Vinyl restoration for Raspberry Pi

Your records.
A clearer listen.

Give your turntable a dedicated restoration companion. VinylRest Live Pi reduces clicks, crackle and surface noise as you listen, with controls and album artwork in the browser on your phone, tablet or computer.

Download the Pi Beta image ↓Read the user manual

Beta image 1.00.lin.b1-23 RC1 · 459 MB download · 8 GB or larger microSD card

Live Pi restoring a record at 48 kHz / 24-bit, with live meters, automatic repair and Activity diagnostics.

Built for the listening roomAudio runs on the Pi. Control it from your favourite screen.

Independent Auto controlsClicks, crackle and noise adapt to the record.

Find it with DiscoveryOpen the Pi without looking up its network address.

Start at 48 kHz / 24-bitThe recommended balance for complete Pi restoration.

Download the Beta

Put Live Pi on your microSD card

Download the compressed image and select it directly in Raspberry Pi Imager as a custom image. Follow the first-boot guide to connect the Pi and find it with VinylRest Discovery.

Download the Pi Beta image ↓Installation instructions →SHA-256 checksum

Current image: 1.00.lin.b1-23 RC1 · 459 MB compressed / 7.26 GB expanded · microSD card of at least 8 GB.

Writing the image erases the selected card. The image contains no activated license; request Beta access or activate your existing Live license after startup.

Lower the stylus. Enjoy the music.

A small appliance with a complete restoration toolkit

Keep it beside your hi-fi. A compatible USB interface receives the signal from your phono stage and sends the restored stereo output to your amplifier.

Clicks and crackle

Independent DeClick and DeCrackle controls let you choose manual correction or let Auto follow the condition of the record.

Surface-noise reduction

Choose NR S150 or S200. Live can learn a one-second noise profile from the lead-in and use automatic grade-dependent limits.

Hear the difference

Compare Repaired with Original, or listen to removed clicks and noise to judge how much correction your music needs.

Vinyl conditioning

Optional Subsonic filtering and Bass mono help manage very low-frequency energy and the stereo bass content.

Visible repair activity

Watch sixty seconds of repaired-audio history, output levels and an independent audio-based media grade.

Made for everyday use

Saved settings, an independent Configurator, support diagnostics and signed updates keep maintenance within reach.

Full-screen Now Playing with recognised artwork, track details, media grade and live stereo meters.

Let the cover take the stage

A display that belongs beside your records

Now Playing brings recognised artwork, artist, title and album information to your listening position. Expand the cover for a full-screen display with output meters, or return to Activity to inspect the restoration.

Music recognition uses an Internet connection. The browser controls the appliance; the restored sound comes from the Pi's USB audio interface.

Explore the dashboard

VinylRest Discovery

From power-on
to your browser.

Start the PiLet the appliance finish booting on your local network.
Open DiscoveryYour verified Live appliances appear by name and address.
Choose your destinationOpen in Browser for Live, or System Maintenance for setup.

Find it again after a network or address change with Refresh.

No IP address to remember

Find your Pi with VinylRest Discovery

VinylRest Live Discovery finds the appliance on your network and opens the right page in your default browser. Use it after the first boot, after an update, or whenever the Pi's address changes.

The Mac download supports Apple silicon and Intel on macOS 13 or later. You can also open the Pi's address directly from any browser on the same trusted network.

Download Discovery for Mac ↓Discovery instructions

The Configurator brings appliance setup and hardware-aware sample-rate selection into the browser.

Setup without a terminal

Your appliance, configured from a browser

Set the network, timezone and audio sample rate, manage administrator access, install an update or download a diagnostic report. The Configurator remains available independently of the audio engine and license.

Begin at 48 kHz / 24-bit. On Pi 5, 88.2 and 96 kHz retain correction of ordinary clicks, DeCrackle and NR, while the more demanding click families are disabled.

Meet the Configurator

Build your listening chain

System requirements

Raspberry Pi 5 is strongly recommended. Use at least 1 GB of RAM and an 8 GB or larger microSD card. Add one USB audio interface and control everything from a browser.

Pi, memory and storage

Raspberry Pi 5 — strongly recommended, especially for a new setup.
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B — a limited-performance option if you already own one. Its processing headroom is substantially lower.
1 GB RAM minimum.
8 GB microSD card minimum, with the VinylRest Live Pi image.
A microSD card reader and a computer for writing the image.

Start at 48 kHz / 24-bit. Pi 4 is limited to 48 kHz and needs careful stability checks with your settings and records. Pi 5 also offers 44.1, 88.2 and 96 kHz, subject to interface support. Higher rates on Pi 5 reduce the available click-processing families.

Power, case and cooling

Pi 5: official Raspberry Pi 27W USB-C Power Supply.
Pi 4: official Raspberry Pi 15W USB-C Power Supply.
A case made for your Pi model, with adequate ventilation and cooling. Active cooling is recommended for sustained audio processing.

The power budget must also cover USB-powered audio hardware. An interface with its own power supply must use that supply.

One USB audio interface

Use a Linux-compatible USB audio interface with simultaneous stereo line input and stereo output, supporting a common native 48 kHz / 24-bit format.

Input and output must be on the same device. The appliance uses one shared hardware clock; separate USB input and output devices are not a supported setup. Do not combine a USB input with the Pi's HDMI or analogue output.

Connect your phono preamplifier to the interface inputs, and its outputs to your amplifier or powered speakers. Include the appropriate USB and audio cables.

Network and browser

Wi-Fi or Ethernet on a trusted local network.
A computer, tablet or phone with a modern browser on that network. No screen or keyboard needs to stay attached to the Pi.
Internet access for license activation and validation, updates and music recognition.

Request Beta access or activate an existing Live key from the License page. Pi and Mac installations share the same Live license allowance.

USB audio interface references

ESI Amber i1

The compact interface shown in our screenshots. USB-powered, with stereo RCA line inputs and balanced 6.35 mm TRS line outputs.

Use the rear line inputs from your phono preamplifier and select the computer playback signal for monitoring.

ESI Amber i1 — manufacturer product page ↗

MOTU UltraLite-mk5

A USB-C interface with six rear balanced 6.35 mm TRS line inputs and ten analogue outputs, including the Main Out pair. It uses an external power supply.

Select one stereo line-input pair and one stereo output pair in Live. Check the interface's internal routing so you hear the processed USB return, not a direct input mix.

MOTU UltraLite-mk5 — manufacturer product page ↗ · Official user guide ↗

These are hardware references, not a guarantee for every firmware and sample-rate combination. Confirm the input/output routing and stable playback with the Beta on your own setup.

Audio chain: turntable → phono preamplifier → USB interface / Live Pi → amplifier or powered speakers. A separate phono preamplifier is not needed if your turntable already supplies a suitable line-level signal.

Read the setup checklist →

Private network: Live and the Configurator use HTTP without a browser login. Use a trusted LAN and keep their ports closed to the Internet.

The complete guide

From the first boot to your next record

The illustrated manual covers Discovery, licensing, calibration, automatic restoration, settings, updates and recovery.

Open the Live Pi manual →First boot & Discovery

Your records.A clearer listen.