Ways To Transfer Cassette Tape To Computer

6 Ways to Transfer Cassette Tape to Computer - wikiHow
http://www.wikihow.com/Transfer-Cassette-Tape-to-Computer[19/09/2013 4:19:39 PM]

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Home Categories Computers and Electronics TV and Home Audio
How to Transfer Cassette Tape to Computer
Edited by Xia Huang, J ack Herrick, J onathan Thorne, Waited and 38 others
Audio cassettes opened up a world of portability unimaginable in the days when LPs ruled the roost.
Music on the go! However, cassette tapes have fallen by the wayside (or, in many cases, have
been thrown to the wayside from moving vehicles), and, unlike LPs, they dont appear to be making
a comeback anytime soon. Audio cassettes eventually deteriorate or get eaten by your tape player
and cassette players are becoming increasingly rare. All is not lost, though: it is possible to transfer
audio from cassettes to your computer, where it can be stored in formats such as WAV and MP3 or
can be burned to CDs. We'll show you how.
Preparing to Record
Gather your materials. See the Supplies You'll Need section below for a comprehensive
list of options, but the short version is this: you will need a cable that connects your cassette
player to the line input on your computer. The particular bits you will need depend primarily
on your cassette deck. We will assume, for this article, that your computer's sound input is a
line-level 3.5mm jack.
Virtually all cassette decks have a 3.5mm headphone jack. This jack sends an
amplified signal to your headphones, in mono or stereo, depending on the features of
your cassette deck. To connect to your computer with a headphone jack, you will
need a cable with a 3.5mm stereo plug on each end (or a cable with suitable adapters
so that both ends terminate with a 3.5mm stereo plug).
Steps
Cassette Tape Converter
www.CassetteToUSB.com
Transfer Any Cassette Tape To CD In 3 Easy Steps! Converter $59
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Many cassette decks have unbalanced line outputs. You'll recognize those as having
the familiar red and white plastic rings where you insert matching red and white plugs
red for the right channel, and white for the left. The cable you will need for this will
have two RCA plugs on one end, and a 3.5mm plug on the other. As above, adapters
are fine as long as one end has two RCA plugs, and the other end a 3.5mm stereo
plug.
A very few high-end cassette decks will sport balanced line outputs, with dual 3-pin
XLR-F connectors or balanced 1/4" phone jacks. For these, you will need balanced
cables that have XLR-M or a 1/4" phone plug on one end, and plugs to match your
computer sound input hardware on the other end. If you're using a balanced-output
cassette deck, it's likely your computer sound hardware has balanced inputs. If not,
you will need an adapter to turn your balanced signals into unbalanced ones. Consult
with your local audio supply store for the best fit for your hardware setup.
2
Connecting to a headphone jack. Plug one end of your cable into the headphone jack of
your cassette deck, and the other to the line input (not microphone input) of your computer.
Make certain the plugs are inserted completely and are secure.
3
Connecting to line output jacks. Connect the red and white RCA plugs on the cable to the
matching red and white jacks on your cassette player or receiver. (Note that some receivers
have a special "recording output," which is fine to use as wellit delivers the same output
levels as the line out of a cassette deck). Insert the 3.5mm plug into the line in jack on your
computer.
Make certain the plugs are inserted completely and are secure.
4
5
Connecting balanced line outputs. Plug in the XLR or phone plugs into the left and right
outputs, and the other end of the balanced cables into your computer's sound input. If you
are plugging into an unbalanced 3.5mm line input jack, you will need an adapter that
converts the balanced outputs to unbalanced outputs, and matches the connector of the
line input of your sound card.
Note: under no circumstances connect your speaker outputs to any input of your
sound card. This will, in all likelihood, destroy your sound card, and could possibly
damage your amp as well.
Check your sound input levels. In order to get the best recordings, you will want to ensure
that you have just the right amount of signal coming in. Too loud, and your sound will be
distorted. Too quiet, and there will be a lot of hiss and muffled sounds.
6
Set your input and adjust levels on a PC. Open the Sound control panel by clicking the
Start button, then clicking Control Panel. Type "sound," and then click Sound in the results.
Click the Recording tab, then click Line In, then click Set Default.
7
Click Properties, then click on the Levels tab. Move the volume slider to the right to
increase the recording volume, then click OK. When you're returned to the Sound
dialog box, click OK.
