Retrieving old cassette tapes

[General Mortars]

Hi, folks,

I wonder if you can help me out on this, I have many old cassette tapes and I would like to save a few of them into my hardrive as mp3 files but I don´t know if there´s any device out there that would allow me to do so.

Any pointers/ideas on what to do/method to use?

Thanks.

[dadrab]

Well, there are "devices" that will do it, but the best way to go is to hook a good old-fashioned cassette deck into the line-in of your computer (split RCA cable on one end and stereo pin plug on the other).

Most cassette decks have a pre-amp built in, so you won't need to run it through one before input.

Rip your tapes to the hard-drive and burn away.

Be forewarned: you will get the tape hiss and everything else shitty that was associated with cassette tapes unless you do some processing before you burn. I use Adobe Audition for vinyl conversions and I suspect it's substantial array of filters will get rid of most tape hiss too.

[Soopafresh]

What dadrab said, and if you really want to get into it: http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/drives/7a8d/

Yes indeed, the hiss problem can be really noticeable, especially if you originally taped using Dolby noise reduction.

There are quite a few free apps which will do the actual recording of the cassette and conversion to MP3. If you have $35, Acoustica Spin It Again is the easiest app I've seen which will do this.

http://www.acoustica.com/spinitagain/index.htm

[jman98]

If the tapes were cassettes you recorded yourself and you used good tape brands like TDK or Maxell, they'll probably still be OK. If they are cassettes you bought in a music store, they may have problems. You'd be surprised if you knew how poor the tapes were that the record labels sold us - complete junk. You could easily buy higher quality blank tapes than what they used at the time. If the sound waivers quite a bit, try fast forwarding and rewinding the tapes a couple of times before recording in the hope that exercising them a bit might fix those problems.

[dadrab]

If the tapes were cassettes you recorded yourself and you used good tape brands like TDK or Maxell, they'll probably still be OK. If they are cassettes you bought in a music store, they may have problems. You'd be surprised if you knew how poor the tapes were that the record labels sold us - complete junk. You could easily buy higher quality blank tapes than what they used at the time. If the sound waivers quite a bit, try fast forwarding and rewinding the tapes a couple of times before recording in the hope that exercising them a bit might fix those problems.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/drives/7a8d/

Excellent tips. Factory recorded cassettes were sold on materials that were little better than bubblegum between two reels.

[LJB]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8133502&st=audio+capture&lp=1&type=produ...=1158322070315

This isn't a perfect solution, but it's an option.

[tomwil]

There is always the ION Tape2PC USB Cassette Deck, which plugs directly into the computer and has software to convert the music:

http://www.amazon.com/ION-Tape2PC-USB-Cassette-Deck/dp/B000VG802I

[dphirschler]

Probably doesn't need to be said, but watch your recording levels when you bring the audio into the PC. Get it as high as possible without clipping. I don't mess around with hiss removal. It's an exercise in frustration and usually screws it up worse anyways... at least to my ears.


Darryl

[Rich86]

adding to all the helpful comments you've already gotten above . . .

I've done this numerous times with great success. If you no longer have a cassette deck, peruse EBay - there are lots of them out there at very reasonable prices that will do the job for you. I use the Denon I picked up on EBay a while ago to connect the cassette deck outputs to my computer soundcard stereo line-in. You can then use whatever your favorite program is to "capture" the analog music and convert it to digital in whatever digital format you prefer. If you have no program to do this - you might try "Goldwave" - it is a nice program. I 2nd the suggestion that you go easy on noice filtering, etc. as I find the damage it does not worth the good it does. I also realize more expensive programs could probably do a better job than the ones I've tried. Once you have it on disk, you can scan it and insert track markers, etc. Your computer or CDRW/DVDRW drive most likely came with a program for burning - you can then use - I use Roxio's EMC program suite.

[dadrab]

Probably doesn't need to be said, but watch your recording levels when you bring the audio into the PC. Get it as high as possible without clipping. I don't mess around with hiss removal. It's an exercise in frustration and usually screws it up worse anyways... at least to my ears.


Darryl

I feel your pain. I screwed around with Roxio's half-assed hiss and pop reduction trash-ware for a year or so before I discovered CoolEditPro. The noise reduction algorithms they used were phenomenal - as evidenced by the fact that Adobe bought them. I don't think Adobe changed much about the basic package other than to add a burning engine. That same software, GUI and all, is now Audition. If you have an opportunity, give it a try. I think you'll be pleased. I'm still not crazy about their burning engine, but the filters will eliminate the hiss and pops and leave your high end intact.

Beautiful.