Customer Reviews

ART USBPhonoPlus v2 Computer Audio Interface

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've been monkeying with the Artcessories USB Phono Plus for about 10 days now. I bought it for the primary purpose of recording some LP records to my laptop. My ultimate goal was to make CDs and decent MP3s from my old vinyl. In combo with Audacity (free audio editing tool) and my Project turntable, this ARTcessories product has worked extremely well in every respect. I have not yet found a single shortcoming with this solid and portable little box.

A few things you should know:

1. This is a stand-alone phono pre-amp. It will RIAA adjust for phono before sending audio to your computer via USB. THIS IS GREAT FOR LAPTOPS -most laptops have only a mono microphone in miniplug that's pretty much good for nothing!

2. You could use this box as nothing more than a phono pre-amp. It has RCA inputs for phono AND a ground screw. Cool, huh? At $100 it would be a good deal if it did nothing more than that. I loop from the Phono Plus back into a Marantz receiver and then listen through some fairly decent Wharfedale speakers. I'd say that sound quality is every bit as good as the phono stage built into my Marantz.

3. This device allows you to monitor the phono input (or other input) either by means of a stereo miniplug connection or by way of a pair (L and R) of RCA outs. You could hook up typical PC speakers or subwoofer sytems to this box if you don't want to loop out to a stereo amp. You can also listen to the Phono Plus with headphones. The Phono Plus has a gain knob to ontrol output level. This is critical for headphone listening as well as for making good captures in Audacity.

4. This device will take input from line level RCA, digital toslink, digital coax, as well as from phono sources. Crazy, huh? I plan on using this box to record some local radio and TV audio by connecting it to either my tuner or by putting it where a cassette recorder would normally fit in a tape loop.

All in all, what a great toy! There is so much you can do with this unit. I've really only scratched the surface (no vinyl pun intended). I've been playing with this thing and talking about results and LP recording experiments at shiromaguro.com. See my work there. With a clean LP, I have found that recordings through the Phono Plus captured by Audacity can be ripped to CD or MP3 with no editing at all(except for maybe chopping big grabs into tracks). Sound qulaity of the product WAV or MP3 files is great.

Installation and setup are really non-issues here. Plug it in and connect all the cables. It just works.

Bottom line: if you want to grab vinyl to your PC laptop or to a PC that lacks a good sound card (one with stereo inputs) this is a great way to go. In a few weeks of shopping for my solution, I found nothing else comparable.

Why not 5 stars? My mistake. I should have given this unit 5 stars. Then again, I personally never read 5-star reviews....

Ultimately, I hope that this product will make it easy for lots of people to make some cool and unique MP3s, not just the usual CD rip stuff. Seriously, this product could single-handedly be responsible for the digitization of piles of old analog material that would otherwise be left to fade from existence. Personally I have made it a point to find out which of my old records never made it to CD --those are the ones that get digitized first!

Bravo to ART for a great product.

My goal: to convert vinyl records into CDs.

After looking at the available USB turntables, I realized my old Technics linear tracking turntable is way better than any of them. So the solution for me was to buy a USB interface, which, it turns out, means a USB phono preamp.

I did some comparison shopping before buying the ART Phono Plus 2. There are a couple of similar products. One in particular has good specs. It claims USB 2.0, whereas the Phono Plus 2 only claims USB 1.1.

However, that unit made no claim to having a monitor output, whereas the Phono Plus has quite a nice monitor interface. In particular, it lets you monitor the sound coming right off the preamp. This is necessary if you want to do any manual fading when recording, because the sound coming out the computer speakers has at least a 2 second delay from what's coming off the needle.

The Phono Plus has a screw connection for the phono ground. Neither of the other units mentioned having this. On my turntable, leaving the ground wire floating creates a large amount of 60Hz hum in the output.

Finally, although the ART is the most expensive of the three, almost twice the cost of the second, and three times that of the third, I found absolutely no reviews of any kind of the other two, whereas the ART has been reviewed extensively, both by customers and magazines. And everyone, including me, loves it.

This is a well-built unit, from a durability standpoint, definitely not a cheap piece of junk. Ergonomically, it has some down points, as well as some good ones.

