cassette to cd

[Tbag]

Hi, im trying to create a cd from a audio cassette. I have read that you need a program like Audacity & a 2 RCA to phono lead but I cant get it to work.

I conneted the RCA cable to my hi-fi and the other end to my laptop mic port but nothing happens on the Audacity timeline when I click record. My laptop also has a built in mic which pics up the sound very faintly from the hi-fi but I dont want it to record from that.

What do I do?

I have a Vaio AR61M

[jagabo]

Go to the Windows audio settings and make sure the recording device is set to the mic input -- or whatever input you are using. Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices -> Audio (tab) -> Sound Recoding.

Oh, in Vista it's a little difference: Control Panel -> Sound -> Recording. Then set the default device.

Audacity should now record from the selected port. If not, in Audacity go to Edit -> Preferences -> Audio I/O and select the Recording device.

[Tbag]

These are the settings I have and I still cant get it to work everything is connected, music is playing through hi-fi but the timeline does nothing when I click record.

[Snakebyte1]

If you have a stereo mini-plug cable, connect one end to your soundcard's Line In port and the other to your Amp's Headphone jack. You may need to get a stereo to mini-plug adapter. Adjust the playback volume using the Amp's volume control.

If using Vista, I found that Audacity should be run in WindowsXP compatibility mode. Change the source to Line In. Start recording in Audacity the play on your cassette desk. Watch the indicators and adjust until you get the right level, then record your stuff.

[Tbag]

Only cable I have is this


How do i run in WindowsXP compatibility mode?

[minidv2dvd]

for cassettes i go direct from the player line-out to the sound card line-in. bypassing the amp altogether. recording level needs to be at max, and i normalize after recording.

that cable should be fine to go into the card line-in.

[Snakebyte1]

To set Audacity into XP compatibility, go to your Audacity folders (possibly c:\program files\Audacity), locate the EXE and right click on it. Select Properties, Compatibility tab, enable Compatibility mode and select XP from the drop down.

I couldn't get Line In to work without going into XP compatibility mode even after updating my sound drivers.

The set up minidv2dvd suggests should work. I tend to use the headphone jack as its so much easier for me (I can't easily get to the back of my stereo without going into a rage). You'll likely need to adjust the volume levels based on your equipment, but the first thing is to get a signal from your Line In.

[jagabo]

In the sound recording dialog right click on the background and have it show disabled devices. Make sure your audio input is one of the disabled devices enable it and make it the default.

Try setting Audacity to record from the DirectShow sources.

To set compatability mode, right click on Audacity.exe, select Properties, go to the Compatibility tab, set the Compatibility mode.

[Tbag]

I will report back once I get home and try it

[minidv2dvd]

i no longer have my jvc cassette deck (it's an old 50lb. tank) in the audio/video cabinet. it's in storage most times until it's needed for a conversion, so it's easier for me to hook it up direct, then try and hook it back into the amp.

[Snakebyte1]

I still have my Technics stereo I bought in the late '80s set up. I find it more successful to make adjustments via the graphic equalizer than it is to use software filters after the fact. I've never had much success with that, other than normalizing.

[Tbag]

Ok im getting somewhere I think...

I set it to XP compatibility mode and put all the volume on max including microphone volume & microphone boost and Audacity records the music but playback has a loud hiss and its still a bit quiet, the wave timeline doesnt goes up/down at all either

[Snakebyte1]

With the tape playing go to Control Panel-->Sounds-->Recording and see what the level reading is for the Microphone.

I've never used the MIC IN ports for anything other than an external microphone, I always used the line in. Does your laptop have a Line IN (( ))<-- port? I would think that port would be right next to the MIC port. I could not find any listed for that Vaio, but if you have one try that if you can. Once again while the tape is playing go to Control Panel-->Sounds-->Recording and you should see the level on the Line IN to see what kind of signal you are getting.

Maybe your tape deck requires an Amp to boost the signal up enough for the MIC port. If your AMP has an AUX OUT try connecting to that then using the Amp's volume control increase until you get a good level. Also, you could try to get an RCA to Phono Plug adapter and connect to the Headphone jack. Do you have an external microphone that you could connect to the MIC port? If you do, and you can record OK with that, it would indicate that the MIC port really only works for microphones and not so well with other devices.

[jagabo]

Line-in and Mic-in are often the same port. There may be a 20 db gain option for the port in the System Mixer.

In Vista the microphone boost is in the microphone properties from the sound config dialog. Right click on the mic entry and select Properties, then the Custom tab. Check the Levels too.