

 

---

 

 

 

Dia.	RPMs	Play Time
12 in.	33 1⁄3 rpm	45 min Long play (LP)
12 in.	45 rpm	12-inch single, Maxi Single, and EP (Extended play)
12 in.	78 rpm	4–5 minutes
10 in.	33 rpm	LP (Long play)
10 in.	78 rpm	3 minutes
7 in.	45 rpm	Single (varies)
7 in.	45 rpm	Extended play (EP)
7 in.	33+1⁄3 rpm	Sometimes used for children's records in the 1960s and 1970s.

 

Testimonials

From Wikipedia.com:

 

Both the microgroove LP 33+1/3 rpm record and the 45 rpm single records are made from vinyl plastic that is flexible and unbreakable in normal use. However, the vinyl records are easier to scratch or gouge, and much more prone to warpage.

 

In 1930, RCA Victor launched the first commercially available vinyl long-playing record, marketed as "Program Transcription" discs. These revolutionary discs were designed for playback at 33+1/3 rpm and pressed on a 30 cm diameter flexible plastic disc. In Roland Gelatt's book The Fabulous Phonograph, the author notes that RCA Victor's early introduction of a long-play disc was a commercial failure for several reasons including the lack of affordable, reliable consumer playback equipment and consumer wariness during the Great Depression.

 

However, vinyl's lower surface noise level than shellac was not forgotten, nor was its durability. (Shellac records are very fragile.) In the late 30's, radio commercials and prerecorded radio programs being sent to disc jockeys started being stamped in vinyl, so they would not break in the mail. In the mid-1940s, special DJ copies of records started being made of vinyl also, for the same reason. These were all 78 rpm. During and after World War II when shellac supplies were extremely limited, some 78 rpm records were pressed in vinyl instead of shellac, particularly the six-minute 12-inch (30 cm) 78 rpm records produced by V-Disc for distribution to US troops in World War II. In the 40's, radio transcriptions, which were usually on 16 inch records, but sometimes 12 inch, were always made of vinyl, but cut at 33+1/3 rpm. Shorter transcriptions were often cut at 78 rpm.

 

Beginning in 1939, Columbia Records continued development of this technology. Dr. Peter Goldmark and his staff undertook exhaustive efforts to address problems of recording and playing back narrow grooves and developing an inexpensive, reliable consumer playback system. Columbia's president, Edward (Ted) Wallerstein insisted that the new system permit the recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on one record. In 1948, the 12-inch (30 cm) Long Play (LP) 33+1/3 rpm microgroove record album was introduced by the Columbia Record Company at a dramatic New York press conference. In 1949, RCA Victor released the first 45 rpm single, 7 inches in diameter, with a large center hole to accommodate an automatic play mechanism on the changer, so a stack of singles would drop down one record at a time automatically after each play. Early 45 rpm records were made from either vinyl or polystyrene.

 

On a small number of early phonograph systems and radio transcription discs, as well as some entire albums, such as Goodbye Blue and White by Less Than Jake, the direction of the groove is reversed, beginning near the centre of the disc and leading to the outside. A small number of records (such as Jeff Mills' Apollo EP or the Hidden In Plainsight EP from Detroit's Underground Resistance) were manufactured with multiple separate grooves to differentiate the tracks (usually called 'NSC-X2'). X2 was pioneered by Ron Murphy and Heath Brunner from Sound Enterprises (formerly National Sound Corporation), a record mastering company in Detroit.

.

Columbia and RCA's competition extended to equipment. Some turntables included spindle size adapters, but other turntables required snap-in inserts like this one to adapt RCA's larger 45 rpm spindle size to the smaller spindle size available on nearly all turntables. After World War II, two new competing formats came on to the market and gradually replaced the standard "78": the 33+1/3 rpm (often just referred to as the 33 rpm), and the 45 rpm. The 33+1/3 rpm LP (for "long play") format was developed by Columbia Records and marketed in 1948. RCA Victor developed the 45 rpm format and marketed it in 1949, in response to Columbia. Both types of new disc used narrower grooves, intended to be played with a smaller stylus—typically 0.001 inches (25 µm) wide, compared to 0.003 inches (76 µm) for a 78—so the new records were sometimes called Microgroove. In the mid-1950s all record companies agreed to a common recording standard called RIAA equalization. Prior to the establishment of the standard each company used its own preferred standard, requiring discriminating listeners to use preamplifiers with multiple selectable equalization curves.

A number of recordings were pressed at 16+2/3 rpm (usually a 7-inch disc, visually identical to a 45 rpm single), but these were mostly used for radio transcription discs or narrated publications for the blind and visually impaired, and were never widely commercially available, although it was common to see turntables with a 16 rpm speed setting produced as late as the 1970s.

