Learn how to record audio from a turntable to a reel-to-reel format in thisfree video series that will allow you to utilize this piece of musical recording equipment. Expert: Kurt Glaser Bio: Kurt Glaser has been doing electronic calibration of audio gear since the early 70’s. He is owner/chief recording engineer of KGB Studios in Redmond, WA. Filmmaker: kurt glaser

From the 1978 LP: “Some Girls” (Rolling Stones Records COC-39108) Note: The “skip” you hear halfway thru the song is not actually the record skipping. My anti-virus decided to update itself and install while I was making this video. … 70’s rock vinyl LP record turntable Pioneer The Rolling Stones

Converting Vinyl Records To CDs is very easy provided you know some basics of how the recording works. Here’s what you need to convert Records To CDs :-

1. A Computer Running Windows 2000, XP or Vista.
2. Sound Card which has Line In Jack.
3. A turntable to play the records.
4. An amplifier If your turntable doesn’t have a built in preamp. Please note that If you are recording from cassette tapes then you don’t need an amplifier. The amplifier is required only If you are getting low volume recordings. Usually, the output of turntables is not that good and in certain cases, you may need a preamp. It is always a good idea to make a test recording first and check the results. If you observe that the recording quality is not what you like it to be, you certainly need a preamp to amplify the output of your turntable.
5. Certain Cables To Connect Turntable and Your PC (Most likely you will need a RCA To Stereo Cable).
6. A CD or DVD Burner attached to your computer.
7. A software to make the recordings and Burn CDs.

The most important thing in this whole process is making the connections. One thing is final, you need to connect Output jacks of your turntable to Line jack of your computer’s sound card. Now you need to determine what type of cables you would need. There are two types of jacks in turntables and computer’s sound card :

1. RCA – If you see a pair of Red and White color jacks. These are RCA jacks.
2. Stereo – If you see only one jack, that is stereo jack.

Now please look at the output jacks of your turntable. If it has RCA jacks and your computer’s sound card has Stereo jacks, then you need a RCA to Stereo cable. The concept is very simple but you need to understand it. If your computer and turntable both has RCA jacks then you need a RCA To RCA male cable.

After you have gotten the right cables, you need to connect one side of cable into RCA jacks of your turntable and other side into Line jack of your sound card. Usually, the color of Line jack should be Blue and this should help you in identifying the right Jack. Don’t worry, even If you make the wrong connections, you are not going to damage your equipments. At Maximum, you won’t be able to make the recording.

After making connections, please use a recording software to record the output of your turntable which is coming through Line In Jack. After recording, you can burn CDs. Here are some tips for you :

1. Never buy a preamp before making sure that you really need one.
2. If you want quality recordings, don’t ever use Microphone Jack instead of Line In.
3. Research before buying a LP To CD converter. Make sure that one software supports all features and you don’t need to buy Plug-Ins to make things work.

These are the basic things which you need to know before you start recording your LPs to CDs. If you make the right connections, you are just a few minutes away from making your first recoding!



By: R. K. Jain

At one time the DJ was out in front with the MC rocking shows and moving the crowd. Now days it just looks like the MC is the only individual needed to make a show happen. But that is not so. DJ’s keep the show moving whether in the show or in the studio. Most DJ’s have migrated from being the background beat keeper to producers and song writers. DJ spend hours or even weeks or months trying to find that distinct sound that will as once said will move the crowd. But what is a DJ?

The DJ aka disc jockey has been rocking shows and parties for years and they will be rocking even more parties in years to come. In the seventies and eighties the DJ was the one who brought the beat to the parties. The one that could speak with his hands, who would cut and scratch songs together to make one continues melody with multiple songs that never stopped till the end of the party. The DJ controlled the mood and the tempo of the party. Weather he/she felt the mood needed to be slowed down or speed up, the disc jockey would make that decision.

Also, DJ equipment has changed over the years. At one time DJ equipment was only 2 turntables and a mixer. Now, everything is getting digitized and some DJ’s are turning away from the turntables to digital turntables. Music producers are not even releasing vinyl records anymore. For true DJ they have to rely on vinyl stores to get new beats.

But a great disc jockey is nothing without reliable and proficient equipment for their hands. Equipment like a good pair of turntables. Like techniques.. If you are spinning vinyl records then a good pair of techniques is what you want. How about if your producing a beat.. You will definitely need a good drum machine. Whatever the reason as I said before, a DJ is nothing without a quality equipment.



By: Kenneth Elliott

I don’t own any vinyl records; I’m just wondering. You own the songs, but it seems odd that you can’t import the songs on vinyls as mp3s so I don’t buy them. I’ll only wait until I see a very legendary album on a vinyl record for a low price when I buy one, although I probably will already have the CD version.

