Vinyl Records - Digitizing

Overview This article provides information on digitizing vinyl records.

Equipment

Audio Technica AT-LP120 USB turntable, 78 stylus (yellow), jeweler's flat balded screw-driver, MUSIC (recording PC), stereo system, Magix Audio Cleaning Lab software.

Change Stylus (needle)

We have two stylus, one for LP's and 45's (green), and one for 78's (yellow).  Never play a record with the wrong needle (it can play but it WILL damage either the record or stylus or both).

1)  Release the headshell assembly from the tonearm by turning the locking ring clockwise.

2) Carefully remove the headshell assembly and turn it over so the stylus is pointing upward.

3) Remove the stylus by taking a flat bladed jeweler screwdriver and carefully prying the stylus assembly from the cartridge.  Pry between the belly of the cartridge and the plastic assembly holding the stylus.  The stylus assembly should come straight up from the cartridge.

4) Push the replacement stylus assembly straight down onto the belly of  the cartridge until it fits snug.

5) Replace the headshell assembly back onto the tonearm and lock with the locking ring (counter clockwise a few turns).

6) The counterweight should be adjusted for the different stylus:

a)  33/45 stylus:  about  1.8 grams

b) 78 stylus: about 2.1 grams

Film Transfer Questions

1)  Why does my AVI file look interlaced in AfterEffects? The capture is done using a interlaced 60i sensor and the data is passed to the PC via a BM Intensity Pro card.  When the footage is processed on the PC the software takes the bottom and top frames of the interlaced input and creates a progressive frame.  Bottom-line is that there is nothing I know of the setup that can be changed to create a different progressive output.

Film Types

Eastman double X negative film - popular B&W film.

APS or Advantix Film Developing

For DEVELOPING check out Vistek: http://www.vistek.ca/digitalphoto/labservices/photofinishing.aspx

Film Rescue International may also develop this type of film.

Advantix or IX240 or APS

Introduced in 1996, and currently no longer made.

Processed or Not?

The film is on a polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) base, and is housed in a single-spool 39 mm long plastic cartridge. The basic diameter is 21 mm, while it measures 30 mm at the slot where the film exits. The slot is protected by a lightproof door. It is available in 40, 25 and 15 exposure lengths. The film surface has a transparent magnetic coating, and the camera uses this information exchange (IX) system for recording information about each exposure. The camera handles winding and rewinding automatically, to the extent that partially exposed films can, in certain cameras, be removed and used later. Numbered symbols (called 'visual indicators') on the cartridge end indicate the status:

1. Full circle: Unexposed
2. Half circle: Partly exposed
3. Cross sign: Fully exposed but not processed
4. Rectangle: Processed

Additionally, a tab on this end of the cartridge indicates that the cartridge has been processed.

Format MAC External Harddrives

When formatting MAC external harddrives you're presented with 4 options.  Pick the first one, "Mac OS extended (Journaled)" format can be found under:  applications, disk utility, select erase tab

Audio Editing Issues

Here's a list of audio issues and things to try: Hum

• Use the "chorus" fx
• repeat of hum is 8.33ms
• set to default
• set modulation rate, depth to 0
• set feedback to 0
• set chorus out delay to 8.33

Rumble

Use the Equalizer

Hiss

Use the Equalizer

Reel-to-Reel at the Wrong Speed

Overview Just downloaded a reel-to-reel tape and the audio sounds like chipmunks.   The tape was downloaded at a speed that was too fast.  Our Akai unit can play tapes at 3 3/4 or 7 1/2 speeds.  If a tape was recorded at 1 7/8 speed then 3 3/4 speed would be too fast.

Solution

Tape speeds can be 1 7/8 or 3 3/4 or 7 1/2.  Note that each speed is just double the previous speed.

So, let's say we've downloaded a tape recorded at 1 7/8 at a speed of 3 3/4 (the lowest speed our unit can do).

1. Load the audio file on the timeline in Vegas pro.
2. Right click on the audio track and select properties.
3. Select "Time stretch / pitch shift" Method:
   1. select either "elastique" or "classic"....not sure of the difference
   2. change the new length...double it
   3. check the box next to "Pitch change"

To Half the Speed

In the case of capturing the Reel-to-reel at 7 1/2 and the real speed should be 3 3/4...we need to half the speed of the captured audio track.

Under properties, under the  Pitch Change select the box and enter -12.000

Film Calculations

16mm film at 16fps 1) 2.5 seconds per foot (this is handy if the film has to be stitched together and cinecap cannot provide footage)

16mm film at 24fps

1) 1.67 seconds per foot (this is handy if the film has to be stitched together and cinecap cannot provide footage)

Photoshop to Stitch Photos

Problem You have a photo that is too large to scan so you scan it using multiple passes.  Now you have multiple images that you need to merge.

Solution

Use photomerge function in Photoshop.  See file / automatic / photomerge

Reference

This article shows how to use photomerge and other methods of stitching photos.

http://phong.com/tutorials/photostitch/

Posting a Vendor Refund in Quickbooks

This is what I did: 1) Go to Vendors -> Enter Bills. Once in pay bills click the credit radio button (next to "Bill"). Fill in the appropriate information (Vendor name, credit amount, then fill in the appropriate "expenses or items" category). Click Save & Close.

- This step places a credit (what they owe you) on your books.

2) Go to Banking -> Make Deposits. If you have pending deposits a pop up will show them, just click cancel to get to the main deposit screen. Make sure the account that you want to deposit the refund into is selected and fill in Vendor Name in Received From, the"From Account" is Accounts Payable and then the amount . Click Save & Close.

- This step records the refund in your account but has not been balanced out of your books.

3) Go to Vendors -> Pay Bills. You should see the credit show up. Click the box next to the credit you just created. Then down below in the Discount & Credit Information for Highlighted Bill section you will see Number of Credits = * and Total Credits Available * (where * is your data). Click Set Credits -> Done. You can now cancel out of the Pay Bills window.

Voila! A payment has been refunded back to your debit card account and your books are balanced.

UltimateS Pro and Moving Presets

Overview Need to move presets to either another computer or when a computer is rebuilt.  Where do I find the presets?  The main presets I need are the batch render ones.

Solution

(from John Rofrano, VASST)

Your Ultimate S Pro presets are stored in this file:

%AppData%\VASST\Ultimate S Pro\4.0\UltimateS4.js.settings

Where the environment variable %AppData% will resolve to a different folder on Windows 7/Vista and XP (you didn’t say what OS you had before)

In Windows 7 it will be:

C:\Users\[account name]\AppData\Roaming\VASST\Ultimate S Pro\4.0\UltimateS4.js.settings

Where [account name] is the name of your user account on Windows.

You can also just do a search for “UltimateS4.js.settings” to find it. Then copy it into the proper folder on your new PC.

Note: Custom Render Templates folder will also be needed to be copied to the C://Users/John/AppData/Roaming/Sony/

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This from the Vegas help/searched: render as template

Copying Custom Rendering Templates between computers or user accounts.

Custom Rendering Templates