LP Restoration Process questions

WaveLab
1

I recently upgraded from WL 5 to 7 with the desire to restore my collection of 1200 LPs and convert them for more modern consumption (.mp3 in my car). I will reserve my comments on the poor documentation and lack of any procedural tutorials (especially on youtube) for the price for another time.

I was using LP Recorder to capture the LP audio until I noticed that it was 16 bit. Wanting better, I looked into using WL for 24 bit instead.

After a little twiddling, I got the Audio Input set up (my turntable goes through a pre-amp and into the line in connection on my motherboard). When I play a record, the VU meters jump around and I am able to capture the recording to disk. I’m not happy with the result, but I get something.

I have headphones plugged into the front of the PC and my Playback choices are:
Microsoft Sound Mapper
Speakers (Realtek High Definition)
Realtek Digital Output (Optical)
Realtek DIgital Output (Realtek

I chose ‘Speakers’, but I hear nothing while I am recording. After the recording is rendered to disk (after I press Stop) I can hear fine through the Headphones.

How do I configure WL to be able to ‘hear’ the sound while it is ‘Recording’ … like I can with LP Recorder.

Also (but wait there is more), how can I auto-level set the recording? With LP Recorder I just set it to max, play the record in paused ‘Record’ mode and it auto-reduces the levels so I never get any distortion. I realize I can analyze the rendered file for the max loudness, but by then the distorted signal is already created. Should I be setting it at say, 50% gain and then boosting the volume after rendering? I would prefer to ‘know’ before I render so I rely less on artificial gain.

I assume my process for cleaning these up will be:
Determine peak signal for each recording
Render to disk
Remove rumble/60hz hum
DeClick
DeCrackle
Clip to performance length
Finalize to .wav
Finalize to .mp3
Eventually create ‘CD’ with info/metadata from album for archive
Add metadata to .mp3 and prepare for iPod use.


I used your Wl 5 software for quite a few restorations years ago, but you seem to have provided far less tutorial instruction in your non-printed documentation than what was once there. So any help is appreciated.

This message will be followed up with the following thread/topics:
Removing Rumble before declicking
Setting levels with DeBuzzer
How to determine the max settings with DeClicker

2

ANALYSIS drop down menu ----> MONITOR AUDIO INPUT and/or in the RECORD window, check the MONITOR box.

Also (but wait there is more), how can I auto-level set the recording? With LP Recorder I just set it to max, play the record in paused ‘Record’ mode and it auto-reduces the levels so I never get any distortion. I realize I can analyze the rendered file for the max loudness, but by then the distorted signal is already created. Should I be setting it at say, 50% gain and then boosting the volume after rendering? I would prefer to ‘know’ before I render so I rely less on artificial gain.

You needn’t go too hot. 24-Bit gives you ample headroom. I wouldn’t AUTO anything. As long as you’re peaking in the vicinity of -10dBFS, you should be getting the best signal (all other factors aside).

I assume my process for cleaning these up will be:
Determine peak signal for each recording
Render to disk
Remove rumble/60hz hum
DeClick
DeCrackle
Clip to performance length
Finalize to .wav
Finalize to .mp3
Eventually create ‘CD’ with info/metadata from album for archive
Add metadata to .mp3 and prepare for iPod use.

Our workflow is as follows:

  1. Create Master file (24-Bit)
  2. Create a Playback Copy from the Master file
  3. Apply gentle decrackling / low cut EQ to taste (several passes of a few dB tends to work better than one heavy pass for any denoising)
  4. Render Playback Copy (this can be 16-Bit if you intend to go to CD-DA)
  5. Create MP3 from Playback copy and insert ID3 / metadata
  6. Archive Master File or Archive Playback (we do both)