TABLE OF CONTENTS
System Requirements
The Panel
Using Automatic Recording, Slicing and Encoding
Using the Waveform Display and Markers
Using Auto Sense
Using the Time Table
The Yellow Editing bar
The Editing Window
The Draw Waveform Button
The Slice Using Waveform Markers Button
The Slice Using Auto Sense or Time Table Button
Using already recorded wave files
Recording
Auto Sense / Typed Values
Times
Fades
Encoding rate
Telling you when it’s finished
Delete all wave slices when finished
Using unsupported encoders
The File Menu
The Rate Menu
The Fades Menu
The Volumes Menu
The Input Menu
The EQ menu
The Disc menu
The Help Menu
Overview
Vinyl To MP3 simplifies the process of recording and converting your vinyl records to MP3 or Ogg files. Or you may use the program to split two long files, one for each side of the vinyl record, into smaller files, one for each song.
Most people are familiar with MP3 files, but what’s an Ogg file? Ogg is a simply a file format which is similar to MP3. Some newer MP3 players can play Ogg files.
System Requirements
Microsoft Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP or Vista.
Vinyl To MP3 doesn’t require much RAM despite the fact that it records long files. The software records direct to disk and only buffers maximum 20 seconds at 44.1 kHz stereo, which is equal to approx 3.3 MB.
No particular speed is required, because all the cuts/slices are marked before the actual splitting is carried out.
The computer must have a sound card, which can record at 44.1 kHz in stereo.
The Panel
The program’s panel is divided into a number of sections.
- Action Buttons (Analyze, Execute, Both)
- The Waveform Display
- Input section
- Cuts
- MP3 and Ogg encoding
- Progress
- Disc
In addition there are settings in the menu.
Getting Started – Quick Guide
Using Automatic Recording, Slicing and Encoding
Choose encoder
Click on Locate encoder… and choose which MP3 or Ogg encoder you want to use.
Click on Rec…
Click on Rec… and adjust the levels.
Select Automatically stop Recording
Select the checkbox. Then recording will stop when the record’s ended.
Select Slicing Automatically
When you have adjusted the levels and click on OK, then you will be asked if the software should start slicing automatically, using Auto Sense, when the record’s ended.
Choose Yes.
THAT’S IT!
Now recording will start. The side of the record will be recorded and when it’s finished, the software will start slicing the recording into individual files and it will then encode each file into an MP3 (or Ogg) file. Repeat with side 2.
Using the Waveform Display and Markers
Record the vinyl
First record side 1 and side 2. Click on “Rec…” to record side 1 and then click the other “Rec…” button to record side 2.
Choose encoder
Choose which MP3 or Ogg encoder you want to use.
Draw graphs
Click on the Draw waveforms button.
The software will draw graphs over side 1 and side 2 and it will mark with vertical bars where the cuts will be made (where each song will start and stop). It may look like this:
Adjust cuts
Check that all cuts were put at the right places. Add cuts by clicking with the left mouse button and remove not-so-good cuts by clicking with the right mouse button.
Create files
Click on the Slice using waveform markers button.
Now the software will slice the recording into pieces and create one MP3 (or Ogg) file for each song.
THAT’S IT!
Using Auto Sense
Record the vinyl
First record side 1 and side 2. Click on “Rec…” to record side 1 and then click the other “Rec…” button to record side 2.
Choose encoder
Choose which MP3 or Ogg encoder you want to use.
Choose Auto Sense
Select Auto Sense in the upper right drop down box. Set the number of seconds to 2.
Slice using Auto Sense
Click on the button which is labeled Slice using Auto Sense or time table (to the right).
Then the software will looks for silent passages in the recording and it will slice the recording into individual songs at those places. Then it will encode the songs as MP3 (or Ogg) files.
THAT’S IT!
Using the Time Table
What’s the time table good for? Well, if you have recorded a very long file and want to split and encode it at very detailed and specific places, for example every 5 minutes, then you may type in the times where the slices should be done in the time table. This is a very rare usage of the software, but it can be useful if you have recorded someone speaking and want to divide the speech into say 5 minute MP3 files.
This is how it’s done:
Record the vinyl
First record side 1 and side 2. Click on “Rec…” to record side 1 and then click the other “Rec…” button to record side 2.
Choose encoder
Choose which MP3 or Ogg encoder you want to use.
Choose Time Table
Select Type Times in the upper right drop down box, under Cuts.
