From Cassette to Computer????

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gad
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Gad

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Greetings. I hope I can the help I need. I use to record on a simple open-reel recorder 20 years ago, mostly just my roommate's songs. Well, when I no longer had access to the open reel, or knew I wouldn't shortly I transfered all of her songs to a couple of cassettes. For Christmas I would like to give her copies on CD. I have a decent desktop machine. Gateway AMD 750, 256 mgs ram, 75 gb hd, standard sound card, CDRW and CD drives, 250 zip drive, 32mg video card) Idon't have recources for doing anytning elabrate. I just want to connect a regular cassette tape player to the computer and transfer the contents to the computer. Now ... would I be able to use an auxilery patch cord between the headphone jack on the tape player and the microphone jack on the computer and adjust the volume in the computer controls to avoid distortion ... or is there another way. I'd rather not spend money for more than a patch cable at Radio Shack for this. Also, I don't want to dismantle the computer for this. Spent too many years rebuilding computers, I want to keep this one closed. Long winded I know. sorry about that. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

GAD
 
When you say "regular casette tape player," do you mean a Walkman type, that has only a headphone jack for output? I don't think that will be the proper level to record from... or do you mean a cassette deck that's part of a stereo system? In that case you only need to take the stereo Line Out signals into the soundcard's Line In. You will need a cord that has a stereo 1/8" miniplug on one end and two standard RCA plugs on the other, one for L and one for R.

-AlChuck
 
AlChuck, thank you so much for the reply ... that is exactly what I ment. I'm just curious ... this is an old mono tape, would it be that much poorer quality to take it from a walkman's headphone jack to the mic jack in the sound card? I also have a sony external speaker system I'm using that has an "input 2" and a "headphone" jack in it, would using this as a "go between" raise the quality of the recording. (I do have a stereosystem, unfortunately it's downstairs and the computer is upstairs. The logistics would not only be resource consuming, but this is incognito as it's a Christmas present.) :) Thanks again.

GAD

PS> I got a message from a friend that I would risk damaging the soundcard if I patched directly from the taperecorder's headphone jack to the soundcard's mic jack. Is this true and is there an "in line" that would serve that purpose whether through a stereo sound system or a walkman's headphone jack? Don't want to hurt my sound card.
 
Gad,

Read this closely!

Use a proper cassette deck for the tapes. Run a stereo RCA cable from the playback jacks on the back of the cassette deck to the line-in (or mic if you have no line-in) on your soundcard. As AlChuck said you will need an adapter to interface the RCA cable with the 1/8" stereo plug that your soundcard requires. Play the tapes and record with your soundcard's record feature. Do NOT use the headphone out of the deck. Use your PC speakers or headphones to listen. You do not need an in-between.

Mark
 
MGS,
Thank you for being straight forward and to the point. I want to do this right, I was trying to do this ... subtly, since the person I'm making this for is in the house most of the time. I do have a couple of cassette decks (part of a stereo system) I will get the cable you suggest and go from there. Thank you for all of your help. It's greatly appreciated.

GAD
 
Mark,
I will gladly let you know how it goes. Hopefully I'll be able to get the cables tomorrow afternoon. Now to just wait until my roomie visits her daughter and I sneek downstairs and take the stereo system up to my den. :) It's little I can do that. Just hope I get enough warning to get it back down before she gets home again. hehehe ... silly things we do for those we love.

Thanks again
GAD
 
Me too, kinda...

This is my first post here, and let me say I'm glad I found this place.

I have for a number of years done project masters on VHS hi-fi, and they were fine for making cassettes. But now I'd like to transfer those masters onto CD's. When I hooked my VHS to my computer at work, I could hear it through the headphones, but when I tried to use the media recorder (that's all I have) it did not get a signal at all. The copmputer I have did not come with a sound card, but I got a DVD and CD burner added so they plopped in some sound card from another computer (we don't know much about it).

