How to play back an analog record on a tablet?

[john2in3]

Is it possible to play back an analog record using a tablet? The tablets I have seen do not have audio input jacks that I can see (other than a mono channel for voice/telephone on a combined 3 signal input/output minijack), nor USB interfaces to accept data? Nor have I see any tablet apps to accept music data from external analog sources and play it back.

 

I would like to hook my record player to an RIAA preamp, preamp output to a tablet (somehow) and listen to records on the tablet using some common application.

 

I do not want to digitize the records and drop them into a library, I just want to play the analog records live. This is because I have a lot of DJ friends with huge collections and we visit each other and play one-another's records quite a bit to see if we are interested in buying the records. And we all have tablets and RIAA preamps. EDIT- yes I know we all have playback systems but these are often boxed up for travel or unavailable in so I am interested in doing it through a tablet, and also lets not forget that it would also be quite a nifty thing to do.

 

Anyone know of a solution?

[iago]

The only possibility would be a USB audio interface. I have seen solutions from RME and Alesis marketed for iPad, but they are ... expensive. Focusrite has something that is more affordable. I believe you need iOS 6 for this to work.

 

Android devices may not yet be ready for mobile recording yet.

 

I know you are not interested in permanently archiving the tracks, but this would at least get the signal into the tablet. Monitoring via the built in speakers might be an option.

 

A portable amplifier or a headphone amplifier might be a more useful solution, even if the coolness factor is near absolute zero.

[Paul R]

MM- the way *I* would do that is to take along a Mac Mini (or a Cubox, etc.). Feed the analog input into the computer and have the computer rebroadcast the audio over bluetooth or Airplay. Simple, and the tablet isn't tethered to anything.

 

-Paul

[Audio_ELF]

Alesis iO Hub iOS/USB Audio interface is a budget solution for audio recording which may do what you need...

[gmgraves]

Is it possible to play back an analog record using a tablet? The tablets I have seen do not have audio input jacks that I can see (other than a mono channel for voice/telephone on a combined 3 signal input/output minijack), nor USB interfaces to accept data? Nor have I see any tablet apps to accept music data from external analog sources and play it back.

 

I would like to hook my record player to an RIAA preamp, preamp output to a tablet (somehow) and listen to records on the tablet using some common application.

 

I do not want to digitize the records and drop them into a library, I just want to play the analog records live. This is because I have a lot of DJ friends with huge collections and we visit each other and play one-another's records quite a bit to see if we are interested in buying the records. And we all have tablets and RIAA preamps. EDIT- yes I know we all have playback systems but these are often boxed up for travel or unavailable in so I am interested in doing it through a tablet, and also lets not forget that it would also be quite a nifty thing to do.

 

Anyone know of a solution?

 

 

I don't see how you could mount a tone arm and cartridge on a tablet.

[Allan F]

I don't see how you could mount a tone arm and cartridge on a tablet.

 

George, I think the platter would present a greater challenge.

[gmgraves]

A portable amplifier or a headphone amplifier might be a more useful solution, even if the coolness factor is near absolute zero.

 

Seriously, this makes the most sense. Trying to play a record through a tablet LIVE is so complex as to be practically useless. First you need a phono preamp (and, of course , a turntable, arm, and cartridge), then you need to digitize the output of that phono preamp and output that digital signal as USB (although, in all honesty, there are phono preamps which output USB directly). Then you need to find an app for the tablet that will play streaming audio from a USB input. A portable amp is a much better idea. Does the whole rig need to be battery powered? If not, think about buying a used integrated amp - hopefully with a phono input and a headphone jack.

[Audio_ELF]

Something like this? -- The Office Turntable

[gmgraves]

George, I think the platter would present a greater challenge.

 

 

Nah, he could just spin the platter on one of the tablet's corners! Mounting the arm is definitely the bigger challenge here, I think.

[iago]

With cameras built into mobile phones in the multi-mega-pixel range it must be possible to photograph and scan records soon. That would be a cool app!

[gmgraves]

Something like this? -- The Office Turntable

 

 

Sorry, I can't get this link to load. Anyone else have that problem?

[bluesman]

If you only want to hear the music to see if you like it, and you're not going to be critical of sound quality, use a guitar practice app with interface, like Amplitude iRig, the Peavey AmpKit or this one:

 

They're dirt cheap, simple to use, and not too shabby on the sonics if you use 'phones instead of the onboard "speakers". The sound on my Kindle Fire HD isn't bad, but my iPhone just doesn't cut it as a playback system.

 

You'll need an adapter or a cable with the right terminations to connect your RCA line outs to a 1/4" jack. This iRig is typical of them all in appearance and function:

 

 

or the iRiff Port to connect:

 

Then put a practice amp app on your tablet or phone and you're ready to rock (or tango, or tarantelle, or polka, or minuet, or whatever you want to do...)

[Allan F]

Sorry, I can't get this link to load. Anyone else have that problem?

 

No. Could it be a firewall issue?

[SeeHear]

If you have the RIAA amp, why not use a portable headphone amp like an RSA SR-71?

[bluesman]

If you have the RIAA amp, why not use a portable headphone amp like an RSA SR-71?

Yeah - that occurred to me too. I assume he's trying to avoid having to carry both a headphone amp and the 'phones themselves. But if the alternative is to carry an adapter like the iRig or iRiff along with the tablet, it's not much more of a burden to carry a tiny amplified speaker instead.

 

I'm told that the Ray Samuels pieces are excellent, but they're also pricey. Even the Tomahawk (the least expensive of them) is $300. You can get an excellent FiiO or NuForce headphone amp for under $100, and both are even powerful enough to drive computer speakers for the OPs stated purpose.

[gmgraves]

No. Could it be a firewall issue?

 

 

Could be. Didn't think of that as I rarely have a problem with web-sites loading. I'll check it out. Thanks

[DaQi]

Okay, why not an app that takes a high-res picture of the vinyl surface and electronically reads the grooves?

 

I believe some years ago I read about some sort of device that would read vinyl without touching it. Should be easy enough to just connect that to our idevice and away we go.