Also, would it still be supporting the artist if somebody buys a vinyl record or cassette and they download the mp3 for free?

CD, DVD and mp3 players may be plentiful these days but you can be sure that there is still a good number of people who use record players. Not only do these record players still produce quality music and that midrange tenderness that modern players of today just can’t compete with, they also bring back the days of old. This is why both the young and the young at heart still make use of vintage record players. A Crosley record player, for instance, can undoubtedly remind people of the very classic, distinct sound of record albums as well as the golden days of living in the 30s, 40s and 50s.

However, did you know that vintage record players have already been reproduced in recent years? Using the newest technologies, vinyl record players, for instance, have been reproduced – but this time, with interesting twists. Manufacturers now have what they call a record player with CD recorders, wherein modern components such as AM/FM radio, programmable CD player, EQ presets, multi function remote controls, built in amplifier, speakers and CD recorders have been discreetly incorporated.

These new features alone, albeit incorporated discreetly within the seemingly vintage players, make these portable record players more appealing now especially to the younger market. They may look antique but their features and components certainly scream contemporary. If you’re interested to buy either a standard record player or a fancy record player with CD recorder, here are a few tips for you to consider.

First of all, you have to make sure that the item is not only beautiful but is durable as well. Don’t be easily swayed just because the item is stylish and handsome.

Secondly, check for standard features such as analog tuner, 3 speed belt driven turntable, diamond stylus needle and side mounted cassette desk.

Thirdly – and this is specifically for those who wish to buy the record player with CD recorder – you may want to know how many discs can be accommodated by the player, if there’s a programmable track memory and if it has full range stereo speakers. It can also certainly help if there are other features such as repeat play, disc changer with LED display and manual return tone arm.

Fourthly, stick to the players that have been painted with the standard colors such as oak, cherry and paprika. This assures that your record player, even with the new components and modern add-ons, still looks like the real antique one. The aforementioned tips can help you choose the best record player – one that does not only emanate the same warmth and tenderness of the old days but one that could also bring you good quality music.



By: Irene Janson

Yes, it’s a quite-common 78 that shows up on all record shows but I thought I’d give the kids a chance to hear something that’s not on iTunes. This is some down and dirty, harlem, girl-dissin’, yo’mamma etc. that started it all back in the 1950s. This is Big Maybelle’s first and biggest hit. Sadly, she suffered from diabetes and after-effects of drug addiction and her fame did not last long. … BIG MAYBELLE BLUES OKEH 78 78rpm record turntable lenco

Many people who have tried to learn guitar have failed miserably. It is unfortunate because most of these people actually have the motivation and the time to put into learning. They are just simply instructed the wrong way. Most cases of failure occur because people are looking for the easy way to learn from their friends. This is not the best way to go in most cases because your friends will usually just get frustrated. What I mean by this is they usually start playing a song while you are sitting there trying to figure out if your fingers are in the right place for the g chord they just quickly showed you. Your friend showing off in front of you is not an efficient way to have beginner guitar lessons. It’s just an opinion, and I know him showing off in front of you may be good motivation for you to get better then him but it’s not a good way to learn. In order for you to get easy guitar lessons which will enable you to learn how and what you want to learn you must have professional help.

Being a guitar instructor myself I know how hard it is to learn how to play guitar because I have seen the struggles of my students throughout the years. Along with many other attributes you need to learn guitar one of the top ones are to stay motivated and focused on your goals. Having someone like me around to teach you would be great if I were there to help you every hour of the day. Too bad myself and other guitar instructors are not available at the times you are.

Which brings me to my next point. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a guitar instructor be available for you at all times of the day?

Well of course it would, which is why I did some research on different programs you can buy to teach you easy guitar lessons. Throughout my research I found a bunch of products I would not recommend and I would prefer not to name any names. I did however come across one program in particular called Jamorama which I was thoroughly impressed with for their complete easy guitar lessons online.

They not only had 24/7 support but they have wonderful interactive videos that really show you how to play a guitar with no problem. The good thing about these professional rendered videos are that they go at a good pace for you to learn with – and of course you can pause them if the information is going too fast for you.

Along with these videos, they include two free guitar teaching computer games which teach you things no normal guitar teacher can teach you in an hour lesson… not even me.

Usually the guides which are included in the beginner guitar lessons are boring, but the one in Jamorama is not. All 252 pages and 44 chapters of lessons are packed with information for your use at any convenient time for your easy guitar lessons online.

I would definitely recommend Jamorama. If you would like more information on the product click on the link below.



By: Jeff L Morse

If your goal is to make it as an artist in the music industry, understanding how to obtain a record deal is critical. Even with the many advances in technology today, signing a record deal with some type of record company is essential if you hope to establish a successful career as an artist in the music industry.

