Need to digitize analog tapes and records

arfon · 09-30-2013, 02:10 PM

I need to digitize about about 700 tapes and records, can anyone recommend a (USB preferentially) audio adapter/card that:

1) Works with Linux
2) Has good resolution (24 or better)
3) Costs less than $60

The recordings are all monaural so, I'm not worried about multiple channels.

peter2012 · 09-30-2013, 04:45 PM

On my Kubuntu 12.04 system I use a stonehenge (aka - very old) USB audio device from Creative labs (Soundblaster, model no 580270). I had a quick look at the device[1], and it seems to do 16 bit only. But, as I said, it's stonehenge, newer devices would probably do 24 bit.

Creative Labs seems to be well supported by the Alsa project, see http://opensource.creative.com/soundcard.html to find out about their support of opensource audio.

Not sure about the price, but I guess it should fit into your budget.

And - I know you didn't ask for this info (sorry) - but as a side note, you may find that recording 16 bit audio is sufficient for what you want to do. Unless the tapes carry the sound in digital format they will likely have a good old noise floor plus some measure of distortion. Records are likely to give you a higher noise floor as well, due to dust and scratches on them (unless they were stored in clean room conditions), and a measure of distortion. Should you find that 16 bit recording is indeed sufficient, but you must use 24 bit files, you could employ ffmpeg or sox to convert your files. See http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1505904 for reference. Sorry, I know you didn't ask this, but just on the offchance that it helps you.... maybe I'm overly helpful arrrrrgh....

Happy recording!

------------------------------
[1] Output of lsusb (sorry, very long listing):

Code:

