Total Recorder

xoxoxoBruce · 01-04-2006, 02:13 PM

I've written before about Total Recorder. Great product, even a dufus like me can muddle through.
Well, that was one of the casualties of my recent crash. But not to worry, just download a fresh copy, spend an hour rummaging through my electic filing system to come up with the "product key" and I'm cool.
Unfortunately, they released a new version in October so although it's new and improved my "key" isn't valid.
I emailed them, telling them my story and giving them my old "product key", hoping I could download the previous version even though it wasn't showing on their front page.
NOTICE~~I did not whine. I swear on my mothers eyes, I didn't.~~

They responded with the "product key" to the new version and their blessing.
Realistically, despite it's audio prowess, it's an inexpensive product, but the gesture tells me these are good people to do business with.

glatt · 01-04-2006, 02:39 PM

I've been thinking lately about converting many of my old vinyl records to MP3s so I can play 'em easier. Can this Total Recorder do that? I guess I'm looking for something that will record from the line in (microphone?) jack and will let me split up each album side into several different tracks for each song. Must also convert them to MP3.

Cheap is good.

SteveDallas · 01-04-2006, 03:11 PM

I'm also a Total Recorder fan. I bought it at least 3 versions back and they've never charged me for subsequent updates.

Glatt, try it out. I've done that before with a couple old things for Mrs. Dallas and they came out OK and I just have the basic Total Recorder. (Auto track splitting is dependent on having a certain amount of silence between tracks, but you can do it manually too.) However, they have an audio restore plugin that is intended to deal with problems like this. I don't know if it's worthwhile or not, but you can download a demo.

glatt · 01-04-2006, 03:19 PM

Sounds promising. I think I'll check it out. At that price, it's not much of a risk either.

Elspode · 01-04-2006, 03:34 PM

I recommend it wholeheartedly. Yes, it could be used to digitize your vinyl, provided that you have a way to plug the turntable into the computer (those big old records won't hardly fit in that little DVD drive).

While we're on that track, do those of us who have digitized vinyl recommend preamping the turntable output before it goes to the computer?

glatt · 01-04-2006, 03:38 PM

I plan to use my amp as a pre-amp. The output to the tape deck should work well. I hope.

I even have an RCA to 1/8 inch minijack cable already. Cool huh? I hope my microphone line in jack on my PC is in stereo. I think it is, but we'll see.

SteveDallas · 01-04-2006, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

I plan to use my amp as a pre-amp. The output to the tape deck should work well. I hope.

That's the way I did it, and it worked fine.

Undertoad · 01-04-2006, 03:45 PM

Some older turntables require a special kind of pre-amp, a "phono pre-amp" which pre-amps the signal coming from the needle. Older receivers and more expensive receivers have this circuit built in.

wolf · 01-08-2006, 11:42 PM

Who still owns a turntable. That's the important factor.

I haven't had a turntable since sometime in the mid-1980s, but I won't get rid of the vinyl. Just in case.

Crimson Ghost · 01-09-2006, 12:27 AM

I downloaded Audacity.
Freakin' coolness!
I was able to transfer some old vinyl to my HD.
And I emailed a track to a buddy of mine.
He damn near shit.
It's a track that was never released on CD or tape.
Thanks, glatt.

vsp · 01-09-2006, 07:54 AM

Depends on the stream.

Total Recorder will capture whatever is playing, streaming or not. Breaking it up into logically-named segments is left as an exercise for the reader for the Standard ($11.95) edition, and may be more intuitive in the Professional edition.

I use StationRipper when capturing music from ShoutCast streams; it breaks streams up into their components, saves them where you specify, and has a free edition with reasonable features.

Audacity is very nice, but I haven't really dug into it yet to explore all that it can do.

Beestie · 01-09-2006, 10:06 AM

I use SoundForge for all my audio needs but it is an investment ($80 when I bought it several years ago). The only problem is that there are a limited # of WAV-to-MP3 conversions allowed before you have to register the MP3 encoder. I was not aware of that when I bought it. Grrrrrrrrrr.

But I found a bunch of free encoders on the web to fill that gap.

I bought SF so long ago I can't remember when it was but its as useful today as it ever was. If there's anything it can't do (other than the MP3 encoding), I haven't found it yet.

Elspode · 01-09-2006, 12:30 PM

Total Recorder captures streaming audio, and that is why I bought it. It also lets you schedule recording sessions on an unattended machine, so if you know of a streaming program that is running on a schedule, you can set it, forget it and still get it.

Those are the two primary features that inspired me to spend the $12.00 it.

tw · 01-10-2006, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elspode

It also lets you schedule recording sessions on an unattended machine, ...

One of those " subtle and yet significantly superior abilities" that was not apparent to me when I read their "Total Recorder Feature Chart". However, in cyberspace, even real time BBC broadcasts have a delay. Is the timer function useful? Can the timer also be used to 'turn on an audio stream' at a particular time?

glatt · 02-05-2009, 12:38 PM

I resurrected this old thread just to point out that woot.com is having a nice deal today and today only on USB turntables. It's $49.99 plus $5 shipping and handling.

If you have a stack of old vinyl LPs kicking around and you want to get them into digital format, I doubt you will have a better opportunity than this sale at woot. [shill] Order now. [/shill]

Download Audacity for free [reviewed a few posts above], and you can make mp3s or CDs with that turntable.

