audio cassette to cd?

[jamesharris]

anyone got any advice on converting audio cassette to CD?
I imagine it'll use midi files but I'm a total luddite

Thank You

James

[IAN P]

Take the leads(red and white) out of your cassette deck,plug them into your amp,take another lead(same again) out of the amp and into the recorder.Thats assuming you have an amplifier with an output.

[jamesharris]

I'll try that thanks..when I get my head around it

[dannywilde]

Originally Posted by jamesharris I imagine it'll use midi files but I'm a total luddite Thank You James

If you are hoping to use a computer to do it (which is the way I always have), then this might help.

The best format for you to use is WAV, which is the standard for uncompressed digital audio. If you are using software that allows you to modify the settings for the file to be recorded, set the sampling rate to 44.1Khz and the bit-depth to 16Bit. This is CD quality.

MIDI itself is not actually an audio format, being instead a method of sending commands such as volume and panning controls to connected Midi Devices. Think of it as being more like a remote for your TV.

Also, if your computer has one, make sure to connect your tape deck to the LINE input rather than the MIC input, as you will get better quality. On most computers, the LINE input will be blue, whilst the MIC will be red. The final thing is to set the levels to ensure that the recording is not being made at too high a level, which could start to distort or clip the sound.

[jamesharris]

Originally Posted by dannywilde If you are hoping to use a computer to do it (which is the way I always have), then this might help. The best format for you to use is WAV, which is the standard for uncompressed digital audio. If you are using software that allows you to modify the settings for the file to be recorded, set the sampling rate to 44.1Khz and the bit-depth to 16Bit. This is CD quality. MIDI itself is not actually an audio format, being instead a method of sending commands such as volume and panning controls to connected Midi Devices. Think of it as being more like a remote for your TV. Also, if your computer has one, make sure to connect your tape deck to the LINE input rather than the MIC input, as you will get better quality. On most computers, the LINE input will be blue, whilst the MIC will be red. The final thing is to set the levels to ensure that the recording is not being made at too high a level, which could start to distort or clip the sound.

thanks again..what software do you use?

[dannywilde]

I use 'Magix Audio Cleaning Lab', which I've had for years. It's great for recording things into and burning CDs, as you can add chapter markers and names. Never reckoned much to the noise reduction tools though... only use them as a last resort. Although, the version I have is 3.0, which is fairly old now, so they may have improved.

[jamesharris]

thanks Mr Wilde..you're a good Persuader when it comes to convincing a luddite to figure out his PC

[HIPPIEDAVE]

Audiograbber is free download and very good at picking up sound from tape .It converts them to mp3.D

[JohnB_Toronto]

I'd definitely run the initial recording through a sound editor. I capture all mine as a wav file. I think even the low end software will have a profiling tool. Try and capture some of the blank tape sound between the tracks (it actually contains all sorts of tape hiss and white noise - the stuff you're barely aware of until it suddenly disappears), use the software to sample the background and then have the profiling tool remove that sample from the length of the complete recording. That'll take out all your background noise and should leave you with a nice clean recording. It's especially good for removing the much louder surface noise from LPs but it also works well on tapes. In fact that's just about the only noise you need to remove from tapes as you won't have any clicks and pops to take out as you would on a vinyl record. You should get a very nice result. I use Adobe Audition but I hear that Magix and other programmes are good too.

[Buffalo_Chuck]

Here's a Y-adapter cable that has two RCA-plugs (standard stereo speaker plugs) that are Y'd into a standard Computer Stereo Mini-Jack. (Be sure it's a Stereo Mini-Jack - that's one with a black 'band' near it's tip.)

Amazon.co.uk: Philips 6ft Audio Y Cable for MP3 to Home Stereo SJM2107/10: Electronics & Photo

(This is just an example. Most home-stereo shops have these stuck on a wall. Ask for an RCA Y-Adapter to a Computer MiniPlug - the clerk should recognize that, or else you'll know you're in the wrong place.)

Plug the speaker-connectors into the back of the Cassette Deck (into it's Left and Right Speaker plugs) and run it into your computer's Audio Input plug. Then, start your audio-recording software (your computer may have some included, as long as it's not the crippled "Windows Recorder" which only works for 60 seconds; there are plenty of free recording packages available).

Or find a Music Editor or WAV editor - it will likely have a Record option, and then you can see the beginnings and endings of your Cassette's tracks, and chop them up into individual tracks.

[autolycus]

I just run a simple 3.5mm jack cable from the headphone socket of the amp to the line in on the PC. Capture using audacity (free) and then export as wav ogg or mp3. If you want to convert wav to wma, dbpoweramp is another excellent free app. Oh, and audacity also has lots of features for removing noise, clicks etc.

[jamesharris]

thanks guys

[Howse]

Here are a couple of options but is dependent on how many tapes you have to record against the price of these items:-

The first is a cassette player that fits in the drive bay of a pc

Maplin > Plus Deck 2 PC Cassette Deck

The second is a USB cassette deck

Maplin > USB Twin Tape Deck

Howse

[zandycap]

Tape to computer via the ed & white audio cables (or usb if your hi fi or tape has it) then from there to a cd is easy done either straight mp3 or converted to cd format.

[jamesharris]

thanks again