Bus 005 Device 002: ID 041e:3010 Creative Technology, Ltd SoundBlaster MP3+
Device Descriptor:
  bLength                18
  bDescriptorType         1
  bcdUSB               1.10
  bDeviceClass            0 (Defined at Interface level)
  bDeviceSubClass         0 
  bDeviceProtocol         0 
  bMaxPacketSize0        64
  idVendor           0x041e Creative Technology, Ltd
  idProduct          0x3010 SoundBlaster MP3+
  bcdDevice            1.00
  iManufacturer           0 
  iProduct                1 USB Audio
  iSerial                 0 
  bNumConfigurations      1
  Configuration Descriptor:
    bLength                 9
    bDescriptorType         2
    wTotalLength          294
    bNumInterfaces          3
    bConfigurationValue     1
    iConfiguration          0 
    bmAttributes         0x80
      (Bus Powered)
    MaxPower              500mA
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        0
      bAlternateSetting       0
      bNumEndpoints           0
      bInterfaceClass         1 Audio
      bInterfaceSubClass      1 Control Device
      bInterfaceProtocol      0 
      iInterface              0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                10
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      1 (HEADER)
        bcdADC               1.00
        wTotalLength          169
        bInCollection           2
        baInterfaceNr( 0)       1
        baInterfaceNr( 1)       2
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                12
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      2 (INPUT_TERMINAL)
        bTerminalID             1
        wTerminalType      0x0101 USB Streaming
        bAssocTerminal          0
        bNrChannels             2
        wChannelConfig     0x0003
          Left Front (L)
          Right Front (R)
        iChannelNames           0 
        iTerminal               0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                12
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      2 (INPUT_TERMINAL)
        bTerminalID             2
        wTerminalType      0x0201 Microphone
        bAssocTerminal          0
        bNrChannels             2
        wChannelConfig     0x0003
          Left Front (L)
          Right Front (R)
        iChannelNames           0 
        iTerminal               0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                12
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      2 (INPUT_TERMINAL)
        bTerminalID             3
        wTerminalType      0x0603 Line Connector
        bAssocTerminal          0
        bNrChannels             2
        wChannelConfig     0x0003
          Left Front (L)
          Right Front (R)
        iChannelNames           0 
        iTerminal               0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                12
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      2 (INPUT_TERMINAL)
        bTerminalID             4
        wTerminalType      0x0605 SPDIF interface
        bAssocTerminal          0
        bNrChannels             2
        wChannelConfig     0x0003
          Left Front (L)
          Right Front (R)
        iChannelNames           0 
        iTerminal               0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                 9
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      3 (OUTPUT_TERMINAL)
        bTerminalID             5
        wTerminalType      0x0605 SPDIF interface
        bAssocTerminal          0
        bSourceID               1
        iTerminal               0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                 9
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      3 (OUTPUT_TERMINAL)
        bTerminalID             6
        wTerminalType      0x0301 Speaker
        bAssocTerminal          0
        bSourceID               9
        iTerminal               0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                 9
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      3 (OUTPUT_TERMINAL)
        bTerminalID             7
        wTerminalType      0x0101 USB Streaming
        bAssocTerminal          0
        bSourceID               8
        iTerminal               0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                 9
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      5 (SELECTOR_UNIT)
        bUnitID                 8
        bNrInPins               3
        baSource( 0)           10
        baSource( 1)           11
        baSource( 2)           12
        iSelector               0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                10
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      6 (FEATURE_UNIT)
        bUnitID                 9
        bSourceID              15
        bControlSize            1
        bmaControls( 0)      0x01
          Mute Control
        bmaControls( 1)      0x02
          Volume Control
        bmaControls( 2)      0x02
          Volume Control
        iFeature                0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                10
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      6 (FEATURE_UNIT)
        bUnitID                10
        bSourceID               2
        bControlSize            1
        bmaControls( 0)      0x43
          Mute Control
          Volume Control
          Automatic Gain Control
        bmaControls( 1)      0x00
        bmaControls( 2)      0x00
        iFeature                0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                10
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      6 (FEATURE_UNIT)
        bUnitID                11
        bSourceID               3
        bControlSize            1
        bmaControls( 0)      0x01
          Mute Control
        bmaControls( 1)      0x02
          Volume Control
        bmaControls( 2)      0x02
          Volume Control
        iFeature                0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                10
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      6 (FEATURE_UNIT)
        bUnitID                12
        bSourceID               4
        bControlSize            1
        bmaControls( 0)      0x01
          Mute Control
        bmaControls( 1)      0x00
        bmaControls( 2)      0x00
        iFeature                0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                10
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      6 (FEATURE_UNIT)
        bUnitID                13
        bSourceID               2
        bControlSize            1
        bmaControls( 0)      0x03
          Mute Control
          Volume Control
        bmaControls( 1)      0x00
        bmaControls( 2)      0x00
        iFeature                0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                10
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      6 (FEATURE_UNIT)
        bUnitID                14
        bSourceID               3
        bControlSize            1
        bmaControls( 0)      0x01
          Mute Control
        bmaControls( 1)      0x02
          Volume Control
        bmaControls( 2)      0x02
          Volume Control
        iFeature                0 
      AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                15
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      4 (MIXER_UNIT)
        bUnitID                15
        bNrInPins               3
        baSourceID( 0)          1
        baSourceID( 1)         13
        baSourceID( 2)         14
        bNrChannels             2
        wChannelConfig     0x0003
          Left Front (L)
          Right Front (R)
        iChannelNames           0 
        bmControls         0x00
        iMixer                  0 
        junk at descriptor end: 00
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        1
      bAlternateSetting       0
      bNumEndpoints           0
      bInterfaceClass         1 Audio
      bInterfaceSubClass      2 Streaming
      bInterfaceProtocol      0 
      iInterface              0 
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        1
      bAlternateSetting       1
      bNumEndpoints           1
      bInterfaceClass         1 Audio
      bInterfaceSubClass      2 Streaming
      bInterfaceProtocol      0 
      iInterface              0 
      AudioStreaming Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      1 (AS_GENERAL)
        bTerminalLink           1
        bDelay                  3 frames
        wFormatTag              1 PCM
      AudioStreaming Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                11
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      2 (FORMAT_TYPE)
        bFormatType             1 (FORMAT_TYPE_I)
        bNrChannels             2
        bSubframeSize           2
        bBitResolution         16
        bSamFreqType            1 Discrete
        tSamFreq[ 0]        48000
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 9
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x01  EP 1 OUT
        bmAttributes            9
          Transfer Type            Isochronous
          Synch Type               Adaptive
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x00c8  1x 200 bytes
        bInterval               1
        bRefresh                0
        bSynchAddress           0
        AudioControl Endpoint Descriptor:
          bLength                 7
          bDescriptorType        37
          bDescriptorSubtype      1 (EP_GENERAL)
          bmAttributes         0x00
          bLockDelayUnits         1 Milliseconds
          wLockDelay              4 Milliseconds
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        2
      bAlternateSetting       0
      bNumEndpoints           0
      bInterfaceClass         1 Audio
      bInterfaceSubClass      2 Streaming
      bInterfaceProtocol      0 
      iInterface              0 
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        2
      bAlternateSetting       1
      bNumEndpoints           1
      bInterfaceClass         1 Audio
      bInterfaceSubClass      2 Streaming
      bInterfaceProtocol      0 
      iInterface              0 
      AudioStreaming Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      1 (AS_GENERAL)
        bTerminalLink           7
        bDelay                  1 frames
        wFormatTag              1 PCM
      AudioStreaming Interface Descriptor:
        bLength                14
        bDescriptorType        36
        bDescriptorSubtype      2 (FORMAT_TYPE)
        bFormatType             1 (FORMAT_TYPE_I)
        bNrChannels             2
        bSubframeSize           2
        bBitResolution         16
        bSamFreqType            2 Discrete
        tSamFreq[ 0]        48000
        tSamFreq[ 1]        44100
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 9
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x82  EP 2 IN
        bmAttributes            5
          Transfer Type            Isochronous
          Synch Type               Asynchronous
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x00c8  1x 200 bytes
        bInterval               1
        bRefresh                0
        bSynchAddress           0
        AudioControl Endpoint Descriptor:
          bLength                 7
          bDescriptorType        37
          bDescriptorSubtype      1 (EP_GENERAL)
          bmAttributes         0x01
            Sampling Frequency
          bLockDelayUnits         0 Undefined
          wLockDelay              0 Undefined
Device Status:     0x0000
  (Bus Powered)

cascade9 · 10-01-2013, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arfon

I need to digitize about about 700 tapes and records, can anyone recommend a (USB preferentially) audio adapter/card that:

1) Works with Linux
2) Has good resolution (24 or better)
3) Costs less than $60

The recordings are all monaural so, I'm not worried about multiple channels.

24 bit mono, converted from LP or casette? Why oh why?

If you own the orginal recording it might be legal (or at least semi-legal) to find them already ripped online.

You'll be pushing things hard to find a USB sound card that does 24-bit audio for less than $60. Do you have a desktop with a PCI or PCIe slot free? The internal cards are cheaper for any given quality level.

Xonar DS or D1 (PCI) DSX or DX (PCIe) would be probably be what I'd get if you can use an internal card.

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter2012

Creative Labs seems to be well supported by the Alsa project, see http://opensource.creative.com/soundcard.html to find out about their support of opensource audio.

They work....just. Creative has always had rather poor linux support.

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter2012

Should you find that 16 bit recording is indeed sufficient, but you must use 24 bit files, you could employ ffmpeg or sox to convert your files.

True, but converting a 16bit file to 24bit is just making the file bigger. It wont make it sound any better.