Plusses:
. Monitor allows routing from the preamp, from the USB, or both. (The rationale for the "both" setting is that you will never be playing a record and a digital sound file at the same time, so it allows you to hear either without having to change the switch setting.)
. There is a block diagram of the internal signal routing on the bottom of the unit, which could prove valuable if it is used portably.
. The unit will run off USB power when hooked to a desktop computer. For portable laptop operation, plugging in the A/C power adapter (included) overrides USB power, preventing drain on laptop batteries.

Minuses:
. Gain control has too small a diameter to be easily moved small amounts, like you need to do in the Level Setting Wizard in Spin-It-Again.
. Jacks and ports on the back are labeled either in pine green or purple. All are virtually illegible. I had to use a magnifying glass and a flashlight to see where to hook up my turntable to it.

It's hard to read the Phono/Line and Rumble Filter In/Out labels. But each has a light that lights up when the button is pressed, so at least you can easily tell what state the button is in, even if you can't tell what it means.

I was very surprised that in a unit this expensive, no USB cable was included. It requires the "printer" type, with a square connector on the preamp end and a flat rectangular connector on the computer end.

With my computer powered on, I plugged in the USB cable from the Phono Plus. Lights on the preamp lit up! In a couple of minutes, everything was magically configured. I didn't have to do or install anything.

However, as I discovered later, this process "broke" my computer speakers. No sound would come out of them any more at all, from any source! I had to go into
Settings -> Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices, Audio tab, and change the Default Device back to my on-board sound. Hooking up the Phono Plus had changed this so all sound was routed through the USB back to the preamp! This includes the Windows startup music, and the "beep" that occurs when you hit a wrong key. (I am using Windows XP, the most basic Home Edition.)

When I was comparison shopping, I was unable to find the specs for this unit, even on the manufacturer's web site, so I thought I'd post them here.

Frequency Response: 10Hz - 50kHz, +/- 0.5dB
THD: .01% Typical @ 1kHz
Hum and Noise: >90dB below clipping
Input Impedance: 47k Ohms/100pF (phono); 270k Ohms (line)
Maximum Input Level: 40mVrms @ 1kHz (phono); +19dBu (line)
Maximum Gain: 45dB @1kHz (phono); +6dB (line)
Analog Output Connections: RCA (preamp line output); 1/8" (monitor/headphone output)
Maximum Output Level: +6dBu (1.4Vrms)
Filter Type/Response: Switchable, High Pass, -3dB @ 22Hz
A/D & D/A: 16 bit, 44.1kHz or 48kHz, USB selectable
Digital Audio Interface: TOSLINK in and out; S/PDIF coax (RCA) in
Computer Interface: USB 1.2 compliant, Windows 98SE or newer, Mac OS9.1 or newer
Power Requirements: 7-12VDC or 9-12VAC @ 150mA, or USB bus powered
Dimensions: 1.75"H x 4.2"W x 3.5"D (44.5mm x 107mm x 89mm)
Weight: 1.35 lbs. (0.61kg)
(Note: 0dBu = 0.775Vrms)

Additional spec-type information:
. Uses USB adaptive mode for playback and USB asynchronous mode for record.
. Preamp equalization is RIAA (although no spec or version number is given).
. Although I bought it to use with my turntable, it is also quite possible to digitize cassette tapes with it, using the Line inputs.

It comes with Audacity software on a CD-ROM.

Using the Phono Plus is extremely simple. Basically, hook up the two phono outputs and the phono ground wire. Hook up the USB cable to the computer.

At this point, fire up Spin-It-Again, hit Record A Vinyl LP, put a record on the turntable, and you're converting a record into a CD!

I've tried digitizing LP's using Sound Cards, external sound cards, and this. No question, this thing produces the most warm, natural, noise-free sound - and it's rediculously easy to use. The gain control is a big benefit - better than any control on any sound card I've tried - but it's the warm, full, natural sound that sold me on this thing.

Important to note that ART now sells USB Phone Plus v2 (V2 adds one very important feature - volume control for your headphone monitor), and that is what was delivered to me when I ordered from the vendor listed here (Shoreline Music) even though what is pictured here is not the V2 product The differences are small - basically it's the same housing, just an additional switch and volume control for your headphones - but you'll want to be sure you're getting the latest product.

I have a fairly large collection of classic rock and folk LP's. I have been wanting to transfer thier content to my computer and my mp3 player for some time. The ART USB audio interface is exactly what I needed.

I connected a high quality turntable/cartridge to the unit and was able to start ripping content immediately. I have stored content to my hard drive and my portable media player and am now enjoying these "forgotten treasures". The product has lived up to its marketing and I would recomend it to others wanting to digitize their analog audio media.

