Sony Reader Touch @ Best Buy $299.99
Computer help: Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio
Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio
by Robert K - 1/28/05 5:28 AM In reply to: Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio by seyabyeIf you are fortunate enough to have a Soundblaster sound card you have all you need to convert your cassette tapes or even old vinyl LPs to wav or mp3 formats. Cassette tapes are the easiest in that all you need to do is connect a cable between the “Tape Out” jacks on the cassette deck and the “Line In” jack on your computer sound card (usually the blue jack on the computer). The cable has 2 RCA Plugs on one side and a stereo mini phone plug on the other.
Occasionally there are problems getting the sound from the “Line In” to work. This is usually a setting in the computer which can be corrected.
Open the Creative Wave Studio (Soundblaster only) or other audio recording software, queue your tape, and press Record on the computer. Experiment with audio recording levels. It is better to record with the levels a little low than too high. Levels too high will cause distortion. Most wav editors offer a feature called “Normalize” which will basically correct the audio level.
If you'd like to record from viny, you will have to connect the turntable to a stereo receiver that has phono inputs, and connect the cable from the computer Line In to the "Tape Out" jacks on the receiver.
Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio
by nandkisham - 1/28/05 5:43 AM In reply to: Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio by seyabyeyou need a combination of hardware and software for your job.
1. This is a External USB HW device(size of a small router) that takes your RCA inputs from a tapedeck.
2. You can also get a PCI Card which has RCA inputs.
You can use the softwares provided with the above HW for basic conversion of analog data to digital. For addvanced level editing, you can use softwares like Sound Edit Pro or Sound Forge.
regards,
Nandu
Converting Cassette tape to digital audio
by betomtz - 1/28/05 6:11 AM In reply to: Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio by seyabyeGood news!
I just learn this too, very simple, free software.
Download "Audacity", look in google, you will find it.
Then download a decoder to convert digital audio in to a MP3,(lame3.97a3 is a good one, www.free-codecs.com) once you got in in mp3, is best to erase the recording itself, takes too much space, unless you have plenty. One thing I didnt master is how to separate tracks in Audacity, and regulate the volume. but didn't try much. If you learn how, let me know. betomtz@juno.com
Converting tapes to pc
by starworth - 1/28/05 6:26 AM In reply to: Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio by seyabyeThe one I have is Audio Cleaning Lab 3.0, but there are others I'm sure. Go to Worldstart.com and in their computer tips archives are instructions on how to set it up from your stereo or tape player to your pc. Also, I have a copy of it myself, so if you email me, I can email it to you.
Goodluck Shirleyjean
Converting audio tapes to pc
by rbarkley - 1/30/05 10:14 AM In reply to: Converting tapes to pc by starworthI too have used Audio Cleaning Lab 3.0 for a couple of years and love its ability to define the individual "cuts" on a tape and the way you can set the record time so you can start a tape and leave the project knowing it will stop when the cassette is finished. I can then "clean" the recorded cuts to remove tape hiss and adjust for optimum gain, plus make other adjustments as needed before saving to hard drive in either wav or mp3 format.
need free music related software plz any1
by lewiscaddy - 10/17/08 6:36 AM In reply to: Converting tapes to pc by starworthiv been serching for this 4 time so if uv got it cld u e.mail it to me on lewiscaddy@live.co.uk am wanting a dvd to mp4 converter if uv got it
tapes to computer
by redbaron409 - 11/24/08 1:15 PM In reply to: Converting tapes to pc by starworthHello, if you could e.mail your copy that would be good.
