Good Lp Recording?, Need advice on LP to CD-RW setup Options

[Thebookdoc]

I do a lot with computers having a background in image editing, but I am pretty new to digital audio (in the recording sense). I was a hi-fi enthusiast in my teens and collected some 1500 LPs that I'd like to transfer to CD. I can stand doing it slowly over a period of years, but need some advice on hooking the stereo into the computer and making the digital conversion -- I'm OK burning the CDs. I've a pretty nice audio setup with a preamp, and assume I can hook to the G4 with one of the various outs from the preamp. However, that is where the magic stops. Then I start making assumptions. Here's obviously where I need help.

1. I would assume I can get an RCA IN PCI card? If so, recommendations? I can't seem to find what I am looking for, most being digital OUTs.

2. Software recommendations for analog/digital conversion? I would want to do limited editing at this point -- and perhaps none (pops and clicks -- similar to where I started with digital image editing).

Or is there a better way? I assume I'd not really need a mixer of any sort considering the preamp.

In the long run, I might want to do some recording. I have an old 4 track TEAC reel-to-reel, and used to do some audio production in an analog environment, but that was back in the college radio station. Perhaps there are suggestions for a simple system with potential for upgrade?

Thanks...forgive my ignorance if this is easier than it seems.

Richard

[gregaber]

Here's another option based on what I've learned in the past 24 hours....

I ended up buying an Edirol UA20 from the Apple Store. It enables you to run either a guitar, mic, MIDI instrument, or Line In from your stereo into your Mac's USB port so you don't need the audio-in card.

The USB port is used to both power the UA20 and transfer the audio into whatever application running on your Mac. Somewhere I also read the USB channel does not have near as much noise as the microphone port on computers. Not sure how true this is, but it certainly helps those who do not have a microphone port.

It's a perfect solution for me because it does everything I need and have a minimal amount of cables/hardware involved.