They said I should get a new sound card. Does that sound right? Will it come with it's own recording software? The media recorder has no controls on it, and times out after like 60 seconds. What is the lowest end sound card I could get to satisfy my limited but specific needs?

Thanks in advance. :)
 
Try the SoundBlaster Live card. I think it sells for 'bout
$30-40. Cheap, but does the job!
 
PapaJim,

Take Misterqcue's advice. I use Soundblaster Live and it will work perfectly fine for your purposes. Plus, it's a good general purpose card for all your PC sound requirements. It wouldn't hurt to explore this card from the other computer to see if it will record and edit, and if it is inadequate, get a SBlive.

Mark
 
Will try it...

Thanks guys, I will. Do they come with recording software? Like I said, all I have on this PC is that dumb windows media recorder. It is quite limited as far as features are concerned.
 
Papa,

Yes, SBlive has a recording feature and you can also edit your files and do a few special functions like fade-in and fade-out. It is perfect for you because your tracks are already mixed-down, otherwise I would have suggested a more expensive multi-interfaced audio card. Go get a SBlive and if you have trouble figuring it out, e-mail me and I'll walk you through it.

Mark
 
cassette to computer

I've been following this discussion since I have the same
question. I tried connecting a two-way mini to mini
jack to my computer from my hand held Sony cassette
recorder, but that didn't work. So just now I connected
my Sony Cassette Deck to two RCA jacks leading to a mini
jack to the computer. I followed the instructions on the
sound card--click New, then record, then "save as". The
sound card shows that it is recording, but I still don't
hear anything when I try to play the saved .wav file.

Any suggestions?
 
I suspect that you have the Line In disabled. Do a search in here on "Windows mixer" and you should find how to enable it described ten ways to Sunday...
 
Fleck,

There are several possible problems but AlChuck is probably correct. Check the windows volume settings by double clicking on the speaker icon at the bottom of your screen.

Mark
 
still no sound

Dear Alchuck and MGS,

Thank you for your help, but still no luck. I did hook up my CD player to see if I could record off of it, but it didn't work either, so the problem apparently has nothing to do with cassettes. I checked the volume control and played around with the settings on the control panel, but still no luck.

Alchuck, what do you mean by "Windows mixer"? When I type that into the search window all I get is the newbies site we are on.

Sorry to be so helpless, but I do appreciate any suggestions you might have.

--Jack
 
just trying to have some fun

why not use the headphones jack to sound card? will the signal be too strong, or too weak? is there a danger that the signal coming from the home stereo system amplifier will be too strong for the soundcard?
i know alot of people here are real concerned about quality, and having the best gear possible, but it seems that using your home stereo amp as a pre-amp for guitar/vocal mic - then into sound card - is a good way of getting started.
thnkx
 
I've been given advice both ways in various Forums, I admit I did try the headphone to soundcard route, but it didn't work at all. Now ... I have a split cable with 2 male rca's on one end and a 1/8 inch male on the other. Haven't had the opportunity to hook it up yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The cable only cost me about $3 or $4 at Radio Shack, it's not a major expense. I'll let you all know how it goes.

GAD
 
Windows mixer

Jack Lucero Fleck,


Hmmm... I tried the earch string I suggested and got only this thread. Strange.

Anyway... the Windows Mixer is a small utility that controls which audio devices are enabled for recording and playback, and level and pan controls. You can find it in the Start menu in the Accesories group (listed as Volume Control), or by double-clicking the small yellow speaker icon in the lower right corner near the time display.

A common problem that people have is that enabling devices and setting levels in this application is not very obvious. By default all you see are the playback controls.

To check what I was suggesting:

(1) Double-click on the little speaker icon to open the mixer.
(2) Select Properties from the Options menu. You get a dialog box that has a pulldown list labeled "Adjust volume for."
(3) Select Recording, and make sure the devices you want to be able to adjust are checked in the list below labeled "Show the following volume controls." Then click OK, and the levels for the input devices are shown for you to adjust and mute or unmute.

Hope that helps.

-AlChuck
 
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