Fill in the Time Table
Fill in the times when the cuts should occur.
Slice using Time Table
Click on the button which is labeled Slice using Auto Sense or time table.
Then the software will start to slice according to the times you have typed in. Then it will encode the songs as MP3 (or Ogg) files.
THAT’S IT!
Fine Adjusting Cuts
This version of Vinyl To MP3 includes a detail editing feature, which makes it possible for you to place the cuts between songs at precise positions. In addition you may listen to how the song before the cut ends and how the song after the cut starts. Just to verify that the cut isn’t placed at a wrong place.
The Yellow Editing bar
Click on the yellow bar to edit a cut in detail. The software will detect which cut is closest to the position on the yellow bar you clicked. So you don’t have to click exactly above a cut. Just close to it, but on the yellow bar. Remember that you shouldn’t click on the waveform itself then you will add cut. Instead click on the yellow bar on top of the cut, to edit the cut in detail.
The Editing Window
When you click on the yellow bar close to a cut, then the following dialog window will appear:
The cut appears as a vertical line, but now the waveform has been zoomed. There are 5 seconds of audio before the cut (the vertical line) and 5 seconds of audio after it. If you click on the button which is labeled “Listen to the end of song 2”, then you’ll hear the audio and how it sounds before the cut. Clicking on “Listen to the beginning of song 3” plays the audio right after the cut. Thus you’ll be able to listen to how the cut was positioned.
If you’re not satisfied with the position, then just click in the waveform window and the cut will move. In the above example you can see that the cut is located where there’s audio. It should be moved slightly to the left where there’s silence. Clicking to the left, where there’s no silence results in this:
The bar was moved to the position where you clicked and you may listen to the audio before- and after the cut by clicking on the button “Listen to the end of song 2” and “Listen to the beginning of song 3”.
If you’re satisfied with the new position then click on OK. Otherwise click on cancel.
The heart of the software contains the control buttons. They are used to draw the waveforms and to start slicing and encoding.
The Draw Waveform Button
If you click on this button, then the software will check your wave files (for side 1 and side 2) and draw a graph in the waveform display.
Waveforms may look like this:
The black vertical lines are cuts. Cuts may be added automatically and removed/added manually. As you can see, the cuts have been inserted where there’s silence (no blue or red waveform). The waveforms represent the volume so you should add your cuts where there’s no volume; in other words between songs.
In this figure you can see two cuts, one on each side.
You may insert or remove your own cuts after the waveform has been drawn. You should use the left and right mouse buttons and the following rules apply:
Left clicking adds a cut!
Right clicking removes a cut!
When you remove a cut then the software will remove the cut which is closest to where you right-clicked. So you don’t have to click exactly on top of a black vertical line, which represents a cut, only close to it.
The Slice Using Waveform Markers Button
By clicking on this button, the software starts the slicing- and encoding process. Thus it will cut the waves where you, or the software, have marked the cuts and it will encode each individual slice/song into an MP3 or Ogg file if you have selected that option.
The Slice Using Auto Sense or Time Table Button
This button performs an analysis and execution in one step. Thus, you won’t have the possibility to add and remove cuts with this feature and have to trust either the software’s Auto Sense feature or the values you have typed in, in the time table for side 1 and side 2.
This button is useful if you feel that you don’t have time to draw the waveforms and add your own cuts in detail. Either you trust the Auto Sense function or you want to use the time table. Then you may use this function/button.
Recording and locating files
You may use wave files which have been recorded using another program, or may record them using Vinyl To MP3.
Using already recorded wave files
If you have already recorded the waves in another program, then each wave file may be located on your hard disk by clicking on the locate buttons in the input section.
Side 1 and side 2
Usually you have one file for side 1 and another file for side 2. If you have recorded only one side of the record, then just select a file for side 1 and leave side 2 blank.
Click on the locate button to locate the wave for side 1 and the other locate button to locate the wave for side 2.
Recording
If you want to record the waves in Vinyl To MP3, then click on one of the Rec… button, the one at the top for side 1 or the one below for side 2. Then a file dialog will let you select a name and a folder where the wave will be created. And then the following dialog will appear.
Now you should adjust the input level to avoid clipping. If you have a hardware volume on your sound card, then adjust it or use the gain slider in the dialog to boost or attenuate the volume.
Level Meters
The left and right volume meters should never clip (reach the right side). It’s better to have a slightly lower volume than to clip the audio, because you can use the programs normalize feature to make the audio perfect in volume, then the waves are sliced into pieces.
