Analog Audio
A project by John KiM.
ALAMEDA, CA. Summer 2016.
Analog Audio: Turntables, the phono stage, and digitizing records.
This project documents my path in choosing a way to make digital recordings of vinyl records. My goal is to have a system for capturing in digital format some of the characteristics of records that people enjoy.
The three basic steps for putting together a system to digitize records are: (1) choosing a turntable to play the record, (2) choosing a phono preamplifier to generate a standard line level audio signal, and (3) choosing an analog-to-digital converter to digitize the audio. Each step will have an impact on the final digitized result, so buying an all-in-one product - even if you find a decent one - takes choices out of your hands.
I walk through the process by putting a system for digitizing records together by: (1) rebuilding an idler-drive turntable and building a plinth for it, (2) building a tube-based phono preamplifier, and (3) choosing an analog-to-digital (A-to-D) converter.
STEP 1: rebuilding an idler-drive turntable
Part 1 of the project is the first step in this process -- "putting together" a turntable to play the records on. See this post for more details.
step 2: building a tube-based phono preamplifier
Part 2 of the project is to build a tube-based phono preamp and line preamplifier. See the latest blog post for details.
Completed and being tested out!
The preamp, a DAC, and the Edirol analog-to-digital converter
step 3: choosing an a-to-d converter
Stay tuned...