Audio-Technica AT-LP2DA LP-to-Digital Recording System

I purchased the AT turntable hoping that it would help me convert some of my (for many years) unlistened to LPs to CDs. It did all that and more! The set up was simple, I opened the box, read the basic instructions, connected my audio cable to my computer, and within 30 minutes I had 30 year old LPs playing through my computer!The process I used to capture and convert to CD was:1. Start the Pyro Software on my computer2. Put LP on turntable and start playing.3. Adjust volume on Pyro input to make sure that it stays within the OK range. Type in a name for the audio file.4. Restart the LP5. Click 'Start Recording' on the Pyro software6. After 20-25 minutes, turn over LP7. After the LP has finished playing click 'Stop Recording'8. This saves the audio into a file that you can play and using the 'Split' and 'Remove' buttons you can, within 5 minutes break down the LP into individual tracks.9. Put a blank CD in your computer and click the 'Burn CD' button; accept the defualt options window that pops up.10. This is the really clever piece! Eject the CD and re-insert it. My computer opens iTunes when a music CD is inserted and asks if you want to import the songs, but better yet it knows the CD and all the track names (how it does this is beyond me, but it works 90% of the time - what a time saver!)11. iTunes imports the CD with all its track names!12. Repeat steps 1-11 for each LP!Excellent product!

Although the turntable is actually better than average and performs really well, the software really stinks. If a company is going to use software like this is they should add a comprehensive owners manual to be used with the help folders. I have had the system for two days and still have a ways to go to use many of the functions. I am considering sending this one back and trying another brand.

The product says it "digitally transfers" music to a computer, but only comes with a set of RCA jacks. Doom on me for reading "digital transfer" and assuming it had a USB connector LIKE EVERY OTHER VERSION OF THIS PRODUCT. Essentially, this is just a turntable. No digital transfer, no USB, no way to hook it into a PC at all, unless you happen to have an advanced sound card with an RCA "line in" jack. The directions specifically prohibit you from using the microphone jack.I bought this for my Dad for Christmas, and will not only be returning it, but asking for consideration towards a product that does what this one was ADVERTISED to do - digital transfer, NOT analog, through RCA.Would rate this at ZERO stars if I could.

The product is fine, but the process to transfer LP's to MP3 format is not easy. I have spent several hours now, experimenting with the Cakewalk software and the turntable. I can record but still can't hear while I am recording, and I have tried everything I can think of and more to get audio with no success. But as I said, it does record and then you have to break up the album into songs, label them and save them as MP3 files. This takes some practice. At least once recorded you can hear from your computer speakers. But at the rate I am going it will take me months to record my album inventory. Paying for a service to do this is seeming lots more cost effective than all this time. I also challenge the reviewers who like Cakewalk and consider it intuitive, certainly hasn't appeared that way to me. There are some obvious improvements to usability that I would make. But, I bought it and I haven't given up, I am hoping that practice makes perfect and I'll get the hang of it and be more efficient int he process. We can only hope.

I was very intrigued to find out that I could copy my old lps onto CD. I have a ton of old albums that I just haven't been able to throw away. I thought I would start with a low-price turntable and if the whole idea was a waste of time I wouldn't be out a lot of money. I first hooked this turntable up to a laptop but since there wasn't a sound card I couldn't hear anything. The albums recorded, but there was no sound coming through the speakers. When I played the album back, it didn't sound good at all. I then plugged the turntable into my desktop which has a "line in" jack and the sounds came through the speakers beautifully!! (The cables are included, by the way.) I was very impressed with how well everything sounded. Unfortunately, I'm very dissatisfied with the Pyro software. I've worked as a computer programmer for over 20 years and I'm still trying to figure out how to do some things with this software. It's extremely unintuitive. Plus, when I applied the filter (which took over an hour to figure out) to remove the crackles and pops, it sounds like it's just lowering the volume. Not what I expected. My suggestion would be to buy the turntable, then shop for a better recording software package.