Gain
If you move the gain slider above 50, then the sound will be amplified. If you move it below 50, then the sound will be attenuated. Leaving the gain slider at its middle (50) position will neither boost nor attenuate the sound.
When you have adjusted the level, then click on the record button to start the recording process, or click on cancel if you changed your mind.
Automatically Stop Recording
The software may detect whether it has been silent for so long that the recording should be regarded as completed (20 seconds of silence). If you don’t want to be near the computer while you record, then this feature is very useful - the recording will stop by itself.
If you choose Automatically Stop Recording then the following dialog will appear when you click on OK:
It means that you’re asked whether the software should start slicing and encoding immediately when it has stopped recording one side. If you answer yes, then it is possible to start recording and the software will record the whole side, detect when it’s finished and then start slicing and encoding to MP3 or Ogg automatically. Thus you don’t have to draw waveforms and set your own cuts.
Manually Stop Recording
As the recording starts you see a flashing message at the bottom of the program window and you may stop recording by clicking on the button that was labeled “Rec…”. But notice that it has now changed its label to “Stop”.
Cuts
The Cut sections lets you steer how the wave files should be split. You may choose how the cuts should be calculated.
Auto Sense / Typed Values
You may select either "Auto Sense" or "Typed Values" in the "Cuts" section to the left.
The first method detects gaps between songs and cuts the wave files at these gaps. The second method lets you type in exactly where the cuts should be made.
If you use Auto Sense, then you should select the number of seconds of silence that should be regarded as silence. The software will then create a cut there automatically. You may change this later on, because the cut will be shown in the waveform display, where you may add and remove cuts as you wish.
Times
If you choose the second method, to type in all times manually, then type in the cuts for side 1 in the left column and the cuts for side 2 in the right column.
Let’s say an album has only two songs on side 1 and the first song is 2 minutes, 30 and a half second long. Then you’d only have to type in 2.30.5 in the first field for side 1, because there’s only one cut to be made, the cut slices the file into two pieces, the first song and the second.
This method is only provided as an extra in those cases where you have the exact times. Usually you probably want to use Auto Sense or add your own cuts, using the mouse, in the waveform display.
Fades
In some cases, you might want to fade in and out each song. If so, you can select how long the fade should be in the menu item called Fades.
Fades are usually not needed and the software does not use fades, by default.
However, if you have a record, which is a live recording without any gaps between the songs, then it might be convenient to use a slight fade in/out on each song.
MP3s and Oggs
Vinyl To MP3 supports the Ogg Vorbis and MP3 file formats for compressed audio.
Thus you’ll need either an MP3 encoder or an Ogg Vorbis encoder to create these file types. Vinyl To MP3 comes with a built-in Ogg Vorbis encoder, so you don’t need to download an Ogg encoder just to encode Ogg Vorbis files.
You might want to use your favourite encoder. So instead of reinventing the wheel and implementing yet another MP3 encoder, you can use your favorite one.
Choose the encoder by selecting it from the list. Then click on locate encoder and browse to the exe file on your hard disk. The L3Enc (MP3), BladeEnc (MP3), FastEnc (MP3) and Ogg Vorbis (Ogg) encoders are supported.
If you want to create MP3 or Ogg files, then you need to download an MP3 or Ogg encoder. Click on the Help menu item and choose “Download an MP3 or Ogg encoder…” to download an encoder.
Encoding rate
The default encoding rate is 128 kbit/s, which is most common to use. However, if you’d like to change that, you can select another rate from the menu item called Rate.
Telling you when it’s finished
When the MP3 files have been encoded, the program may speak to you and tell you that "The MP3 files for side 1/2 have been created". This is a neat feature if you leave the computer to do something else while the MP3 files are created. You will then hear a synthetic voice telling you when everything's finished.
Delete all wave slices when finished
If you convert the wave slices to MP3 or Ogg files, then you might want to remove the wave slices when the MP3 (or Ogg) conversion has finished. Check this box to remove all wave slices automatically when they have been converted to MP3 or Ogg files.
Using unsupported encoders
You may use an MP3 encoder, which is not supported by Vinyl To MP3, by deselecting “Convert each slice to an MP3 file”. Then Vinyl To MP3 will only be used to slice the recording into a number of wave files, one for each song. Thus, you will end up with the album sliced up at the right places and you can load these waves into your favourite MP3 encoder for conversion.
