Vinyl recordings - best methods

I posted on this on another thread, but will repeat some of that and add a bit.

Sevs, I have an old Nakamichi cassette deck. It doesn’t come close to touching a DSD128 recording.

For DSD recording there are contenders at widely varying price points. From show reports it seems that the $10K Playback Design Pinot has confounded golden ears to tell the difference between LP source and recording. On another forum a studio engineer has posted a running comparison between pro ADCs. The $5.5K Merging Technologies Hapi seems to be the go-to piece. Unlike the Tascam, which uses op amps throughout, the Hapi uses all discrete components. It’s a more complicated eight-channel unit focused on studio applications. It needs special cables and an Ethernet connection to a Ravenna NIC and Pyramix software on a separate workstation running a downgraded version of Windows. That rules me out as I’m on Windows 10 and won’t go back.

I decided to start with the Tascam, and if dissatisfied, consider Hapi. As good as the Playback designs unit may be, this is one area where a pro unit should be acceptable. After all, pro pieces are used to make DSD recordings that we are probably listening to on new vinyl.

A stock DA-3000 makes very good DSD128 recordings, but you won’t know what you’re missing without upgrading the power cord, footers, and above all, the three-pin bipolar regulators in the power supply to Belleson SPZ78 and SPZ79 parts. Tascam’s free editing software is a handy means of dividing long DSD files into tracks.

The DAC section of the DA-3000 is just average by current hi-end standards, but is a good enough monitor loop to enjoy LPs while recording.

Personally, since I’ve begun to record(at a slow-burn pace) I’m enjoying the trip through the record collection. However, you don’t want to do this twice, so buy the best recording equipment or upgrade the Tascam from the start.

Norman,

Part of my goal is to put it all into the NAS jukebox and to eventually downsize my vinyl footprint-- but only if digitally recorded vinyl equals hi-res PCM and DSD64 ripped SACDs. The modified Tascam does that.

@bondmanp

Thanks for visiting on Sunday for the demo. I’m taking another step with the Tascam DA-3000 by ordering an external Antelope Liveclock. The Liveclock will provide a 44.1 word clock to the Tascam as appropriate for DSD128 recording. The Antelope will also synchronize itself to the 10Mhz SRS PERF-10 Rubidium clock that I’m using with the Esoteric K-01X. Spec sheets suggest that this will increase clock accuracy to the ADC by an order of magnitude to .01ppm. I can also power the Liveclock at 12Vdc from the Hynes SR7. It’s a $1K gamble, but so far the experiment of recording vinyl with the Tascam has been worthwhile at every step.

@o_holter My posts on the DA-3000 mods are spread out, but here is a link to AA with a summation and photos. Since then I am hearing further improvement after application of Perfect Path Total Contact graphene past to the pin block connectors throughout the unit. That should be done with great care in order to avoid potential shorts.

Feel free to PM me if you want more details, including a hand-written schematic identifying the caps to be replaced in the ADC section.

https://db.audioasylum.com/mhtml/m.html?forum=vinyl&n=1163057&highlight=tascam+da-3000&search_url=%2Fcgi%2Fsearch.mpl%3Fforum%3Dvinyl%26searchtext%3Dtascam%2Bda-3000