RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ?

Hi, Ross:

A couple of comments regarding the use of the Alesis Masterlink ML-9600:

First of all, someone else mentioned that with the 30 GB drive @ 44.1 sampling that they only got "3.5" hours of recording time? Nonsense! You get far greater amount of time on that machine recording at say 44.1 kHz and 20-bit rate.

I believe that the Alesis Masterlink ML-9600 is not only a superb tool for live recording (I use it often for such purposes), but the converters in it, albeit a bit old by now, are more than decent for such tasks as recording from your lps. What I like about the machine is that it is mostly so all-inclusive. Everything you need is right there in one package. The basic drawback was that Alesis never brought out a series 2 with other features,such as USB connectivity, etc. It might be cool to add some of the famed Alesis reverb functions, too! They also could have placed a second drive right inside the same box, because if you have ever open up an ML-9600, there is more than sufficient space for one. What irks me and others is that if you are unfortuante enough to place a blank CDR in the drawer upside-down, the machine will not immediately reject the disk. There is an unpublished routine to get the ML-9600 to spit out the disk. They should have included this as a trouble-shooting routine in the owner's manual for goodness sake! One time, because I did not know how to get the disk out, I dismantled much of the deck and actually removed the disk drive and opened it up to remove the upside-down silver CDR. What a pain that was! Then, after bugging Alesis for the correct way to reject the disk, they told me about holding down a couple of buttons simultaneously! I also asked them why in the world they never provided what we call "pin-hole access" from the front panel to mechanically reject a trapped disk! DUMB! Too much cost involved in re-tooling the machine? Sure!

When I transfer from vinyl sources to the Masterlink, I sometimes use a Yamaha C-50 preamp, which is not only dead quiet, but has options to specially load the cartridge, if that matters to you. (It matters to me!) I often transfer old 78's and when doing so, select a proper preamp with the correct eq curves for that task.

The other secret weapon I use for lp transer is to use one of my vintage Shure Brothers M-65 tube phono preamps. They sound absolutely terrific!

With a Masterlink ML-9600, you can select any combination of sampling and bit depth you want, though I hardly ever go beyond say 48 kHz and 20-bit. I never use 24/96. You can increase or decrease overall gain, change eq any way you want, insert limiting and compresion to your heart's or ear's content, etc. Splitting tracks is easily done. Also, there are options of quick editing, cutting a track into several portions, removing the track you have created containing the noise you want deleted, and then re-combining the elements together as one.

BTW, you should hear the master recordings I get on my Masterlink from live concerts I am hired to record here in the SF / Bay Area!

This weekend I have this to capture: http://www.musicatkohl.org/

And the Masterlink ML-9600 will be there, along with my Aphex 1100 mic preamp and a pair of lovely new Milab DC-196 microphones.

Can it get any better than that?

You tell me!

Richard Links
Links Sound
Berkeley, CA

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - Ross 05:01:04 03/14/12 (30)

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - NoTechnics 09:06:53 03/16/12 (0)

There's another option.... - StephenJK 05:56:54 03/16/12 (1)

RE: There's another option.... - WOStantonCS100 06:53:12 03/16/12 (0)

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - Roastaman 14:07:32 03/15/12 (0)

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - WOStantonCS100 13:41:05 03/15/12 (0)

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - Marantzguy 12:51:56 03/15/12 (5)

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - pguezze 08:56:40 07/15/21 (0)

the 3.5 hours thing - rlindsa 14:12:10 03/15/12 (3)

RE: the 3.5 hours thing, again! - Marantzguy 18:04:15 03/15/12 (2)

where can I buy new HDs for the Masterlink? - rlindsa 19:37:23 03/15/12 (1)

RE: where can I buy new HDs for the Masterlink? - Marantzguy 16:31:14 03/16/12 (0)

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - WOStantonCS100 12:48:04 03/15/12 (1)

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - Monchi 15:14:27 03/15/12 (0)

I have one and it may be the best thing since sliced bread for digitizing analog sources, but... - J. S. Bach 03:56:45 03/15/12 (0)

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - cactuscowboy@bresnan.net 12:06:17 03/14/12 (0)

I recently bought a used one - rlindsa 11:56:05 03/14/12 (0)

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - Lew 06:53:42 03/14/12 (0)

Look at Pure Vinyl - bwb 06:37:38 03/14/12 (12)

Potential drawbacks.... - kuma 09:27:33 03/14/12 (8)

Not so... - Kenny B 21:59:44 03/14/12 (3)

RE: Not so... - kuma 00:33:18 03/15/12 (2)

RE: Not so... - Kenny B 15:56:21 03/15/12 (0)

RE: Not so... - Kenny B 15:40:38 03/15/12 (0)

RE: Potential drawbacks.... - bwb 11:41:08 03/14/12 (3)

Which DAC are you using to play back the 24/192 files? - kuma 12:56:38 03/14/12 (2)

RME Fireface 400 - bwb 20:36:35 03/14/12 (1)

ah..I think I've a few rips made from RME Fireface... - kuma 21:55:00 03/14/12 (0)

Especially if you don't have a Mac. - morinix 08:44:37 03/14/12 (2)

RE: Especially if you don't have a Mac. - bwb 11:44:21 03/14/12 (1)

RE: Especially if you don't have a Mac. - pguezze 08:59:33 07/15/21 (0)

Follow Ups

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - Marantzguy 12:51:56 03/15/12 (5)

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ? - pguezze 08:56:40 07/15/21 (0)

the 3.5 hours thing - rlindsa 14:12:10 03/15/12 (3)

RE: the 3.5 hours thing, again! - Marantzguy 18:04:15 03/15/12 (2)

where can I buy new HDs for the Masterlink? - rlindsa 19:37:23 03/15/12 (1)

RE: where can I buy new HDs for the Masterlink? - Marantzguy 16:31:14 03/16/12 (0)

RE: Is the Alesis Masterlink still the gold standard for vinyl ripping ?

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