Regards
Redbaron
Converting Audiobooks on cassett to CD for use in cars
by steves145 - 1/28/05 6:30 AM In reply to: Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio by seyabyeHas anyone successfully done this with audio tapes as opposed to music. audio tape typically go on for 45 minutes or more solid. If so what process and software did you use and what format you saved the file as on the cd. I have a 2004 ford and the cd player in it appears not to understand mp3 from the owners manual. Thanks for any assistance.
sksmith1@ix.netcom.com
Converting Audiobooks on cassett to CD for use in cars
by kbeckwith - 1/28/05 6:43 AM In reply to: Converting Audiobooks on cassett to CD for use in cars by steves145I do this all the time as I record messages for my church and make CDs of them for people. I use Adobe Audition to record on the computer, then save it as a wave file. Any program that will record to the computer will work. The wave file is used to burn an audio CD which will play on any CD player, car players included.
Converting Audiobooks on cassett to CD for use in cars
by cdcdawg - 1/28/05 3:05 PM In reply to: Converting Audiobooks on cassett to CD for use in cars by steves145The method is the same as with music, record on the cd as an audio or music cd. The oldest format, one that will more than likely play in your car is CD-DA and most of your burner programs will use it. I use the Polderbits program to record the tape onto my hard disk and then break it up into ten minute tracks, that way, if I want to hear a portion again, I don't have to go all the way back to the start.
The right software: AUDACITY - & it's free!
by ahhhaaa - 1/28/05 7:15 AM In reply to: Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio by seyabyeI give the open source (like FireFox)program AUDACITY the highest marks for recording analog audio onto computers. It is free from: http://audacity.sourceforge.net
This program has been around a while (on zdnet & here)and has been updated will lotsa new features, but it is still very easy to use. The latest has input/output VU meters and scads of other frills. I've recorded hundreds of hours with it and it has never failed. Beginners might want to download the 1.0 version too as it is now a sorta 'lite' version'.
The rig I use is very simple- I have an old Pioneer tuner plugged into a Kenwood double tape deck, which is plugged into the Line inputs of a VIA Epia ITX computer. With it I can record off-air programs onto either tape or harddrive, as well as stack two tapes for digital transfer/mixing without playing with wiring. The only accessory needed is an RCA to mini-stereo cord- get a good one.
Hope this helps!:]
Bootleg traders have been doing this seriously for years
by balrog49 - 1/28/05 7:44 AM In reply to: Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio by seyabyeBootleg concert tape traders (Grateful Dead heads in particular) have been doing this seriously for many years and have invested a lot of time and effort in learning the techniques of transferring precious, irreplacable tape recordings to digital audio. Check out:
http://www.archive.org/audio/etreelisting-browse.php?collection=etree&cat=Grateful%20Dead
Here are some of the basic concepts.
1. Hardware. If you want high-fidelity, you need to invest in a decent A/D converter. Most of the sound cards that come built into computers are trash. They're intended for gamers who need good D/A conversion but rarely use A/D conversion. There are several ways to get a good A/D converter:
a. A high-fidelity sound card. These are generally considered "pro audio" and can be found in stores and websites for musicians and recording engineers. There are hundreds of PCI cards to choose from and even a few excellent PCMCIA (cardbus) cards.
b. Ouboard USB devices such as the latest, top-of-the line Sound Blaster. Before you choose one of these, make sure that your computer will assign it a dedicated IRQ. Some computers try to make USB devices share an IRQ, which is really not a good idea for real-time operations like recording
c. A DAT recorder. These are designed to work with microphones but also have line-level inputs. Although pricey, they are by far the most popular choice among bootleg traders.
2. Software. There are dozens of good freeware and shareware programs available. A great source of information is: http://www.hitsquad.com/ Two things that you will definitely need are:
a. Editor. You will want to clean up your raw wave files and perhaps convert them to different formats. GoldWave provides a lot of excellent functionality for not much money.
http://www.goldwave.com/
b. Burner. Wave files will quickly fill up your disk and you will want to burn CD-Rs. I recommend Nero but there are lots of less expensive choices.
http://www.nero.com/us/index.html
Hardware & Software Kit. (Install a Tape Deck into your PC)
by BobLoveland - 1/28/05 8:03 AM In reply to: Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio by seyabyeFor anyone looking for an easy way do copy tapes to pc, OR create tapes from MP3 & other files, this kit may be for you. It is a complete package that includes software and internal hardware that installs into any 5 1/4 drive bay. This is a great alternative for anyone that wants to avoid the clutter of external cables and devices.
