How to get classic rockers from vinyl to your PC

There's a dusty box of vinyl records sitting in my parents' attic that has not been touched in years. It's not that I've gone off the music - old Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and King Crimson LPs bought for a dollar a go at Real Groovy - it's just that I haven't owned a record player since about 1990.

There are audiophiles who cling to the analog world, convinced that vinyl still delivers the best sound possible. The rest of us are confirmed CD and mp3 users. We listen to tunes on smaller stereos and mini-systems, so the difference isn't noticeable anyway.

Still, I'm keen to haul those old records into the digital age and that's where the Xitel INport comes in handy.

The INport is a little silver box that connects your computer to an audio input - be it record player, tape deck, CD or DVD player. No drivers are needed for machines running Windows 98 or later editions.

Using basic recording and ripping software, it transfers music to your computer hard drive and stores them as CD-quality .wav files. No more worrying about the deterioration of the vinyl: once you've transferred them to the hard drive, you stop the rot.

INport is a breeze to set up and connects to the PC via a USB port. An RCA-to-RCA cable provides the flexibility to connect the computer to an audio device some distance away.

I used it to connect a Technics twin-deck record player and mixer console to a Toshiba Satellite laptop. Recording happens in real-time, so it's a matter of playing the record, tape or CD, and letting the transfer run its course.

The INport is connected via the "line out" port on a record player. However, many record players don't have a pre-amplifier installed, which is necessary to boost the signal strength enough for the INport to pick it up.

Check to see if you have a pre-amp, as you may need to invest in one. Most CD and tape decks should be able to connect directly.

The LP Recorder software is simple to use. The end result is one big 44KHz .wav file on the hard drive. LP Ripper software allows you to edit tracks and cut out the dead air or segments of audio you want to discard. An automatic function splits the .wav file into separate tracks, which can be labelled.

For ease of use, the .wav files should be converted to mp3s and possibly burned on to disc. Unfortunately, INport lacks this functionality. There are mp3 encoders and CD burners free for download on the internet, but it's disappointing that they're not built into the INport software suite.

Nevertheless, once in .wav format, the files can be worked on in any number of high-quality audio editors on the market. Advanced users will want to upgrade to a more sophisticated music suite, such as Cubase.

It's worth pointing out that the average computer's sound card will be able to take a line-in audio feed and transfer it to the computer as well. However, only very good sound cards will match the audio quality of the INport, which has built-in ground loop isolation to cut out electrical interference.

As a cheap device, particularly for digitalising your vinyl collection, the INport delivers value for money.

Xitel INport

Pros: Easy to use, impressive recording quality
Cons: Software has no mp3 encoding and burn functions
Price: $150
Herald rating: 7/10