Got 1000 12" singles that I've been hanging onto in some weird sentimental clutter nightmare, I've realised that a) I'm not going to have room to have decks again until the kids move out (at last 12 years I reckon) and b) I don't think they are appreciating in value and c) in 12 years it's conceivable I won't like house music anymore so what's the point in hanging on to them?

So, I figure I'll spend the next 6 months digitising them all, buy Ableton Live, sell the vinyl and my wife and I will live happily ever after.

I don't have any decks right now so need a good quality USB turntable, scant info other than a load for sale, has anyone got any experience of them and can recommend something that can take the abuse I'm about to throw at it and do a decent job of not introducing rumble and distortion?

Project make a good one – I think its about £200

I've only seen cheapos which cant sound great. Better to get a sh project, pre amp and work out how to do it with your sound card?

IIRC you can get fairly basic 'sound desk' type mixers (maybe even DJ ones also?) with USB outputs for less than 100 quid. – Gota be far better than those crappy USB turntables – if you've any basic technical knowhow.

Projekt do a reasonable quality one. Think Richer sounds have them cheap at the moment.

Have a look here:

http://www.djkit.co.uk/category.php?sort=&price_range=&manufacturer=&x=67&y=15&id=85&gclid=CLO0yvO-iZwCFZ0U4wodfxY5ZA

I have used the ION one, does a good enough job to my ears

Bought a Project & used Steinberg Clean which came with a preamp. The preamp wasn't the best, it was hard to get the levels correct, this may have been something to do with the basic sound card on a 6 year old pc. The Steinberg software wasn't the most intuitive but once sussed out the end results where good. Be prepared to get very FRUSTRATED to start with. It was worth buying the Project turntable rather than a cheapy all in USB player, duff info in = waste of time imho. Good luck.

great response thanks guys, not sure I can justify a Project to the CFO but I'll check out Richer Sounds.

Surely the record companies will insist you are violating their copyright ?

if you sell the records afterwards then you are. This happens on the assumption that we will all keep our records, cd's and tapes in the loft after we have converted them to digital.

Personally i converted my record collection to mp3 ages ago and I now keep it in the garage, carefully cleaning lubing it and taking it for a razz round the woods. 😀