Set your input and adjust levels on a Macintosh. Open the Sound control panel in
System Preferences. Click on the Input button at the top of the window, and ensure that
Line In is selected in the list.
Set the Input volume control in the Sound control panel to about 75%. Set the
headphone output of your cassette deck to 0.
Locate a loud passage on the tape you're going to record from, then press "Play" on
your cassette player. Keep an eye on the meters as you slowly increase the output
volume on the cassette player. When the meters in the Sound control panel are
flashing regularly around 80% (about 12 "LEDs" lit), you have a good recording level.
If you need more level after the cassette player output is at maximum, increase the
Input volume in the Sound control panel. If you need less volume, reduce the level
from the recorder. This will give you the cleanest signal overall.
8
Note: unless you have a very high output from your headphone jack, there is little risk
of damaging your sound card using this method. By setting the output of your cassette
player to zero, then increasing gradually, you ensure that your sound card is not
damaged.
Determine what software you will use. Your needs, including number of cassettes you
want to convert, the quality of the resulting recordings, and how you plan on playing your
recordings on the computer, will determine the most effective software. This article will
cover basic sound recording I/O and software, as those with professional-level audio
software are most likely skilled at conversion.
1
Method One: Using Audacity
Use Audacity. Audacity is free open-source application that is loaded with features and
capabilities. It's not only free, it's far more flexible than many commercial applications!
Set the sound input in Audacity. Make sure it's set to Line Input by clicking on the
menu next to the microphone icon.
Press the round, red Record button, then press "Play" on your cassette player. When
you are done recording, press the square, gold Stop button, then stop your cassette
deck.
With Audacity, you can edit your audio for best results: trim silences, normalize so you
get maximum volume, break into tracks, etc. For more information on using Audacity,
click here.
1
2
Method Two: Using QuickTime
Use QuickTime. It's easily available, well-supported, and is an excellent choice for doing
basic, high-quality conversions. There are no frills, and has relatively simple editing
capabilities, which means it's super easy to use. That makes it a great option if you're
bringing lectures, audio books, or other long, unbroken blocks of audio.
Acquire the software. For Macintosh users, QuickTime X, which ships with OS X 10.6,
10.7, and 10.8, is able to record external sources. For older versions of the Mac OS, or for
WIndows, QuickTime 7 Pro is available for purchase from Apple. Start with this link:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/extending/ then pick the OS that is applicable to you.
3
4
Whether you use QuickTime Player X, or QuickTime Pro, it's the same process when
you're ready to record.
Make sure everything is connected. Ensure that your tape player's plugged in, and that
you have set the levels properly.
Launch QuickTime Player. From the File menu, select New Audio Recording. This will
open a simple control strip (QuickTime X) or preview window (QuickTime Pro).
5
Press the red button in the middle of the control area to begin recording. Then, press
Play on the cassette player. When you are finished recording, press the button again, then
shut off your cassette player. Your movie will be saved to the desktop.
Click on the menu on the right side of the control strip to select a different destination
for the file. (QuickTime Player X)
1
Choose a different default location in the Recording pane of QuickTime Player
Preferences. (QuickTime Pro)
Method Three: Using Sound Recorder
Take advantage of Sound Recorder. Every PC ships with Sound Recorder, and for a free
little utility it's become quite useful. There are no frills, which means it's super easy to use,
and also completely basic when it comes to editing. Like QuickTime Player X, it's a great
option to use if you're bringing lectures, audio books, or other long, unbroken blocks of
audio.
2
3
Launch Sound Recorder. Click the Start button, and in the search box enter "Sound
Recorder." In the list of results, click Sound Recorder.
Click Start Recording. Then on the cassette player, press "Play." Record the audio you
want, and when finished, press Stop Recording. Press Stop on your cassette player.
1
2
Enter a file name for the recorded file, then click Save.
Method Four: Using A Professional App
Use a professional app. For even greater flexibility and professional cleanup, there are a
number of apps ranging from about $50USD to over $500 USD. The details of operation
vary, but they all follow the same essential process as even the most basic sound recorder:
Make sure that Line Input is selected in the software setup.
Press record in the software, record your piece, then press the stop button to halt
recording.
Edit your audio. The benefit with professional apps is that they allow you to split your audio
into regions (for CDs) and perform many professional mastering functions using high-quality
plugins.
Options in the professional category include Sound Forge by Sonyan excellent
choice for this type of workas well as PolderbitS and Cubase on the PC, Garage
Band and Logic Pro on the Mac, and ProTools on either.
