Product Description

The ART USBPHONOPLUS V2 is a long awaited solution to the problem of expensive USB interfaces that don't have phono preamps.The PhonoPLUS V2 is designed with DJs for DJs. Not only can you use it as a USB audio interface, but it can also be used as a standard low noise phono preamp, converting the low phono level into a line level signal.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #308 in Musical Instruments
• Color: black
• Brand: ART
• Model: USBPHONOV2
• Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, 1.80 pounds

Features

• Transfer your LPs and Cassettes to CD with the USBPhonoPlus V2
• Turntable or other analog source can be hooked up directly to included interface for noise-free transfer quality
• Optical TOSLINK inputs and outputs as well as S/PDIF inputs
• Includes a CD-ROM which with a complete copy of the audio recording utility Audacity to maximize the quality of your recordings!
• Allow the USBPhonoPlus v2 to act as a convenient digital audio to USB interface as well

Customer Reviews

Unique product, solid build, very versatile. ART deserves some kind of prize for this.
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.

Terrific Solution to Digitizing
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.

LP's to MP3's
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.