Topic: Cassettes to 'puter.

[kenkew]

Just found loads of my old music cassette tapes. Anyone got a painless way to install onto my 'puter?

[Palustris]

Yes, have done it with a lot of ours. It depends on whether or not you have Windows Movie Maker on your machine though. If you have get back to me and I will post the instructions for you.

[kenkew]

Ta, Eric.
Got that and have used it for music tracks already installed on my hard disk. What would I need to download from tape?

[redimp]

What you need is wave recording and editing software - loads out there on freeware etc.  You will also need a stereo and an aux to lie in cable.  Plug that into the back of your computer and the back of your stereo.  Press play on tape player and record on the wave recorder/editor.  Remove hiss if the software has thatr facility.  Cut into individual sound files - one per song, then write to CD or convert to mp3 depending on later use.

I will have a look at the freeware available (I use commercial stuff for wave editing) and get back to you.

This looks pretty good - may download it and have a go myself.

http://www.code-it.com/wave_editor.htm

PS - you may have to change your sound properties - tick the checkbox on recorder properties so that line in is selected and not microphone or anything else.

[kenkew]

I have a sound recording facility, Realtek AC97 audio. That won't do it? And can I record using a simply lead from cassette player 'phones socket to 'mic in' port?

[Palustris]

Sorry Ken ,cannot find the piece I wrote on how to do it for the present. I used Nero Wave editor to separate the trracks on the tape after recording it into W.M.M though.

[redimp]

I have a sound recording facility, Realtek AC97 audio. That won't do it? And can I record using a simply lead from cassette player 'phones socket to 'mic in' port?

I have a Ac97 card on my old computer upstairs, it has a line in.  If yours doesn't then have a go and see what the sound quality is like.  Even if you have seperate sound control software, you should be able to access the windows default by going to control panel.  To display recording properties instead of playback, go into [Options] > [Properties] and check the recording option and [OK] etc.

[kenkew]

Thanks, all, have managed to download a sample using Win's built-in  recording software. Quality is terrible but that's due to the tapes themselves. I might have a go with the wave editor site mentioned, I get 10 free cracks at it before having to pay.

[redimp]

http://www.digidesign.com/products/details.cfm?product_id=1202&template=overview&CFID=3079448&CFTOKEN=58656686

Worth a look

[kenkew]

Doesn't run on Win XP, Red.

[redimp]

So it doesn't sorry - antiquated software - don't they know the world has moved on.

[dotCompost]

Total Recorder is good for recording stuff http://www.highcriteria.com/