How do I go...

[Bedubs]

...from tape to PC. I'm a newbie drummer and just as new to this whole recording thing (Network Engineer by trade). Anyway, I had a "jam" session today and actually got a decent tape of what went down but now I'd like to get all the stuff on tape into my PC so I can format as .mp3 .

For the record I'm using a Mackie VLZ 1202 Mixer, Shure SM 57 on the snare (between the high hat - left tom, and below the crash), AKG D112 for the Kick, and another SM-57 between the 12" & 13" toms. This then goes out of the Mixer and into your typical bookshelf stereo (AIWA) input and is recorded on the stereo tape device.

Now I'd like to take that same tape and transfer the "music" (first session with this guitarist and I'm VERY new so I guess you could call it music) onto my PC but I'm really not sure of the best way to go about doing this. Any help would be appreciated.

-B

 

[dachay2tnr]

Are there "line out" connections on your stereo? If so you should be able to run the line outs into the line in on your computer's sound card. (You'll need a Y cable to do this - 2 female RCA plugs into one 1/8" stereo male plug).

You'll also need some software designed to do this. I believe there are lots out there, but the one I'm familiar with is Spin Doctor, which comes as part of Adaptec's EZ CD Creator Deluxe package.

The software will record what comes out of your stereo as .wav files. From there you can play them on your computer, convert them to .mp3's, burn them to CD, etc. etc.

 

[DS_Sultan]

Hey there, I am also a Network Engineer by trade, hack musician by night. Welcome!

As far as recording into your stereo, I agree that you could be going right into your PC. You could try this software called N-Track. (www.fasoft.com) It's shareware software that is very easy to use and if you buy, you pay like $35 USD. Has great effects and will help you get going. You are going to want to do multitracking so spin doctor won't help you there, but N-Track will.

As for your PC, what do you have for a sound card? What do you have for a system for that matter?

Let us know how we can help.

 

[Bedubs]

Thanks for the input thus far. I fully intend to record directly to PC at some time but the problem is I use my PC's in my upstairs office and my kit is downstairs.

Since I've pre-wired my house for network I will just buy a PC for the "studio" and go that route. I've been thinking of getting one of those recording cards that I can plug the mics directly into the PC but that whole project is still a year or more away (unless the credit card fairy comes).

So for now I'm stuck just recording to tape on something downstairs then importing the music to my main PC upstairs and work it there. I don't want to spend a lot of cash because this is a temp solution until I finish my "studio".

Anyway, the PC I'll be using is a PIII 500 with 128 RAM and about 30Gb of free disk space. I have a Turtle Beach A3Dxtreem sound card and it does have the 1/8" input.

Thanks again.

-B

 

[DS_Sultan]

OK then, with that in mind, what options do you have for the data transfer? Is it a tape deck downstairs to a tape deck upstairs then into the PC? Using a cassette? (sneaker music eh....hehehe that's a network joke of course! Anyway) That's what we need to know now. How is the PC hooked up to the system upstairs? Line out of the amp to the line in of the sound card?

More more more......(Sound like an end user don't I..hehe)

 

[Bedubs]

Sorry Sultan, if you really wanted to sound like an end user you would have said "I didn't touch a thing, it just stopped working" Anyway, I only have the cassette player (AIWA Stereo) downstairs and it does not have a line out. I also checked on my portable boombox and no line out there either. I'm wondering if my best bet is to just buy a little Tascam 4 track or something then play the tape back on that to my PC or would a cheap Radio Shack style cassette recorder suit my needs? At this point it will most definately have to be some type of sneaker recording

I do have a spare VCR that I could move between my basement and office if that is a viable solution?

There is no connection from my recording setup in the basement to my PC upstairs at least not until I finish my LAN and get a dedicated recording PC downstairs.

-B

 

[vox]

You should be able to take it from the aiwa's headphone out, if it has one.

 

[Bedubs]

Thanks guys, I bought a 1/8" to 1/8" cable and used the headphones out on my little boombox upstairs. The tracks sound pretty decent now I just need to find a mp3 encoder so I can convert all the files.

Here is a link to a sample. Any constructive feedback is welcome. I know I suck at drums but give an old guy a break for 3 months of drumming

w3.one.net/~tc1/Jams.html