 

The older 78 format continued to be mass produced alongside the newer formats into the 1950s, and in a few countries, such as India, into the 1960s. As late as the 1970s, some children's records were released at the 78 rpm speed.

Speeds
The earliest rotation speeds varied widely. Most records made in 1900–1925 were recorded at 74–82 revolutions per minute (rpm). However a few unusual systems were deployed. The Dutch Philips company introduced records whose rotational speed varied such that the reproducing "needle" ran at a constant linear velocity (CLV) in the groove. These records also, unusually, played from the inside to the outside. Both of these features were to be emulated by the modern day Compact Disc. The London Science Museum displays a Philips CLV record marked as "Speed D".

 

In 1925, 78.26 rpm was chosen as the standard because of the introduction of the electrically powered synchronous turntable motor. This motor ran at 3600 rpm with a 46:1 gear ratio which produced 78.26 rpm. In parts of the world that used 50 Hz current, the standard was 77.92 rpm (3000 rpm with a 38.5:1 ratio), which was also the speed at which a strobe disc with 77 lines would "stand still" in 50 Hz light (92 lines for 60Hz). Thus these records became known as 78s (or "seventy-eights"). This term did not come into use until after World War II when a need developed to distinguish the 78 from other newer disc record formats, an example of a retronym. Earlier they were just called records, or when there was a need to distinguish them from cylinders, disc records. Standard records was also used, although the same term had also been used earlier for two-minute cylinders.

.

The commercial rivalry between RCA Victor and Columbia Records led to RCA Victor's introduction of what it had intended to be a competing vinyl format, the 7-inch (175 mm) 45-rpm disc. For a two-year period from 1948 to 1950, record companies and consumers faced uncertainty over which of these formats would ultimately prevail in what was known as the "War of the Speeds". (See also format war.)

 

Eventually the 12-inch (300 mm) 33+1/3-rpm LP prevailed as the predominant format for musical albums, and the 7-inch (175 mm) 45-rpm disc or "single" established a significant niche for shorter duration discs, typically containing one song on each side. The 45 rpm discs typically emulated the playing time of the former 78 rpm discs, while the LP discs provided up to one half hour of time per side (though typically 15 to 20 minutes). The 45 rpm discs also came in a variety known as Extended play (EP) which achieved up to 10–15 minutes play at the expense of attenuating (and possibly compressing) the sound to reduce the width required by the groove. EP discs were generally used to reissue LP albums on the smaller format.

 

 

 

 

.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, 45 rpm–only players that lacked speakers and plugged into a jack on the back of a radio were widely available. Eventually, they were replaced by the three–speed record player.

From the mid-1950s through the 1960s, in the U.S. the common home "record player" or "stereo" (after the introduction of stereo recording) would typically have had these features: a three- or four-speed player with changer (78, 45, 33+1/3, and sometimes 16+2/3 rpm); a combination cartridge with both 78 and microgroove styluses; and some kind of adapter for playing the 45s with their larger center hole. The large center hole on 45s allows for easier handling by jukebox mechanisms.

RCA 45s were also adapted to the smaller spindle of an LP player with a plastic snap-in insert known as a "spider". These inserts, commissioned by RCA president David Sarnoff and invented by Thomas Hutchison, were prevalent starting in the 1960s, selling in the tens of millions per year during the 45's heyday.

Deliberately playing or recording records at the wrong speed was a common amusement. Playing at a higher speed gave an antic quirkiness to voices whereas playing at a slower speed changed music and voice to an ominous, growling tone.

 

This effect was used in 1966 by Cork Marcheschi of California group the Ethix (and later of Fifty Foot Hose), who issued an experimental single, "Bad Trip", which could be played at any speed. Canadian musician Nash the Slash also took advantage of this speed/tonal effect with his 1981 12-inch disc Decomposing, which featured four instrumental tracks that were engineered to play at any speed (with the playing times listed for 33+1/3, 45 and 78 rpm playback).

 

Music from a 33+1/3 rpm LP of the animated musical group Alvin and the Chipmunks can be played at 16 rpm to reveal how male voices singing very slowly are used to produce the high pitched rodents' voices apparently singing the song at normal speed.

Sound enhancements
As the LP became established as the dominate size for longer recordings, several developments were made to enhance the sound.

High Fidelity
The first of these was the attempt to develop High Fidelity, or Hi Fi, sound. People who were concerned with hearing all the quality sound now imbedded in the new LPs began to buy separate turntables, amplifiers, and speakers and woofers to get the best sound possible. Stan Freeberg satirized these fans in his 1956 radio show with a skit about a man who turned his whole house into a speaker.

Stereo Sound
In 1958 the first stereo two-channel records were issued—by Audio Fidelity in the USA and Pye in Britain, using the Westrex "45/45" single-groove system. While the stylus moves horizontally when reproducing a monophonic disk recording, on stereo records the stylus moves vertically as well as horizontally.