ION Ships USB Equipped Turntables - Point and Click Vinyl Recording
By James Grahame
My record collection lives in the front room, a good twenty feet from the nearest computer. If I want to rip some vinyl to my machine, I have to lug the turntable and an amplifier across the house (most turntables can't be plugged directly into line-level soundcard inputs). The end result is that I never bother and my vinyl collection languishes in a corner.
ION to the rescue. The ION USB turntable is the first turntable to feature a USB connection that digitizes and transfers audio directly to your computer. The setup includes a copy of the excellent Audacity audio editing package (freeware for Mac & PC) and includes a line level output so you can connect it directly to your home stereo. It plays 33 and 78 RPM records and includes a varispeed control that can be adjusted +/- 8%. The specifications don't list the stylus cartridge manufacturer, so make sure you can get replacements before laying down $140 for this gadget.
