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VinylStudio for Mac easily converts all your favorite tapes and vinyl records to a more convenient digital format without losing sound quality. The program stores your recordings as a well-organized collection, which you can burn on a CD or simply copy to your MP3 player. Additionally, it lets you split your recordings into tracks and helps you clean up your audio with effective sound cleaning filters.
Upon startup you are prompted to create a name for your collection and the location where it will be stored. During the "new user mode" the speech bubbles will pop up to guide you through the program. You can change settings for this later on via the UI or hide it completely. The free trial version of the software is fully functional but you are limited to recording five records while the full version available for $29.95 lifts the restriction. The user interface is well laid-out and the icons and links featured in the main menu are quite intuitive, too. The main links offer options for recording, splitting, and saving tracks, as well as for burning CD and audio cleanup. You are able to burn Audio CD, MP3 CD, and MP3 DVD. Apart from the obvious help option in the main menu there are also helpful links on the right side to help you get started, connect hardware, and record albums. Apart from MP3, VinylStudio for Mac supports many other formats including WAV, FLAC, and OGG, as well as Apple-specific formats such as AAC, AIFF, CAF, and Apple Lossless. The program integrates well with iTunes and lets you easily copy converted tracks to an MP3 player or iPod.
VinylStudio for Mac performs well, is easy to use, and overall gives the desired results. Even though it offers plenty of options, the program seems suitable for both novice and more advanced users who are looking for an application to easily convert their vinyl or tape collection to a more convenient MP3 format.
Editors' note: This is a review of the full version of VinylStudio for Mac 8.5.3. The trial version is limited to five records.
Publisher's Description
From AlpineSoft:
VinylStudio is software purpose-built to digitize records and tapes. Because it is designed for the job at hand, VinylStudio is much easier (and faster) to use than conventional audio editors. For example, instead of having to save each track separately, you tell VinylStudio the names of your tracks (or, if you are lucky, look them up), tell it where the trackbreaks are (by dragging markers into position) and then tell it to save your tracks. Hey presto - job's done. Powerful tools: VinylStudio's audio cleanup tools are not just a toy. They are extremely effective at removing clicks and scratches from your recordings. VinylStudio also has a complete set of noise reduction filters.
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All versions:
4.9 starsout of 9 votes
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Current version:
0 stars Be the first to review this product -
My rating:
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Results 1-9 of 9
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"Awesome and well worth the price."
Version: VinylStudio 8.3.1
Pros
Many file formats, exports directly to iTunes. But best of all imports file names and track lengths (if available) from Discogs, Amazon, etc.. Saves a lot of work !
Cons
Erm, let's see ... there has to be something ? Takes some time getting used to but learning curve is rather steep so not difficult at all.
Summary
I have used many audio capturing suites for recording vinyl. Some more expensive than this one and certainly more pretentious but none worked so well and integrated like this nifty Vinyl Studio.
Highly recommended. -
"Excellent. Costs a bit, but great value for money."
Version: VinylStudio 7.5.8
Pros
Does everything Audacity does, but with a superb, next generation interface.
Very simple and effective click repair, among other things.Cons
If you record vinyl with continuous applause between tracks, you can't finish the recording process to CD, unless you designate the single recorded file as one track.
Took me a while to find that out, as it is not in the help that I could find.Summary
Simply the next generation for vinyl to CD software, for me, because of the first class interface.
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"It does exactly what it says on the box"
Version: VinylStudio 7.5.7
Pros
Far less effort than other comparable apps; de-clicker better than what I've seen before; company very responsive to issues
Cons
There should be something, but I haven't found it yet.
Summary
I've used other apps for long. With this app I get better and quicker results, with less effort.
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"Good al round app"
Version: VinylStudio 7.5.6
Pros
Easy to use, does the job perfectly.
Cons
Haven't come across anything........yet!
Summary
Recommended app for all those wanting to convert their vinyl collection to mp3 format.
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"Great tool"
Version: VinylStudio 7.5.6
Pros
supports many formats
easy to use
can burn cds
...Cons
no effects
Summary
Great tool for those of us that want to convert vinyl music to mp3 or audio files.
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"Great program, East to Use"
Version: VinylStudio 7.1
Pros
Ease of use. Saves to itunes automatically.
Cons
Nothing Yet
Summary
I had a bunch of old albums that needed to convert. This program is the best of any I tried
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"Great product to save cassettes you would like to keep"
Version: VinylStudio 7.01
Pros
This product has some many great features and is very user friendly. I have been able to save cassettes and put them on a medium that will last for a very long time. The program gives you to reproduce music that is higher quality that the original.
Cons
I really can not think of any cons. I use this on an MAC and I have found no downside to it.
Summary
Bottom-line is that I would highly recommend this product to anyone who wants to reproduce old media to a new format. I can easily use the output of this product on iTunes. There is the capability in this program to edit the tracks and clean up any bad spots from the old medium.
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"Unique System for Converting Analog Recordings t..."
Version: VinylStudio 7.00
Summary
...Di
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
If you own a lot of retail music in analog format, vinyl or tape, then this is a unique piece of software which is new to the Mac OS. While VinylStudio has been available for Windows for quiet a while, the developer has introduced a Mac compatible version starting with 7.0. You'll recognize its Windows roots in the user interface which is not as streamlined and fully "Mac-like" as something like Final Vinyl. Although making comparisons is difficult because VinylStudio has many more features which may not be obvious at first use.
There are so many variables to deal with when transforming your LP record collection into digital files, or CD's, and VinylStudio helps automate the entire process. From track recognition, titling, and outputing to uncompressed or compressed files and well as burning tracks to Redbook or MP3 CD's.
In the current version you can deliver individual tracks which have been extracted from a digitized recording, directly into iTunes as uncompressed WAV, or compressed MP3 or AAC files. If you prefer the Apple Lossless format iTunes can convert the WAV files. I've read that the developer is considering adding the FLAC format to a future version.
I'm using this on a MacBook Pro with Mac OS X 10.6.2. The only issue was an incompatibility with access for assistive devices, which I solved by disabling it in the Universal Access control panel. The developer is aware of the problem and working on a fix.
Be sure to give VinylStudio a try before you decide on which software works best for converting your music from analog to digital. For me this was the fastest and most complete software I could find. -
"AMAZING potential - but still quite buggy"
Version: VinylStudio 7.00
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
Finally, finally, FINALLY - the simple, easy Mac vinyl recorder I've been craving for. Despite its apparent birth in the Windows world, this is a pretty darn Mac-like program. Simple instructions, very few key-clicks to get things done, and amazingly intuitive. There's just one drawback - it doesn't "just work". My first stabs at recording an album watched the program crash upwards of five times. In all fairness, I'm running it off my living-room vinyl recording machine - an iMac G3 running 10.4 Tiger. I can understand if there weren't too many beta testers out there using this particular set up.
If the developer continues to work out the kinks, this program has the potential to be THE vinyl-ripper for the Mac platform. And at $19.95, the price ain't too shabby either.
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