There are millions of aspiring artists out there all competing for a limited number of legitimate record contracts. Due to this fact, there are requirements that must be met before you will ever draw interest from a record label. If you can meet all of these requirements, than you will greatly improve your chances of landing a record deal.

Ideally, you want to have:

1. Quality Songs
2. Marketable Image
3. Fan Base

Now these three requirements are EXTREMELY simplified. We must break each one down into further detail before we can determine which areas need improvement. Keep in mind that the record industry is in the business of Marketing. Therefore, the more marketable you appear, the more likely a record label will take a chance on you. This is why all three of the above requirements are so important.

If you have an existing Fan Base that is buying albums, merchandise, and concert tickets, the record labels will have undeniable proof that you are marketable. This undeniable proof is a huge advantage over the millions of aspiring artists across the world and an absolute requirement if you hope to edge them out for your record deal.

However, before you can hope to build a Fan Base, you must first have Quality Songs and a somewhat Marketable Image. So, we will start by breaking down what makes a Quality Song that demands a record label’s attention.

Quality Songs

A Quality Song in the eyes of any record executive is one that has the potential to be a hit. As any artist will tell you, creating a hit song is not an easy thing to do. Generally speaking, there are two ways to go about creating a hit song. I will explain to you these two methods and why one method is MUCH easier than the other.

The first method is to create a new trend in the music industry. The most influential songs of the last century were undoubtedly the ones in which an artist took a new direction and created a new popular trend in music. However, even successful new trends are faced with much resistance in the beginning. Even worse, the majority of artists who try to take music in a new direction are unsuccessful in developing a popular trend.

Now as a music enthusiast I realize that what I am about to tell you is very contrary to my beliefs about music and its evolution as an art form, BUT this article is solely about how to make music that will eventually lead you to signing a Record Deal. This leads us to our second method.

The second method to creating a hit song is to follow a popular trend which already exists in the music industry. Now the word “popular” is a very subjective term. So, the best way to determine what is “popular” is to look at what is actually selling records. Check out the Billboard charts and see which songs are actually selling in today’s market. Then, focus on creating a song that sounds like what is actually selling in today’s market.

Again, I would like to mention that the focus of this article is not how to be a creative artist and express yourself through your music, but solely about how to make music that will eventually lead you to SIGNING A RECORD DEAL.

One thing you have to remember when following this method is that “popular” trends change quite often in the music industry. What is popular today might not be popular tomorrow. So, you have to be able to determine when a trend is growing and when a trend is on the verge of extinction, because you don’t want to spend 6-12 months creating an album worth of material only to find out that no-one is listening to that sound anymore. For example, if you are creating music in the Rap genre, you don’t want to use rap music beats from the 90’s, but you want to be sure you are using rap music beats that sound like they were produced in the year 2009!

While there are no hard and fast rules to determine how long a trend will exist, use your better judgment. For example, I will use the Hip-Hop industry and one of its most popular trends of the 2000’s. Approximately five years after T-pain exploded onto the scene with his unique use of Auto-tune and the Vocoder, nearly every popular song in the Hip-Hop Genre today in 2009 is incorporating those elements. It has gotten to the point where popular rapper Jay-Z recently released a song titled “Death to Auto-tune.” Now this should be a clear indicator to anyone in the Hip-Hop genre that this trend is on the verge of extinction, but soon a new trend will grow in popularity to replace the old and YOU WILL BE READY!

When you think you have determined a growing trend, you need to make sure that your image coincides with the trend you are attempting to follow. This takes us to our next requirement…

Marketable Image

There are many factors that come into play when building a marketable image. In order to be truly marketable, your image has to coincide with the type of music you are attempting to create. What this means is that you should try, to an extent, to model your image after the popular artists creating the same style of music as you.

Now be very careful with that piece of advice, because certain fashion trends can be directly related to individual artists and that artist ALONE. So I do NOT recommend you go out and copy the exact styles of the popular artists in your genres. However, you should have a general knowledge of the popular fashion trends in your genre and do your best to shape your image around those trends.

Your clothes, shoes, hair, sunglasses, accessories… can all be used to build an image. After signing a record deal, most record companies will insist that you replicate a certain image to some extent. So, what better way to attract their attention and give yourself an advantage over the competition than to align your image with the popular artists creating the same style of music as you?

If you want to be the biggest rock band in the world, you better look like a Rock star. Whether it is Rap, Rock, Country, R&B… popular artists in any genre stand out because they have a strong image. So, build your image to identify with the genre of music you are attempting to create.

Once you have created a Marketable Image, and you have written Quality Songs, your next step is to begin building a Fan Base…

Fan Base

Building a Fan Base can be a daunting task, but it is an absolute necessity if you hope for any record label to take you seriously. One piece of advice I will give you is to seek out any help you can find in completing this requirement, because building a Fan Base will likely take some assistance.