This turntable looks kind of cheap, but it should do the job.

01-04-2006, 02:13 PM	#1
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Total Recorder I've written before about Total Recorder. Great product, even a dufus like me can muddle through. Well, that was one of the casualties of my recent crash. But not to worry, just download a fresh copy, spend an hour rummaging through my electic filing system to come up with the "product key" and I'm cool. Unfortunately, they released a new version in October so although it's new and improved my "key" isn't valid. I emailed them, telling them my story and giving them my old "product key", hoping I could download the previous version even though it wasn't showing on their front page. NOTICE~~I did not whine. I swear on my mothers eyes, I didn't.~~ They responded with the "product key" to the new version and their blessing. Realistically, despite it's audio prowess, it's an inexpensive product, but the gesture tells me these are good people to do business with. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

01-04-2006, 03:34 PM	#5
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	I recommend it wholeheartedly. Yes, it could be used to digitize your vinyl, provided that you have a way to plug the turntable into the computer (those big old records won't hardly fit in that little DVD drive). While we're on that track, do those of us who have digitized vinyl recommend preamping the turntable output before it goes to the computer? __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

01-08-2006, 11:42 PM	#9
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Who still owns a turntable. That's the important factor. I haven't had a turntable since sometime in the mid-1980s, but I won't get rid of the vinyl. Just in case. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

01-09-2006, 12:27 AM	#10
Crimson Ghost Larger than life and twice as ugly. Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,264	I downloaded Audacity. Freakin' coolness! I was able to transfer some old vinyl to my HD. And I emailed a track to a buddy of mine. He damn near shit. It's a track that was never released on CD or tape. Thanks, glatt. __________________ We must all go through a rite of passage. It must be physical, it must be painful, and it must leave a mark. I have no knowledge of the events which you are describing, and if I did have knowledge of them, I would be unable to discuss them with you now or at any future period. Don't waste your time always searching for those wasted years

01-09-2006, 10:06 AM	#12
Beestie -◊\|≡·∙■·∙≡\|◊- Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Parts unknown. Posts: 4,081	I use SoundForge for all my audio needs but it is an investment ($80 when I bought it several years ago). The only problem is that there are a limited # of WAV-to-MP3 conversions allowed before you have to register the MP3 encoder. I was not aware of that when I bought it. Grrrrrrrrrr. But I found a bunch of free encoders on the web to fill that gap. I bought SF so long ago I can't remember when it was but its as useful today as it ever was. If there's anything it can't do (other than the MP3 encoding), I haven't found it yet. __________________ ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦

01-04-2006, 02:39 PM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I've been thinking lately about converting many of my old vinyl records to MP3s so I can play 'em easier. Can this Total Recorder do that? I guess I'm looking for something that will record from the line in (microphone?) jack and will let me split up each album side into several different tracks for each song. Must also convert them to MP3. Cheap is good.

01-04-2006, 03:11 PM	#3
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	I'm also a Total Recorder fan. I bought it at least 3 versions back and they've never charged me for subsequent updates. Glatt, try it out. I've done that before with a couple old things for Mrs. Dallas and they came out OK and I just have the basic Total Recorder. (Auto track splitting is dependent on having a certain amount of silence between tracks, but you can do it manually too.) However, they have an audio restore plugin that is intended to deal with problems like this. I don't know if it's worthwhile or not, but you can download a demo.

01-04-2006, 03:19 PM	#4
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Sounds promising. I think I'll check it out. At that price, it's not much of a risk either.

01-04-2006, 03:38 PM	#6
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I plan to use my amp as a pre-amp. The output to the tape deck should work well. I hope. I even have an RCA to 1/8 inch minijack cable already. Cool huh? I hope my microphone line in jack on my PC is in stereo. I think it is, but we'll see.

01-04-2006, 03:45 PM	#8
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Some older turntables require a special kind of pre-amp, a "phono pre-amp" which pre-amps the signal coming from the needle. Older receivers and more expensive receivers have this circuit built in.

01-09-2006, 07:54 AM	#11
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	Depends on the stream. Total Recorder will capture whatever is playing, streaming or not. Breaking it up into logically-named segments is left as an exercise for the reader for the Standard ($11.95) edition, and may be more intuitive in the Professional edition. I use StationRipper when capturing music from ShoutCast streams; it breaks streams up into their components, saves them where you specify, and has a free edition with reasonable features. Audacity is very nice, but I haven't really dug into it yet to explore all that it can do.

01-09-2006, 12:30 PM	#13
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Total Recorder captures streaming audio, and that is why I bought it. It also lets you schedule recording sessions on an unattended machine, so if you know of a streaming program that is running on a schedule, you can set it, forget it and still get it. Those are the two primary features that inspired me to spend the $12.00 it. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

02-05-2009, 12:38 PM	#15
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I resurrected this old thread just to point out that woot.com is having a nice deal today and today only on USB turntables. It's $49.99 plus $5 shipping and handling. If you have a stack of old vinyl LPs kicking around and you want to get them into digital format, I doubt you will have a better opportunity than this sale at woot. [shill] Order now. [/shill] Download Audacity for free [reviewed a few posts above], and you can make mp3s or CDs with that turntable. This turntable looks kind of cheap, but it should do the job.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)