However, you can't just run your speaker wires to your computer. Before I get too deep in the gory details of digital to audio conversion, I should mention that either this process can be done relatively inexpensively, or you can spend thousands of dollars on equipment. A great deal of the cost depends on how important audio fidelity is to your ears. Everyone's taste is different, and this is doubly true for audiophiles, so it pays to shop around and read product reviews. Try to strike a reasonable balance between sound quality and cost to avoid disappointment and frustration.
Most computers arrive with soundcards preinstalled.
Soundcards are usually bundled with audio recording software to turn the analog signal entering the card into a digital file on your hard drive. However, in order to eliminate audio imperfections such as the sound of the needle dropping down onto the record, you may want to get a more advanced digital audio editor such as Cool Edit or sonicWORX Basic instead. You will also need cables to run the signal from the pre-amp to the soundcard. The plugs are often of different types, so you may need to play around with audio plug converters before you can get the signal to the software. Once you are able to record audio signals from the phonograph to the hard drive, you are ready to purchase a CD-ROM burner .