1
2
Finishing Your Recorded Audio (Mastering)
Record a small amount at first. Before you transfer your entire tape collection over to your
hard drive, make sure you're getting a good recording. Record what you did, then give it a
listen. If you set up your signal chain correctly, you should have a fairly clean digital copy of
your old analog tapes.
If the recording is too quiet or too noisy (the music is quiet but there's lots "fuzzy"
noise), the output was too low and the recording did not have enough signal to offset
the noise. If the recorded sound sounds like it's being played through a broken
speaker, a meat grinder, or a Marshall stack turned up to 11, your recording was too
hot, and the sound's distorted. Back off the output level from the tape player, and try
again.
Edit your recording. You may not need to do any editing, but if you want to cut out
silences, erase some tracks, or change the volume, for example, most sound recording
programs will allow you to do so. This procedure is quite complex if you have no experience
with sound editing, and is beyond the scope of this article.
3
When editing, it is a good idea to keep the original file as a backup and change the
names of edited files when you save them in case you find you made a mistake.
When youre sure you like the edited file, you can delete the original to save drive
space on your computer.
Normalization. Once you have a basically good recording, you can improve it through
judicious use of software tools. Chief among those is Normalization. Basically, it works by
making sure the loudest peaks are at or near 100% of full scalewhen all the meters are lit
(or 0dB, depending on your metering).
4
5
Compression. This is not something you will use for every recording you make. It can
render a lot of music lifeless. It works by keeping the loudest sounds about where they
started, and bringing up the level of the quieter passages. You lose the difference between
the highs and lowsor dynamicsand in return, you get an apparently louder recording.
When listening at home, this isn't necessarily desirable, but if you're making a CD for your
car, it can be very useful.
EQ. Depending on your speakers, how they're set up, and the quality of your overall
playback system, adjusting the EQ to taste can be helpful. A word of caution, though: like
compression, "good" EQ is subjective. While you may adjust the EQ so it sounds great on
your system. But if you loan your CD to a friend with a different speaker system, it may
come out sounding thin, or muffled, or honky, or just plain wrong.
6
Always work with a copy. Once you've gone through the trouble of converting your old
cassettes, Make saving a copy of your recording the first thing you do before you start doing
destructive edits (normalization, EQ, compression, etc.)
Download Audio Converter
www.avs4you.com/AVS_Audio_Converter
MP3 WAV WMA AAC AIFF AMR M4A FLAC
Convert all audio files at one go
Video
A video showing how to take cassettes and convert them
into audio files on your Mac.
The audio file you create may be in the native PC sound file type: WAV (.wav) format. You can
play it with almost any audio software. These files, however, are about 10 times larger than the
equivalent file in MP3, so you may want to compress them to MP3 if size is more important
than sound quality. Your sound recording or media player software may have this function built
in, or you may need to get additional software. Fortunately, you can get such conversion
software free online, such as Audio Grabber which will record straight to MP3 (link below).
Your sound card may need to be set to allow recording from the line-in port (the pale blue
circular port). You can do this in Windows from the volume control in the system tray (near the
clock). Double click the volume icon, then in the window that opens, click Options, then
Properties, then Recording, then click OK. Make sure the line-in box is selected.
For the reverse operationtransferring digital sound to tapesimply use the same cable setup,
but plug one end into the cassette deck's microphone or line in jack, and the other end into the
computer's line out, headphone, or speaker jack. Hit record on the cassette deck, then start the
songs playing on the computer. Start with a low volume setting and adjust for good quality
sound, then rewind and start over the recording at that volume level.
Don't throw out old cassettes or cassette players because they are rare and becoming valuable.
You may not need to buy recording software. Advanced sound recording and editing software
may come with your sound card. Otherwise, you can find many good freeware programs on the
internet for recording, editing, and changing formats of audio files. It is important that before
you start, read the help manual for the recording and editing software.
To improve the source sound from tapeespecially cassette tapeadjust the azimuth. Listen in
mono and slowly adjust the azimuth screw on the play head on your cassette deck until you
hear sound with the maximum treble. You may need to move it a little left and right initially to
get a feel of how the sound changes and which setting gives you the best high frequency
playback.
Tips
Free Editing Software
audio.nch.com.au/freeware
Download free audio editor program. Easy
audio editor everyone can use.
Warnings
Attempting to transfer cassettes using a boombox or portable stereo to play the cassettes may
result in recordings of poorer quality than expected.
