The latest LP

I believe that some of the best music was made in the pre-MP3 era. There is something about the sound of song playing on a record player with the popping and all. There are many of you who feel the same way, and many of you prefer listening to music on Hi-Fi instead of an iPod. However, there is a growing number that want the best of both worlds. The nostalgic authenticity of record combined with the convenience of MP3 players.
Merging the two formats can preserve your record collection for future generations, while saving you the thousands of dollars that it would take to reacquire the music. Since you own the records, you can convert it to MP3 format for your personal use. This means that you can by pass the hassle of DRM’s or Digital Rights Management programs that are required to play many of the downloadable MP3 songs offered by vendors like iTunes and MSN Music. However, you should be able to load the MP3 versions of your record collection to virtually any MP3 player that you can purchase.
In order to convert your music from an analog format like LP, 8-track, or cassette tape you need to have the necessary player for the format. I am assuming that you do. A stereo system that has an audio out plug on it. You will also need to have a sound card on your computer that has an audio input plug on it. Ever since the push a few years ago to make every home computer a media center, most new computers have these audio plugs. If your computer or stereo doesn’t have these audio plugs, don’t fret, a line in/out plug or headphones plug can suffice. Depending on the type of plugs that you have available to you, you will need to purchase the compatible cables to connect your computer to your stereo. You should be able to find the cables at Radio Shack for $2 to $5.
Next, you will need a software program to record for you. There are several options that you can select. They are generally separated by price and how comfortable you are converting music. Brands like Roxio offer software solutions for less than $40, but freeware websites like snapfiles.com, and freeloadscenter.com offer free software that will do the same thing. Once you begin converting your records to MP3 you will more than likely need to enter the name of the song and artist for each song. So, this is truly a labor of love. Although, it is time consuming, when you’re finished you can burn the MP3’s onto a CD or DVD. If this sounds like too much work for you, there are companies that offer all in one devices that play records and copy them onto CD’s for you with minimal effort on your part. There are also businesses that will convert your collection to CD/DVD format for you, for a fee of course.