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Rip your LPs! Get a USB turntable for $32.99

The Vibe Sound VS-2002-SPK not only plays records, but also rips them to digital formats.

The Vibe Sound VS-2002-SPK not only plays records, but also rips them to digital formats.

(Credit: Geeks.com)

Are you sitting on a stack of LP and/or 45 records? Or maybe you’ve gotten swept up in vinyl’s resurgence, and you’re looking for a way to convert some new platters to a more mobile format. Whatever the case, you need a USB turntable.

In other words, a record player that feeds audio not just to your stereo, but also to your PC. In the past (and, in some cases, the present), these gizmos sold for around $ 100, but Geeks.com has the Vibe Sound VS-2002-SPK USB turntable for $ 32.99. Shipping adds around $ 8.

The VS-2002-SPK can play 33-, 45-, and 78-rpm records. It features RCA-out jacks for connecting to your stereo, a USB port for connecting to your PC or Mac, and built-in speakers for listening to your tunes old-school.

The actual process of converting albums into MP3s can be complicated, as you have to manually break one long recording into individual files–or start and stop the LP (and the recording software) after each track. A little more automation would be great, and I reckon there’s software out there that’ll provide it–but it’s not included here.

Instead, you get freeware favorite Audacity–a great program, but not particularly user-friendly. And from what I’ve read about the VS-2002-SPK, the included manual is barely worth the paper it’s printed on. So this is not a great solution for tech-challenged users.

Even so, I probably have 50 old albums collecting dust, and many of them (early Police, nearly every Bill Cosby album) I never got around to replacing with MP3s. For 40 bucks and a few hours of my time, I can make my vinyl past live again. I’m verrrry tempted. You?

Bonus deal: Beware cheap tablets! I’ll talk more about this in the future, but if you see a 7-inch, no-brand Android tablet selling for under $ 100, steer clear. I’ve test-tapped a bunch of these, and they’re all terrible. I realize that’s not actually a bonus deal, just something I’ve been meaning to mention. Sooo…

Bonus deal #2: From now through my birthday, Oct. 13, my buds at AppSumo are holding a contest. The prize: a free 50GB Dropbox account for life. The only requirement for entry: your e-mail address. Hmmm, that’s not really a deal, either. One more try…

Bonus deal #3: In honor of Steve Jobs’ passing, this seems appropriate: AT&T has the 1st-generation 64GB iPad Wi-Fi + 3G for $ 479.99 shipped–just about the lowest price ever on the top-end iPad 1. It’s new, not refurbished. For comparison’s sake, the 16GB, Wi-Fi-only iPad 2 sells for $ 499.


The Cheapskate

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