NAMM06: Digitize Your Vinyl With Numark Turntable

US Computer-connected TTUSB breathes new life into older recordings 21/01/06

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Numark has announced the new TTUSB Turntable. Featuring Plug and Play USB compatibility with both PC and Macintosh personal computers, the TTUSB is a unique turntable that should make quick and easy work of digitizing a vinyl record collection. The TTUSB is a comprehensive package complete with all the necessary cables to interconnect with both a computer and a stereo playback system, along with software to remove clicks, pops, and other undesirable characteristics of vinyl.
Numark CEO John E. â€˜Jackâ€™ Oâ€™Donnell offered the following thoughts on the TTUSB, â€œThe new TTUSB Turntable provides DJs and music enthusiasts everywhere with a versatile, easy-to-use tool for extracting older recordings from vinyl or cassette and transferring the music to a computer, where it can be cleaned up and then moved to modern playback equipment. With the TTUSB, a vast library of music from the past can be re-experienced and enjoyed.â€�

Key Features

1/8-inch stereo minijack input connector to facilitate the transfer of cassette tapes (or similar line level sources) to the computer
adjustable anti-skating control for increased stereo balance
support for both 33.33 and 45 RPM playback speeds
adjustable pitch control (Â± 10%)
line level left and right RCA output connectors for connection to a receiver or amplifier

Software
For editing recordings, the included Audacity software for both PC and Mac provides a wealth of easy-to-use features. With Audacityâ€™s Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo, and Redo functionality, editing digitized audio is accomplished without the fear of making unwanted changes. Not only can clicks, pops, and other noise be eliminated, but additional tools enable the alteration of volume and equalization settings. As an example, the Envelope tool can be used to fade volume up or down, while the Drawing tool can alter specific points within the digitized audio file.
Audacity also supports high-speed recording of vinyl. Standard 33.33 RPM vinyl recordings can be played at 45 RPM with maximum pitch control and then returned to their normal playback speed once transferred to the computer. Similarly, Audacity supports the recording of 78 RPM records. And with the ability to export the music to popular formats such as WAV or MP3, those old, once forgotten recordings can again be among the most frequently listened to tunes with todayâ€™s portable music players.
Computer requirements
The TTUSB system package runs on PCs with the Windows 2000 or XP operating systems as well as Macintosh OS9.2 or higher. Both USB 1.1 and 2.0 are supported.
The TTUSB Turntable package includes the turntable, a USB cable for interconnecting with a computer, an RCA cable for patching into a stereo system, a pre-assembled cartridge with stylus, an adapter for 45 RPM recordings, and the Audacity software.
Price and Availability
Suggested retail price: $299
Expected to ship in Q1 of 2006