Disc Burning
You can burn a disc, either an audio CD or a CD with MP3 files. At the time of this writing, I’m looking into burning the files onto a DVD-r. I cannot say if it works or not when you read this, please check the web site or simply try with a DVD-r.
Check the “Burn CD” checkbox if you want to burn the files to a disc.
Check the “Voice Message” if you want a voice message played when disc burning has finished.
Fill in “Audio CD Name or MP3 Folder Name”, either to give the audio CD a name (if you’re burning an audio CD) or if you want to put the MP3 files in a folder on the disc.
Progress
If you just want to check how far the program has got, you can just check the progress bars.
There's one bar for the wave files, one for the MP3 files and one for CD burning. The topmost bar will go from the far left to the far right when it splits up the wave files. It reaches the right side when both sides (wave files) have been split.
The progress bar for the MP3 files go from the left to the right and reach the right side when all the split wave files have been MP3 encoded.
The third progress bar will move from the left to the right as the disc is being burnt.
The menu contains 5 groups.
- File
- Rate
- Fades
- Volume
- Inputs
- EQ
- Help
The File Menu
The file menu contains the about, open, save and exit choices.
About
The about choice displays the version number and other details about the software.
Open / Save
You may open or save your settings by choosing save or open on the file menu.
To save, choose a file name and click on OK. Open does the reverse. It loads a file with Vinyl To MP3 settings. All edit fields, check boxes and paths are saved.
Exit
The exit choice exits the program. You may choose exit anytime, but don’t forget to save your work.
The Rate Menu
Here you may specify the MP3 encoding rate. The following rates are supported.
The Fades Menu
You may create a fade in and fade out in each wave file by choosing an appropriate fade time in this menu. The software doesn’t create any fades by default.
For example, if you choose 1 second, then the software will create a one second fade in and a one second fade out, in each slice (wave file).
The Volumes Menu
Vinyl To MP3 may adjust the volume for you. When you record audio you might have noticed that it’s heard to get the right volume without clipping. Don’t worry. You may use this function to make sure that your recorded wave gets the maximum volume before it’s split into several wave files.
If you choose normalize, then the volume is maximized.
NOTE: You must do an analysis first so the software knows how much it may boost the volume. If you haven’t done an analysis on the file(s) but have checked the normalize item in the menu, then no normalization will be done and the volume will be kept as is.
The Input Menu
A set of input devices are listed under the input menu. These are the hardware inputs, which are available on your computer. It may look like this, but vary according to which sound card(s) you use:
Note that only stereo inputs are listed here. You should choose one of the inputs, which can record at 44.1 kHz.
The EQ menu
You may adjust the treble.
If you listen to a CD, which you have bought, then you might have noticed that the treble is much clearer than on vinyl records. Vinyl records have a tendency to sound a bit muddy sometimes, as if you had cotton in your ears. This can be fixed by adding some treble to the wave files themselves, before encoding them. Of course you can just turn up the treble on your HiFi amplifier or adjust the equalizer settings in your MP3 player. However, sometimes it can be useful to add a bit of EQ to the MP3 file itself. Not the least if you put together a playlist, in your MP3 player, which contains a mix of MP3 files which have been ripped from CDs and MP3 files which have been created from vinyl records using Vinyl To MP3. You don’t want to adjust the EQ settings for each MP3 file you play, right?
Choose how much you want to boost the treble by selecting an entry in the EQ menu. The settings which are labeled “Medium” and “Noticably” are my personal favourites..
The Disc Menu
Here you may set various parameters which affect the CD burning process. For example, you may choose between disc at once or track at once burning and you may specify whether you want to burn an audio CD or a disc containing MP3 files.
The Help Menu
The help menu contains the following items.
Help…
Choosing the “Help…” item loads this PDF manual.
Download an MP3 or Ogg encoder…
Vinyl To MP3 comes with a built-in Ogg encoder. But you may download another Ogg encoder or an MP3 encoder from the web, by choosing this menu item.
Choose which encoder you want to download. Your default web browser will start and go to the web page where the software resides. Download it, unzip it and put the encoder anywhere on your hard disk (for example in the same folder as Vinyl To MP3 was installed).
Then browse to the encoder in Vinyl To MP3 by clicking on the “Locate encoder…” button:
Vinyl To MP3 on the web…
Choosing this item starts your web browser and jumps to the Vinyl To MP3 web page on the Internet.