My goal has always been to be able to transfer into digital format, all types of analog archives I had: vinyl, tapes, some DAT tapes, and even the audio part material I wanted to rescue from some old TV content I had on some old VHS tapes. And my constant frustration has always been the same: I had to settle with either one of the two only two options I could find in the market.
One was to go the simple way, connecting directly any of the audio equipment through the built in audio input of a computer and use its own built-in A/D converter to obtain the transfer. This method never left me satisfied because somehow at some point of this "chain" some quality of sound was alway lost (may be a stereo pin jack for the connection was not as good as using an RCA stereo cable; or bypassing a turntable through a home preamp/receiver in order to convert phono signal into line signal carried also some slight amount of sound deterioration - may be just from the fact that middle priced average home equipment just works like that; or even the computer's own built-in A/D converter may not be the best quality available out there in the market).
So my other option if I wanted to insure best sound quality possible in carrying and converting the analog sound into digital, was having to go all the way to high end professional type of equipment sound cards or external interfaces, whose cost I found practically out of range for what I wanted to do; as besides the functions I needed, these type of devices usually also include a lot of other features that are useful only for musicians or studios (like XLR type inputs and outputs, mono channels, balanced, unbalanced, MIDI connections, bus through routhers ins and outs, etc.).
So, if you feel trapped in the same kind of crossroads and you are a type of user like me with those exact same needs I have, allow me to honestly and sincerely highly recommend you ART's USB PhonoPlus V2. Being very used to permanently purchase electronics and devices on the internet, to find out late that they don't work as expected and ending up always having to return them; while skeptical though still intrigued by the features this product declared, I risked to gave it a chance and purchased it to give it a try. And to my surprise it turned out to become one of those rare finds I run into only once in a while.
This product is a gem, and the cost/benefit of what you pay for versus what you get, I can say it's the best one I've ever found out there in the market.
It comes with exactly the types of inputs that you need for these types of tasks, not more, not less. There's dedicated line in, phono in, and even Toslink digital. And it shows (actually - sounds!) that the manufacturer has picked really good components for the internal circuitry; as the sound you obtain when you digitally record in your computer, is a crystal perfect impeccable copy of whatever you can hear in the analog source that is reproduced.
The rest is all up to you in "post sound processing", depending on however you best like to do your own sound cleaning/restoration and using whatever best software suits you for your taste; but you can rest assure that at least the "raw master" digital sound format you will "capture" with this device will have nothing to envy to the one you could get using a high end recording facility.
I'd like to honestly commend the ART people for thinking, developing and putting out a product like this. Completely satisfied customer here.

The ART USB Phono Plus is unique - at least I have found no competition.

It serves as a fine phono preamp stage to connect an LP turntable to the modern A/V receivers that no longer have a phono preamp built-in.

And it allows me to play a record, digitize it, and run it in to my PC via its USB port. Wow! That is cool. Sure the PC needs the right software to take the digitized files and do something with them, but the ART USB Phono Plus does the difficult first step. And it is easy!

And, icing on the cake, it is a bargain. Until I got it and tried it, I couldn't believe it.

So, if this thing does what you need, get it! There is no choice and no need for choice. This gizmo is that good.

If you're shopping for a device to help transfer your vinyl collection to mp3 or other digital format, look no further. I've been wanting to transfer my collection of 300+ albums to mp3, but didn't want to move my AV receiver to my PC or vice versa for this prolonged project. I've shopped for a good, small phono preamp but none of them had the ideal features for this type of work. This one does:

1) Headphone jack with volume control to monitor LP playback

2) Output level control with signal and clip indicator (vital!)

3) Analog to digital conversion with USB output (other digital outputs available too).

4) High quality phono preamp

5) Phono grounding post

Combine this affordable device with the excellent Spin It Again software and you've got a conversion setup that's hard to beat. One thing to be aware of... when this device is connected to a Vista machine, Vista will certainly recognize it as a USB audio input device, but will likely classify it as a microphone! If Vista does this, it will end up in MONO mode. You'll need to go into the settings for the device via the Sound control panel and change it to stereo, 16-bit, 44kHz.