One key person to enlist is a Manager. Managers often have many connections in the industry including club owners, promoters, other artists, and even record label executives. Of course, you will have to do a lot of marketing on your own, but the help of a qualified Manager can be the difference between your success and failure.

In the early stages of your career you may not be able to find a qualified manager to take you on as their client. If this is the case, don’t be afraid to allow a close friend or family member, who is HIGHLY motivated, assist you for the time being. If someone close to you sees your potential and is willing to help you get started, they can be even more helpful than a Manager who puts you on the back burner for his more established clients.

At this point you should be marketing yourself through every avenue possible. This means getting your music in the hands… and ears… of as many people as possible. Artists have taken many different approaches to this over the years as technology continues to evolve.

The internet has become a key marketing tool for any new artist today. Some effective older methods are to hand out CDs. They are very cheap to make these days, and your goal is to get people listening to your music. And of course, the most important thing you should be doing is playing every gig you can book… Yes, even if it isn’t a paying gig. At this point, people may not be willing to pay for your concerts or your CDs, but if you ever hope to get to that point, you need them to hear your music first.

So get out there and start building your Fan Base by any means possible. If you can create a local buzz, that can turn into a regional buzz, and sooner or later a national buzz, and than its just a matter of negotiating your record contract.

Now you know the steps you must take… if they don’t sound very appealing, than maybe a career as a music artist isn’t for you. That doesn’t mean you can’t keep making music… after all, your love for music wasn’t born out of your desire for fortune and fame… was it?



By: Derek Krug

Consider me a reverse snob: I love CDs. My music collection contains hundreds of them.

I still have four or five vinyl LPs and a couple dozen 45-rpm singles packed away somewhere, but I no longer have a turntable to play those relics on.

This makes me uncool in some music lovers’ eyes (or, rather, “ears”). There’s a sizeable number of audiophiles who disdain CDs and digital music in general and who decry the passing of vinyl as the standard medium of recorded sound.

Vinyl lovers assert that music sounds better—some use the term “warmer”—on records than on CDs. They also contend that the analog nature of vinyl records comes closer to capturing the original musical experience than does modern digital technology.

Frankly, I don’t see it (er, hear it). But then, maybe I don’t have sufficiently finely tuned ears.

Given the fact that, at least to my hearing—and I suspect to that of the vast majority of listeners—, there is little noticeable difference between the sound of a song on vinyl and the sound of it on CD, here are the reasons I prefer to own the latter:

CDs take up less room. My CD collection fills three shelves of a six-shelf bookcase, plus a standalone rack that holds maybe 150 CDs. That same amount of music on records would probably require all of my living room shelf space (i.e., five big bookcases) to hold.CDs hold more songs. Vinyl long-playing albums usually contained only ten or a dozen songs. Check out any CD that is a copy of an album originally produced on vinyl; unless it has “bonus tracks” you’re unlikely to find more than 12 songs on it. Original CDs—those produced as CDs from the get-go—may contain 18, 20 or even two dozen tracks. More music is a good thing. CDs open up troves of great recorded music to more people. If not for the many old records committed to CD, I probably would not have discovered the marvelously haunting blues recordings of the 1920s and ‘30s. Not everyone has the knowledge, time, persistence and funds to build a collection of original 78s of this music. The advent of CDs has made this “people’s music” available to the modern masses. CDs pick up less noise over time than vinyl does. Even with care, vinyl records acquire hisses, pops and scratches that never go away. Admittedly, CDs are not indestructible, either. But of the hundreds of CDs that I own—some of which have been played over and over—none has any permanent “acquired” noise that I can detect.(Yes, I am aware of reports suggesting that the earliest mass-produced CDs are prone to degrade with time. Believe me, I’m monitoring my CD collection carefully for any problems along this line. So far, nothing. In any event, today’s CDs are said to be manufactured to higher standards than the first ones were.) CDs, to me, represent a cleaner form of music playback technology, less encumbered by physical constraints. Streaming audio, mp3 files and iPods take this freedom even further. Maybe it’s an aesthetic peculiar to me, but I like the notion of music that flows at the push of a button, with a minimum of human or (noticeable) machine intervention. The mere act of turning a record over to play the other side now seems quaintly antiquated and hopelessly industrial-age to me.

As you might have noticed, all of these points in favor of CDs apply even more forcefully to mp3s that one can download to a hard drive or load onto an iPod. We’ve entered an age of broad music availability, in which it possible for the average person to explore a multitude of genres and sub-genres and to enjoy the past hundred years’ worth of the greatest recorded performances and artists.

Assuredly, CDs will one day become as extinct as vinyl records. As much as I love them now, I doubt I’ll lament their passing. It just means that some better medium of recorded music will have taken their place.



By: Stefan Smith