TechHelp Ottawa

Regardless of how many songs there are on a vinyl record, content is initially captured as one continuous sound file. Therefore, tracks must be manually separated—one song at a time, at 50¢ per track—before they can be committed to CD or converted to audio files. A typical LP holds approximately 15 tracks.

* METADATA TAGGING
"Tagging" is the process whereby each track is imbedded with information about the song and album title, artwork, artist, genre, track number, production year, etc. This information is called "metadata" and is what your computer or player uses to identify each song. This can be very time consuming when done manually.

Included in the price, audio files are put through software specially designed to reduce surface noise such as crackle, pops and clicks, AC hum and turntable rumble on vinyl records. We can isolate and enhance voices if required. Badly damaged records often need supplemental sound editing at additional cost.

We will assist you in backing up your commercially recorded LPs for your private use only. We will ONLY work from the original copyrighted material that is owned by the customer for whom we are doing the work. Our fee covers the cost of our labour and use of equipment. No digital lock will be broken in the process, and we will not duplicate copyrighted material for public distribution.

December, 2012 — Canada's recent Copyright Modernization Act "legitimizes activities that Canadians do every day. For example, it recognizes that Canadians should not be liable for … copying music from CDs to MP3 players, or backing up data if they are doing so for their private use and have not broken a digital lock." Bill C-11 was passed and received Royal Assent on June 29, 2012.

For just $7 more, the surface of each CD is professionally imprinted with a custom-made inkjet label using an image of the record label or the image of your choice. Each CD is packaged in a paper sleeve for protection.

Beware of other methods available now for transferring vinyl records to CD. The most popular is the USB turntable. In our experience, these products are inferior because they often use cheap phono cartridges, inferior styluses and plastic turntables, producing only mediocre sound quality and files that are usually highly compressed.

At TechHelp Ottawa, we do audio archiving the right way! We use only the best equipment available such as a professional studio mixing board and direct drive, state-of-the art turntables. For 33⅓ & 45 RPM records we use the legendary Shure V15 Type IV phono cartridge with a stylus shock absorber that reduces surface noise and dampens the effects of uneven LP surfaces. For 78 RPM records we use the highly acclaimed Shure-M97xE cartridge with specialized stylus.

We also pay close attention to equalization settings—especially for 78 RPM records—to ensure excellent sound quality.

By capturing your original media using high sampling rates, we produce large, high quality, uncompressed WAV files (exactly the same file type used on commercial CDs). It is a time consuming process, but the resulting CD has the original tracks in tact and sound quality that is equal to or better than the original.

You can use plain dish detergent (no hand softeners or anti-bacterial agents) and lukewarm tap water to wash records. Use a soft cloth or sponge to lather up both side of the record. DO NOT WIPE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE RECORD TO THE EDGE. BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE GROOVES INSTEAD. Rinse very thoroughly and place on a soft, clean towel. Use dry paper towels to gently dry each side, again following the grooves. >View this YouTube video