I tried using the ART USB Phono Plus with a new iMac (Aluminum case), but was unsuccessful. Roughly a third of the way into recording an LP and a terrible hum would develop. It would then be necessary to shut down the iMac in order to get rid of the hum. ART shipped me another unit under warranty, but I continued to have the same problem. I tried various cables, each of the three USB ports on the back of the computer, etc. No luck. I've since purchased the (much higher priced) RME Fireface 400 and have been extremely satisfied by the quality 96kHz/24bit recordings I've made of my better LPs. I've been using Amadeus Pro on the Mac as recording software after finding Audio Hijack Pro extremely buggy at higher sampling rates. For me the Audacity software had a rather cumbersome interface.

Immensely satisfied with this gadget which connects easily to my turntable and tape player - no tuner required - and then to my PC albeit with a somewhat pricey USB cable. Best to have a set of earphones (not earbuds) to synchronize and edit recordings. Software upload is straightforward and with a few tries recording and editing are intuitive. The recorded files need a player, of course, but the files can be downloaded to mp3 format so I am able to burn a CD or transfer to my iPod. I was concerned that my cassette tapes would have deteriorated but by and large the quality is unaffected by the passage of time. A little crackle and pop from the vinyl, most of which is 40 years old is just fine.

My search for a way to digitize my albums began about a month ago when I saw an ad for a product for $16. I was intrigued, but knew that it could not be very good for that price. Some research resulted in a purchase through Amazon of the ART USB Phono Plus. The box that I received had a defect (the head-phone jack had a short and I had to wiggle the plug to allow me to hear without buzz, hum and feedback). I was able to get past this and transfer some music. (It also appeared that the package had been opened so there may have been more problems).

My first recording had some very fast musical riffs and was a challenging piece to record. The ART unit was easy to set up as was Audacity, the recording software that comes with it. The initial quality of the recording was good, certainly acceptable. However, I experienced a slurring problem. That is, the tempo of the music slowed then sped up, as though it was catching up with itself. I rerecorded the song several times and continued to experience this problem.

This could be hardware problem with my desktop (Dell Pentium 4 - 2.4 with 512mb of memory). I was concerned that I may not have enough memory to keep up with the recording. I decided to upgrade my memory, but I needed to return the product due to the defective head-phone jack. I found out that because this shipped not from Amazon but from a 3rd party firm, I could only return the ART box, not get a replacement. I would need to purchase another. This led me to look to other products (e.g. a digital turntable or other digitizing products).

There are not many high-end alternatives to the ART box, but I did not want to buy a new turntable since I had a pretty good one already. As an alternative, I found the PRO-JECT Phono Box II USB. This was significantly more expensive ($170 vs. $70 for the ART box) but seemed to be focused at the higher end audiophile. I took a chance and bought the PRO-JECT box.

I added one gig of memory to my Dell. So the results of using the PRO-JECT box cannot be directly compared to the results of using the ART box. The PRO-JECT box is much studier than the ART box (metal vs. plastic). It is heavier and feels industrial strength (but it should for an additional $100. The ART box has volume control - I'm not sure if this affects recording levels or just the headphones; the PRO-JECT box did not have this feature. Also, the PRO-JECT box did not have a head-phone jack. I had to use the phono-out RCA jacks with a couple of adapters (which fortunately I had laying around) to get my headphones to work with PRO-JECT box.

Bottom line: the recordings from the PRO-JECT box are great, which in the end, is what I was looking for. No slurring (which may be due to the increased memory, or because it is a better box than the ART - I can't tell). If you have the ART box and experience the slurring problem, try upgrading the memory in your PC. If you are a true audiophile, go for the PRO-JECT box because it is a nice piece of equipment. Otherwise, the ART box is a good solution (exclusive of the slurring problem - has any else had this problem?).

On a final note, another reviewer noted that their desktop speakers could not be used while the ART box was plugged into the USB port. I had the same problem but did not take the time to find a solution. Not surprisingly, I found the same situation with the PRO-JECT box. The solution is in the configuration of sound and audio processing on the PC. Go to control panel, select "Sounds and Audio Devices", then click on the `Audio" tab. In the sound playback section, select your sound card, in the sound recording section, select the USB (ART or PRO-JECT) input device. When you are recording, Audacity will pump the sound to your speakers. (Note - in the Audacity set up, you need to select that you want the recording to be simultaneously played-back). When not recording, Audacity will not play the input from the turntable. So if you just want to play an album on the turntable and hear it on your PC's speakers, you should just buy a digital turntable.