Converting old cassette tapes

[admin_exported]

As a real novice i am considering tryoing to convert about 100 old ( 1980s) music cassettes onto a computer with the idea of downloading some of them on to my creative zen MP3 .

this USB cassette deck ion tape2pc gets mixed reviews at best and i have now sen an advert for a vinyl2pc.co.uk on wwwtape-2-pc.co.uk which just supplies some cabling and software and uses the headphone socket.

Doesthis much cheaper system work and will it load onto a hard drive not a computer

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't bother with those USB cassette or vinyl decks as the quality will probably be average at best.

If you have a half decent tape desk of record player then it would be cheaper to invest in a decent sound-card for your PC (Creative to some cheapish external ones) that accepts their line-in.

Most cards will come with the basic software that you need to convert the resulting sound file into individual tracks and then convert them to Mp3.

 

[Andy Grange]

All you need is to make sure your computer has a line-in, as James says above. You could then run a walkman into it using a 3.5mm cable from the headphone of the walkman to your line-in, and record the music as a wav file using sound recorder.

It's dead easy, I did this a good few years ago as a mess around and I remember it worked a treat.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

What Andy said, but in addition I would download a copy of Audacity - it's a free sound editor, and is really easy to use. You can split the file into tracks, and (should you want to) remove tape hiss etc...

I use it all the time to "archive" my vinyl to CD.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys

 

[Clare Newsome]

And for those feeling nostalgic about cassettes - mix-tapes in particular - you might want to catch this radio show, which i've contributed to, later this week...

 

[John Duncan]

oooOOOooo.

Contributed how? Did you give them a mix tape?

Actually, you've prompted a thread.......

 

[fr0g]

Maybe controversial reply. But I simply downloaded some of the tape and vinyl albums I own, in decent MP3 format. I have since replaced most with CD, but not all. Could get in trouble too, as I threw a very large binbag of tapes away not long ago.

 

[nads]

IIRC out here they could do you.

 

[fr0g]

nads:IIRC out here they could do you.

They went in the plastic recycling bit...

 

[El Hefe]

How about converting MD to MP3? And subsequently to upload into iPod? Is there a way to connect my MD deck to a laptop?

I also have on of those SOny MD walkman that can be connected to a laptop via USB but hw do I convert ATRACC to MP3?

 

[Clare Newsome]

JohnDuncan:oooOOOooo.

Contributed how? Did you give them a mix tape?

Actually, you've prompted a thread.......

I am one of the interviewees - and get this, i'm not the only woman interviewed

 

[Anonymous]

If you have Sony Sonicstage on your computer, you need to download the music from your MD player into the library, then follow the instructions, it will take quite some time and some tracks will not be able to be transfared or changed due to copyright laws. If you have a problem, log onto the Sony Connect site and there you will find the information on how to carry out the conversion much better than I have given you. I had to transfare from one to the other and it worked. Good luck, lets know how you get on.

 

[John Duncan]

Clare Newsome:
JohnDuncan:oooOOOooo.

Contributed how? Did you give them a mix tape?

Actually, you've prompted a thread.......

I am one of the interviewees - and get this, i'm not the only woman interviewed

Women like music too? Wow.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Hard to believe, I know

Anyhow, get your radios tuned in: show starts at 11.30am. Accompanying blog here, too....

 

[Anonymous]

Clare. When are you going to test the Alessandros MS1s, my offer is still on the table.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Oooh, i'd forgetten them (small matter of relaunching website...). I'll get onto it!

 

[HDNumpty]

which station & date Clare? sorry if I missed a link or something...

 

[Clare Newsome]

Radio 4 at 11.30am today

 

[John Duncan]

Podcast ahoy........

 

[HDNumpty]

JohnDuncan:Podcast ahoy........

yep! some of us are stuck at work

 

[APB77]

First of all apologies for starting an old thread, scoured the net and this site for a solution but to no avail !

I have decided that its time to convert all of my old mix tapes to my laptop.

Sony stereo system to laptop via 3.5mm jack cable (jack cable out from headphone socket on stereo to microphone in on the laptop), Audacity is the software that I am using.

I am able to record without a hitch but the sound quality is awful. The tapes and sound quality are fine playing through the stereo but not on the laptop which would make me think that there is a problem with the microphone in on the laptop.

I think the solution would be to purchase an external sound card, link the stereo to the sound card via 3.5mm jack cable, link sound card to laptop via USB cable.

Is there anyone out there that can confirm if this is the solution or offer alternatives (don't want to go down the ION route) ? I am at my wits end...

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Probably too much level on the microphone input from the headphone out on your stereo system. It's worth looking round the back of the system to see whether there's a line output (eg tape out), but a USB external soundcard designed for line-in audio rather than a microphone would probably be the best solution, preferably hooked up from a line out on the system if you have one.

Something like this would do the trick

 

[The_Lhc]

Some laptops you can configure the mic input to be a line-input instead (it's switchable in software apparently). My fairly recent Dell has this facility.

 

[APB77]

thanks guys, do you know if the below would do the trick as I can pick one up for about £14
Asonic External USB2.0 8 Channel Sound Card