Duplication of LP's to CD's- It can be done!
Are you planning on throwing away or selling your collection of old and dusty vinyl records? Maybe you would like to make copies of those LP's and put them onto a CD before getting rid of them. But then you might also be thinking it's too much work or too expensive. Well, the good news is that it is feasible and there are several options available.
Possibly the cheapest and easiest solution is to search on line or to look at a local record store for that particular album on CD. The next cheapest option (especially if you still have your old turntable or record player), is to make a copy by using your computer. All you really need is the turntable, a stereo with an amplifier, a cable to connect the stereo and computer together, conversion software, and blank audio CD's. If you decide to go with this option make sure that you do not connect your turntable directly to your computer.
I can think of two more options that are convenient but not necessarily cheap compared to the first two suggestions. You can purchase a machine that allows you to record from vinyl to CD's or you can contact a professional duplication service that has a mastering engineer on staff.
A fairly new item on the audio market is the TEAC GF-350, which has several nice bells and whistles, which include a single cabinet (housing the turntable), an AM-FM radio, a CD player/burner, and stereo speakers. It also has an auxiliary audio input for recording from external sources. Other features include recording a whole album or single track, a built in amplifier, and a front-panel headphone jack. The cost for the GF-350 is between $330 and $400. There seems to be some skepticism in regards to the quality of the newly burned CD due to the use of a ceramic stylus (or needle) to play the record. This machine is most likely being sold to those who want a simple solution to transfering their LP's to CD's. A true audiophile might be a little disappointed with overall quality of the TEAC GF-350.
The last option which will produce the highest quality and best sounding CD may be the most expensive. By using the expertise of a professional mastering engineer you are paying for their trained ear to bring out the best sounds of any audio recording. They can eliminate unwanted noises and fine tune the CD to make it sound better than the original.