Fix variable speed in vinyl recording

[soneil12]

OK Gurus. I've been using Audition / Cool Edit Pro for years but I've come across something that has me stumped. I use Audition for recording vinyl records on to my computer. Usually it's pretty straight forward but I've encountered a problem with one record that I don't know an easy fix for.

This particular record is fine on the A side. On the B side, however, everything is slightly off centre. Almost as though the record wasn't quite in the centre when the record was being cut. The result is that the record doesn't rotate evenly. While it's playing you can see it wobble as it rotates. So with every rotation the music speeds up and slows down slightly. Just enough to sound annoying (even though it's almost perfectly in time with the beat due to the rotation speed almost matching the bpm of the song).

Is there an easy way to adjust the speed to get it consistent? The only ways I can think of would be too difficult to be viable.

[emmrecs]

From within Audition I suspect the only way to correct these anomolies is to highlight each speed "variation" and attempt to correct it using the "Time and Pitch>Automatic Pitch Correction" (if you're very lucky) or the "Manual Pitch Correction" facility.  Either way it is not going to be at all easy!

OTOH, are you aware of Celemony Capstan?   This is very expensive software whose entire purpose is to resolve problems like yours!  You are most unlikely, I think, to want to consider purchasing it but the manufacturer does offer a 5 day rental service if this particular B-side is of great importance to you.

HTH

Jeff

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

Capstan is a good, if not fearfully expensive, solution, certainly. And just about the only software one available unless you go down the Cedar route, which is equally expensive and also means laying out on some hardware. Ouch...

If it really is a cyclic error, then the much, much cheaper solution is to enlarge the centre hole of the record slightly (use a reamer) and reposition it by hand on the TT until there's no arm swinging. The record is unlikely to move once positioned correctly, but if it does, then place a small weight on the label.

[soneil12]

I did consider repositioning the spindle hole as I've done before but the problem in this case is that the grooves only seems to be off centre on one side. The other side plays fine. So fixing the B side would ruin the A side. Just going to have to put up with it I guess since I wouldn't get something expensive for one record.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

It wouldn't ruin it - it would just mean that you'd have to centre that side up as well when you play it.