SOUND
USB TURNTABLES
Stanton T.90
Presented by Tim Eum
28 June 2007
At 56th US National SRD Convention
Charlotte, North Carolina
WHY get a
USB Turntable?
• Easiest way to convert vinyl music to digital.
• Better fidelity. Direct digital to digital instead of
going through analog-digital converters.
• Dual use -- May also be connected through
your sound system (i.e. mixer/amp & speakers).
Standard Way to Record
Sound Sources
Speaker(s)
Turntable Mixer/Amp
Laptop
Recording with USB Turntable
Turntable
plugs into a
Microphone
USB port on
plugs into PC
the laptop
sound card
Steps to Digitize Vinyl Music
1. Set up PC/laptop connected to turntable.
2. Bring up recording software on PC.
3. Record – i.e. capture .wav file by playing record
and recording with software on PC.
4. Use recording software to remove noise, cut off
excess silence at beginning or end, adjust
sound level, compress range, make other edits.
5. Save as an .mp3 file.
Market Survey
of USB Turntables
Cost Name Drive Type Size Weight Special
Features
$400 Stanton Direct 17“ x 14.5" x 19 lbs S/PDIF, Pitch
Key Lock, plays
T.90 5.5" 33/45/78s,
adjustable
tonearm
$169 Numark Belt 21” x 18 “ x 8 “ 14 lbs Metal shell &
platter, pitch
TTUSB control
$199 Ion Belt 20.3” x 17.2” x 7.7 lbs Dust Cover,
Tonearm lift
iTTUSB10 6.9” lever, pitch
control
$149 Ion Belt 20.3” x 17.2” x 7.7 lbs Plastic shell &
platter, pitch
iTTUSB 6.9” control
$100 Ion Belt 13.4” x 16.5” x 6 lbs Dust Cover. Auto
return after
iTTUSB05 4.8” playback done
Examples
of USB Turntables
Newmark TT USB Stanton T.90
Ion iTTUSB05 Ion iTTUSB Ion iTTUSB10
Recording Software Examples
Cost Name Notes
Provided with many of the USB
Free Audacity turntables
Upgrade to WavePad Masters
Free WavePad Edition available for $38
Comes free with purchase of
$40 Cakewalk Pyro 5 Stanton T.90 USB turntable
Top rated by TopTenReviews –
$40 Dexster Audio Editor Easiest to use. Great support.
Highly rated, well known.
$45 Gold Wave Great help/support.
Designed for Professionals
$349 Adobe Audition Replaced Cool Edit Pro in
August 2003 –
Professional Sound Editor
$499 Sound Forge Rated best by Sonic Spot
In Beta – being designed for
$199 Adobe Soundbooth CS3 non-professionals