looking to top tier ADC for vinyl ripping

I have been using an RME fireface UFXIII to record vinyl 24/192

its pretty good, but wondering if getting something dedicated like a crane song Interstellar might be a better option

the tube diode controls seems very interesting to play around with

anyone have experience with high end ADC for vinyl ripping

thanks !

Unless you have a good turntable, ripping vinyl is a waste. The dynamic compression of most sub $2k turntables and resonances of sub $1k tonearms tip the scales to buying high res digital recordings. An ADC cant put back whats already lost. 

1 hour ago, dusk said:

I have been using an RME fireface UFXIII to record vinyl 24/192

 

its pretty good, but wondering if getting something dedicated like a crane song Interstellar might be a better option

 

the tube diode controls seems very interesting to play around with

 

anyone have experience with high end ADC for vinyl ripping

 

thanks !

I don't rip vinyl, but I have an awesome ADC in the Merging Anubis Premium. I've also heard great things about the Lynx Hilo.

ya I am looking into the Merging gear, as well

1 hour ago, davide256 said:

Unless you have a good turntable, ripping vinyl is a waste. The dynamic compression of most sub $2k turntables and resonances of sub $1k tonearms tip the scales to buying high res digital recordings. An ADC cant put back whats already lost. 

I should have said what I have.

I have three turntables.

1) Verete MG-1 with SG HB Tonearm and Mystic Stylus, driven by Tempo (my "audiophile" setup for ultra well recorded/engineered records like Lemon of Pink)

2) Vinyl Nirvana Thorens TD-160 Super with Sorane TA-1 tonearm and Grado Reference 3 cart (Jazz and Classical)

3) Totally custom, reworked, dampened Rega P6 by Sean Casey at Zu Audio with Zu DL-103 MKII cart with cart-back recable with Zu Event (Blues, Rock, Hiphop)

All of these go into a Pass Labs XP-27 then to XP-22 to XA-25 (well, two at a time.. I'm looking to an EMT JPA66 MK3 to demo in my system as a potential upgrade).

I have pretty much only used the Verete for ripping and archiving, but sometimes records just play better on the others, and I'm too lazy to put any up for sale, so they stay.

So, ya, I'd like a nice A/D to capture this.

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I don't rip vinyl, but I have an awesome ADC in the Merging Anubis Premium. I've also heard great things about the Lynx Hilo.

How complicated is the Anubis to operate?

12 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

How complicated is the Anubis to operate?

When I first got it, I thought it was pretty complicated. Now, I know it inside and out and do t think it’s that difficult. 

4 hours ago, dusk said:

 

I should have said what I have.

 

I have three turntables.

 

1) Verete MG-1 with SG HB Tonearm and Mystic Stylus, driven by Tempo (my "audiophile" setup for ultra well recorded/engineered records like Lemon of Pink)

2) Vinyl Nirvana Thorens TD-160 Super with Sorane TA-1 tonearm and Grado Reference 3 cart (Jazz and Classical)

3) Totally custom, reworked, dampened Rega P6 by Sean Casey at Zu Audio with Zu DL-103 MKII cart with cart-back recable with Zu Event (Blues, Rock, Hiphop)

 

All of these go into a Pass Labs XP-27 then to XP-22 to XA-25 (well, two at a time.. I'm looking to an EMT JPA66 MK3 to demo in my system as a potential upgrade).

 

I have pretty much only used the Verete for ripping and archiving, but sometimes records just play better on the others, and I'm too lazy to put any up for sale, so they stay.

 

So, ya, I'd like a nice A/D to capture this.

 

Looks nice. Given the treble artifact challengess of PCM DAC D/A filters, wouldn't at least DSD64 also be a requirement for your ADC?

11 hours ago, dusk said:

I have been using an RME fireface UFXIII to record vinyl 24/192

 

its pretty good, but wondering if getting something dedicated like a crane song Interstellar might be a better option

 

the tube diode controls seems very interesting to play around with

 

anyone have experience with high end ADC for vinyl ripping

 

thanks !

Not sure what the budget is but :::

Playback Designs "Pinot" ADC with Sonoma Recorder Software (DSD Ripping Capable)

Merging Anubis OR Hapi/Horus with separate AD Cards (DSD Ripping Capable)

Lynx Hilo (24/192 Limited) but still very good

There are many more......

After having digitally recorded over 2,000 LPs I like to think of myself as an expert on the subject. 
 

The first question is how many LPs would you like to record?  If it’s a dozen or so, perhaps find a service. 
 

The second question is what level of quality are you looking for - at the beach MP3, sounds like a CD, or high resolution that will record that album the way it was made. 
 

I always had a much better than good turntable, and over five years most were done with a Clearaudio Innovation Compact with Universal Tonearm and either a DV Te Kaitora or Te Kaitora Rua MC cartridge.
 

The Clearaudio setup alone was about a $20K CAD cost, not including the cartridge. Your recording is only as good as your turntable and your phono stage. 
 

That brings into the conversation the phono stage, but that only matters if you want the high resolution recording, a fully and completely faithful digital reproduction of whatever was on that LP. 

And, for each of those three options, there are ADCs to suit. I used a Korg MR-2000S, recording at 1-bit 5.66 MHz and then converting to 24/96 FLAC. I tried 24/192 but couldn’t hear a difference. 
 

The recording was the easy part, the Korg was in a tape loop on an Audio Research SP27 preamp  through a PS5 phono stage. Cue the album, hit record, hit pause after side A etc.

With the SP27 and its remote control, I could compare the original LP playing on the turntable to the playback from the Korg to the mastered version from the laptop being used as a music server.  

The real work is in the mastering, taking a single digital file for any LP and breaking it out into individual tracks with track names, comprehensive meta data and cover art. 
 

At the end of the day, while a considerable effort, I enjoy listening to all of that music in digital form. Having a 4 TB drive connected to a Roon core and controlled through an iPad is magical. 
 

I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

The Korg MR-2000S was discontinued some time ago. The Tascam DA-3000, considered as an equitable alternative is now also discontinued.  I suspect both are available as NOS or on the used market. 

I had great results with the Korg DS-DAC-10R:

"Inside the DS-DAC-10R, you’ll find the same PCM4202 (made by TI) AD converter used in the MR-2000S 1-bit studio recorder. We have insisted on the same exacting quality as this recorder—which continues to be used in many professional studios." 

https://www.korg.com/caen/products/audio/ds_dac_10r/

For even better performance, you could power it using an external linear power supply and a dual head USB cable, like this:

https://www.ghentaudio.com/products/u21?VariantsId=12982

Merging Hapi with it's premium ADC card..    I believe the Anubis can do this as well with the same quality.

I'm actually running my vinyl rig through my Hapi less a Phono stage and actually sounds better than my McIntosh Phono stage.