cassette to CD transfer

[dougjwray]

I have some old audiocassettes (analog, not DAT) that I need to transfer to CDs.
Can anyone recommend a relatively inexpensive way?
Thanks!

[Philbiker]

Originally Posted by dougjwray

I have some old audiocassettes (analog, not DAT) that I need to transfer to CDs.
Can anyone recommend a relatively inexpensive way?
Thanks!

Plug a tape deck output into a computer line in.

Record the songs.

Apply noise reduction/shaping software if desired.

Burn CDs.

[dougjwray]

Thanks... now I feel like a dinosaur. But thanks.

[dougjwray]

Excuse my ignorance, but how exactly do you achieve the "plugging in"? I mean, I don't think my CPU has an RCA jack. Is there an adaptor available at Radio Shack, or something? And once I do plug it in, will Windows Media Player (what I would be using) recognize it and prompt me to "rip" it?
Many apologies and thanks in advance.

[barthanatos]

There is an RCA to 1/8" phono jack adapter, yes. Radio Shack even sells the plugs and wire separate so you can put it together yourself. That's what I did. Make sure you use a 1/8" phono jack that is three conductor if you want to get stereo. Then you will need two RCA jacks that will share a common ground.
I use a program called gramofile (sp? gramophile?) to convert vinyl record to WAV. Then I use LAME to convert those to mp3 or to ogg (www.vorbis.com). Gramofile is great because it semi-automatically detects the breaks between songs and splits them up into tracks. It would work great for cassette.
I don't know if gramofile is available for Windows, I use it on Linux. Search around.

[barthanatos]

And no, there is no auto-detect of anything that you plug into the input of your sound card. But there's not really a need for that. The sound coming in is a data stream, and your computer will just convert it to digital and write it to the hard drive, given the right command. I'd be more detailed, but I got to go to work in a minute.

[sobie18]

What I have done before is:....I run the cassette RCA into a compressor and then into a DAT deck. It worked awesome for a live CD that I had recorded off of a soundboard. Sounded killer. Just a suggestion.

[KuMBye YamALaWd]

Originally Posted by dougjwray

I have some old audiocassettes (analog, not DAT) that I need to transfer to CDs.
Can anyone recommend a relatively inexpensive way?
Thanks!

I've been doing this with my Mac powerbook, using the GarageBand program, which is a small audio + midi recording program...

... I take a stereo line out from the tape deck, and plug it into the line in/mic of the Powerbook; I play the tape and adjust the levels on the Mac accordingly (line-in level, plus track level on Garageband), then record onto a Garageband "Basic" track

... the result is a single "Wave-type" stereo track in Garageband; anything created in Garageband can be easily exported as an actual Audio file (mp3, AAC, AIFF) into iTunes...

>>>>then BURN!

I don't think there's a PC version of Garageband, but no doubt there's some simple software out there that works the same way for PC, something like "WaveLab" or perhaps "AcidPro" (I haven't used these programs, so I'm just guessing)

I'm pretty sure Winamp won't cut it; you might find a free program online (trial version of "WaveLab" maybe; google it), or you might need to buy one.... but most of these programs end up being online as a Free trial, "Upgrade later" kinda deal...

...and Good Luck!

[dougjwray]

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions.
As it turns out, a friend of mine is going to lend me his CD recorder, and I'll be all set.

[Skeezix]

http://www.xitel.com/product_inport.htm
I've used it with much success for a while.