Start with a very low volume on the cassette player or stereo, as your computer's input circuitry
can be damaged by high-level input. Note: Some recording software will instruct you to turn up
the volume on your cassette player. As you could damage your computer, use extreme caution
and get expert assistance if you are inexperienced. However, don't panic, either: headphone
amps on most consumer cassette players are very low power: they're built for driving very small
speakers placed very close to your ears.
Unless you are using specialized, expensive equipment, you may not get the results you hoped
for. Worst case, you could damage your computer.
Don't throw away the cassette. Always keep your master copy. You will need it when your hard
drive crashes, or you find there was a glitch in your transfer, or when your next new computer
can record it better. It also gives you the copyright to your copy you have just made.
Take care not to violate copyright laws with your recordings. Cassette tapes may be old, but the
copyright is usually still enforceable.
Before deciding to undertake this operation, please read the comments (click on the "Discuss"
tab), especially the comments regarding the quality of results for music cassettes.
Uncompressed audio files are very large. One cassette tape may take hundreds of MB, so
make sure you have enough space on your hard drive.
Be cautious about what kind of cable you use. Monster Cable makes a good Y-cable. Cheap
cables often lack electronic shielding. If your cable isnt up to par it will record the buzz of your
computer fan as well as the analog audio.
Your results, especially for music cassettes, will depend on a number of factors: the quality and
condition of your tapes, your cassette player, your computer and A-D converters (or sound
card), your connecting cable, and the level of your knowledge and experience in sound editing.
Your needs will vary depending on the hardware you are using. Here are some common
connectors that you might require.
3.5mm to 3.5mm
A double-ended 3.5mm stereo cable, available at most electronics stores)
RCA to 3.5mm
"Y" stereo adapter cable with a pair of RCA-style channel connectors (one is usually red,
the other white) at one end, and a single line-in, 1/8-inch (3.5 millimeter) mini-connector at
the other. This is also called a 3.5mm Stereo to RCA Dual Audio Cable.
A regular stereo hook-up cable with RCA connectors at both ends and (2) a 3.5mm mini-
connector adapter. With this setup, you plug the RCA connectors at one end into the
cassette decks line-out jacks and then plug the connectors at the other end into the
adaptor, which has a 3.5 mm mini-connector at the other end to plug into your sound
cards line-in jack.
Note that if you have the option, a cable made to fit your setup is the best: the fewer
adapters you use, the better.
RCA to USB
This setup uses a regular stereo hook-up cable with RCA connectors at both ends and and
RCA-to-USB audio interface (converter). These can be moderately expensive, but may
provide better analog-to-digital conversion than what your sound card offers. With this
setup you connect the RCA cable to the converter, which has a USB plug to connect to
your computers USB port.
Balanced Out to Balanced In
In this more professional setup, you'll need either balanced XLR or balanced 1/4-inch
phone plugs on each end.
A Macintosh or PC with a sound card that has a line-in jack. Almost all computers have this
device, except for some laptop computers that do not have a line-in jack. In this case, you may
need to use the USB interface.
Things You'll Need
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If your PC or laptop does not have a line-in, you may also be able to use the microphone-in
port. Note however that the microphone-in port is probably monophonic, not stereophonic.
Using this port is not recommended by Audacity to record music from cassettes to the
computer. J ust make sure that the volume setting is not too high: start with the lowest
setting and raise it little by little until you are able to record a low-volume sound, like for
example the first few bars of Ravel's Bolero.
Sound recording software.
A cassette player with either audio RCA line output jacks or a 3.5mm stereo headphone or line-
out jack.
Note: if your cassette deck is built in to your stereo receiver, you can use the line-out jacks on
the receiver.
How to Change Your Records Into CDs
How to Record a CD
How to Make a Perfect Mix Tape or CD
How to Burn a Music CD Using Windows Media Player 9
Audacity A very popular freeware audio editor which has a more complicated, but less
restrictive interface than Microsoft Sound Recorder.
Goldwave.com Goldwave, a shareware-licensed piece of audio software. Easy to use filters
help enhance the quality of the file.
(http://http://www.audiograbber.org/ Audio Grabber (freeware) will record you tapes straight to
MP3 and is extremely user friendly (choose Line-In Sampling).
Azimuth Adjustment when you convert cassettes to CD Manually adjusting cassette azimuth
for high quality when you convert cassettes to cd or computer, PC.
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