The PlusDeck 2 is a full-logic cassette deck for your PC. Use it to archive your old cassette tapes of 80s hair bands into digital media files for playback on your PC. Or better yet, archive your favorite audio files or streams onto cassette - perfect for playback in your '78 Midget that is still not sporting an in-dash CD player. (Those of you still in the 8-track days will have to keep waiting for a PC-friendly solution I'm afraid...)
PlusDeck 2 PC Cassette Deck
# Records sounds, MP3 files, and internet streaming audio from PC onto Tape
# Hi quality record/playback as Hi-Fi audio
# Convert cassette tapes to into MP3 files
# Full-logic controls
# Dub voice with mic on Tape.
# Tape Speed 4.75cm/sec
# Wow & Flutter 0.09%(WRMS)
# Frequency Response 30~18,000Hz
# Separation 40dB
# Signal-to-Noise Ratio 55dB
# Fits in open 5.25" drive bay
# Included recording software requires Win95/98/ME/XP
# Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year
Manufacturer's Website
http://plusdeck.com/englishsite/index.asp
Buy It
http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/drives/6908/
Most important for fidelity
by jstropp - 1/28/05 8:17 AM In reply to: Converting Cassette Tape to Digital Audio by seyabyeLots of good advice in the other posts about capturing bits. And the good points about digital processing to remove tape hiss and crackles are all true although the less processing required the better. But if you care about the musical quality of the sound you end up with the most important factor by far is how you handle the analog signal. If you don't give a rip about quality, the other posts are all you need. If you do care about quality, this one time you play your music will be the most important time ever. The main things to consider are the cassette deck and the A/D converter. If you don't have a high quality tape deck, borrow one, period. Clean and demagnetize the entire tape path except for the erase head. For the erase head, clean it but do not demagnetize it. Be sure all settings are optimized for each tape type and recording type. Things like bias only matter when recording but things like Dolby expansion matter during playback too. After you optimize the analog signal you need to convert it to digital. This is done using an A/D converter. If your cassette deck has a built in A/D converter it will probably be much better than the one in your sound card. You can also use an external A/D converter between the deck and the sound card. This is where you will find the highest quality but least common converters, borrow one if you can. If you do not have a better A/D converter available just use the one in your sound card by plugging the analog signal from the deck into the line-in port on your sound card. The interconnecting cables make a difference too. They cannot improve the sound but they can definitely make it worse, use good quality cables that sound best to you. These efforts are not difficult and will reward you with much better sounding digital recordings. Remember this is the sound you have to listen to because you will probably never play the tape again. Good luck and good listening.
Ripping cassettes and fidelity
by rdking.geo - 1/28/05 9:04 AM In reply to: Most important for fidelity by jstroppMy first reaction to this thread is cassettes are pretty poor fidelity compared to just about anything else except for 8-track but I digress.
Beyond the aspects of conversion fidelity and quality playback is a phenomenom (sp?) that I've run into repeatedly with well-played cassettes; that of tape wander. I've noticed, especially with tapes that have been repeatedly played in car tape decks, that the tapes are subtly damaged allowing the tape to mechanically wander across the playback head creating a sound quality that will slowly range from crisp to muffled and back again. I've never discovered a way to fix these tapes once this has happened.
There is, however, a tape deck that I think might do the job. If you really must have that tape (say it's a 'one-off' of a concert you went to) then go for the Nakamichi Dragon cassette deck. Available only used and somewhat pricey ($600-$850) it *actively* adjusts the azimuth of the play head during playback to compensate for defects in tape tracking. A pretty neat trick.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
