Despite all the so called “advances,” in music recording and digital media, there is no getting away from the fact that vinyl records had character. They maybe weren’t 100% perfect technically, but they just sound great. Listen to any old vinyl record through a decent turntable and a tube amp, then compare to the digital version. Soul-less is the word that comes to mind.

Salvation is at hand (nearly) – You can transfer your old recordings across to a digital file with a USB powered turntable. Not quite the same, and some of the “soul,” will get lost, but it sure beats going out and replacing all your old vinyl with CDs or downloading tunes from Apple at 99 cents a time. Here are a selection of USB turntables for your listening pleasure.

• LP-to-digital recording system for transferring vinyl to MP3, WAV, or WMA formats
• Includes stereo turntable with built-in phono pre-amp for computer connection
• Plays 33-1/3 and 45 rpm speeds; audiophile-quality Dual Magnet phono cartridge
• Cakewalk Pyro software removes LP's clicks and pops and minimizes hiss
• Turntable measures 14.17 x 3.82 x 14.06 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

The AT-LP2DA comes complete with all the software you need to convert your vinyl to digital, Mac or PC, and while they suggest you can plug it in to any stereo, my thinking is - Buy it, rip all you records, and sell it as soon as you are done. Vinyl might sound great, but once it’s digitized, why bother?

Specifications:

• USB 1.1 turntable that makes it a snap to convert vinyl collection to CD or MP3 formats
• Includes Audacity PC/Mac recording software and trial version of Bias Soundsoap 2
• Adjustable anti-skating control for increased stereo balancing
• Support for high-speed vinyl recording; works with both 33-1/3 and 45 rpm speeds
• Line-level outputs for easy stereo connection; 1/8-inch line-level input; weighs 7.7 pounds

Once again, this will transfer 45s and LPs across to either a mac or a PC and comes with all software needed. Buy it, rip ‘em, sell it

Features and specifications:

Last time I counted, I had over 400 LPs and a lot more 45s than that, so it will take a while to transfer.So, sit back and enjoy some of those old tunes you loved in your youth. The only problem is, you will have to actually sit and listen to every single single (sic) and LP. They are all supposed to transfer the music at high speed, but, when I tried that, I couldn’t get it to work on the one I tried.

I shared the cost of buying the ion with two friends who also have large record collections. It’s my turn next. When we are done, we will sell it on ebay and the entire cost between the three of us will be about $30 each – the cost of downloading 2 CDs from iTunes.

To be perfectly honest, none of these turntables are particularly good as a record player, but they all do the job we want.

I am not a big fan of buying something just for the sake of having it, but these USB turntables serve a useful purpose – Once you have finished digitizing your collection though, you probably won’t want to keep it. By the time you have plugged it into a digital amplifier, you might as well just listen to the digitized version. Ebay have a bunch of them for sale, and Amazon too, so I guess everyone else feels the same way.