cassettes to cd

[3pronghook]

i see devices that can be bought to do this and services for hire that will do this as well. anyone with experience?

[spearchucker]

I don't think you need a device. Run your cassettes player's audio into the line in jack on your PC (most have them. I have done this in the past and it worked great. I will have to look if the software to record was built into Windows or if I had to download a free program to do it.

[delcecchi]

My buddy got some software from a place in canada, cost a few bucks, to do this with his collection of vinyl. Worked great. Helps to cut it up into tracks, filter out noise, etc. If it is all right I will get the name of the software and post it.

Anyone know what the rule is? I suppose I could contact someone but this is easier.

[Jim Almquist]

Del you can put out the name but don't put up a link. Just do a search for it and then you can say it was the 3rd item down or where ever it shows up.

[3pronghook]

Follow up FYI. Never did anything with this. Looked around for an old cassette deck and just decided against digging through boxes to find one i knew i had. Today, I was in tarrgett and in the clearance rack of the electronic section I see a Jensen model jcsr-50 cassette device with software to convert cassette tape to .mp3 $14 bucks. Took a chance and bought it. I am impressed. Downloaded software. Plugged it into computer. Followed the simple directions and it works pretty nice. Have the songs on my ipod. Sound is better than expected. Even from a 25 year old tape. Only tape ive done is an out of print clapton, beck and page "white boy blues" for the brother in law.

[Ice_Fishin07]

I downloaded free software called Audacity, the connected my tape player outlet to computer in and down loaded all tracks on the computer. It worked like champ. I have detailed written instructions, if you need them let me know.

[LMITOUT]

3prong -

Thank you for the tip on the Jensen. I read your post when you first posted it but finally got around to stopping by Target and sure enough they had a handful in the clearance area for $10.

I have four cassettes of my great grandfather giving an interview to a fellow in 1983 and really want to get them digitized before the tapes disintegrate but never had a good way to do it.

The problem is that there is a lot of background hiss and the audio/speech isn't very loud. I'm guessing it was a standard table-top type cassette recorder that was used so there were no mics.

Does anybody have an idea for reducing the hiss? Any audio programs that might help dampen or filter out that frequency range? Going to look into Audacity to see if that can do it.

Thanks again!

[pureinsanity]

Dan,

Audacity's Noise Removal effect should remove the background tape hiss

It should take you only two steps.

You have to make a noise profile by having a short section of audio only containing the noise you wish to remove.

Then apply the noise profile to all the audio

[LMITOUT]

Thanks. I've been toying with that and think I've got it about as good as it can be with what I have to work with.

[reinhard1]

thanks for that info. i have a bunch of cassettes myself. 70's 80's and some still in the original wrappers [ some of which came from my wifes dad's collection]. i dont know if the ones still in the wrapper are worth anything but i think i wont touch those. thanks again.