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Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
I have some cassette tapes form early 1980s which are probably deteriorating. I have not listened to them as I worry that will further degrade them. They would have been fairly rough quality to start with, but had some great music on them. Some out of print albums and some Adelaide sessions (I think)
Is there an EASY way for a very nontechno lass to record them over to computer and maybe get rid of some of the little wheels turning noise from the original? I'd love to listen to them with modern technology ie CD or my NEW MP3 nonuserfriendly creative zen. The quality of sound from its tiny little internal mike is wonderful, compared to old cassette recording.
I have had a search of the discussions and can't find enough info on this to work it out. Hope someone knows just how to do this.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
We meet on another thread!
First, playing and playing your tapes will make them deteriorate, it's true, but not playing them at all will make sticking more likely, and will increase "print-through" where the magnetic pattern in each layer of tape creates an echo of itself on adjacent layers. So if you want the music that's on them it would be good to get on with the job.
Secondly, you will have to be a bit technical, but it should not be awful. By "turning wheels" do you mean the "squeak-creak" as the tape turns? That would in all probability be just mechanical and will mostly disappear once you have re-recorded the tracks.
You will need a jack-to-jack lead, probably from the tape players headphone's output to what will be called "line in" on your computer. If you haven't got one, they are very easy to buy from any hi-fi or similar store.
Then you also need some recording software. Others will know better than me what would be a good choice there. The so-called Windows recorder only allows something like 1 minute clips, so that is no use. I use the Creative Wave Editor, because it came with the Creative sound card I chose, but I have no idea whether that would be cost-effective if you don't already have it.
Then you just need to make a few settings, telling the thing, for instance, to record from "line in" (not from the microphone, for instance), maybe setting the volume level, choosing sampling rates and the like. These will take you two minutes once you know how to do them, but they may take an hour or two to figure out the first time - you know what computers are like!
Software like a "wave editor" is really handy here, for jobs like "topping and tailing" the tracks and so on.
Good luck
In case that doesn’t work, go to Mudcat.org and search for this discussion thread:
Tech: From cassette tapes to CDs
Thread began on 1/14/07
In case you still can’t find it, here are some links mentioned in the thread, listed there as Parts 1 through 5. These are detailed articles telling you exactly how to convert cassettes to CDs. Don’t worry if the length of it all looks daunting. – it’s not actually difficult to do, but there is a learning curve. These articles will help, though, if you have the time to read them.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Zhenya, thank you!
The mudcat thread looks like just what I need, with its links to the telegraph pages, these are very detailed and give a translation of the technical terms too.
I am a little daunted by the sheer volume of information, but at first glance it is very nicely organised in logical steps, and doesn't assume I know what I am doing, which of course, I don't..............Yet!
It looks even more difficult to record my old records on cd, but at least these aren't corrupting themselves in their packets.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
I've just been recently been ploughing through my cassette collection and converting them to MP3. I've been using Audacity (it's free!) and it works a treat.
Each tape may vary in its original recorded volume, particularly if home recorded, so experiment a bit to get the levels right before recording the whole tape.
As Morphonymic Tootler said, make sure you select Line In for the input source, because if you select Microphone, you'll only be recording in mono.
Any clicking or mechanical noise from the cassette player shouldn't show up in the audio received by the PC. There's also noise removal tools you can use to get rid of tape hiss, although I find they also remove a certain amount of high frequency 'good' noise as well.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Where are my manners? Thank you also to the Tootler with the overenthusiastic cat, although now I am alarmed about what my tapes have been doing to themselves.
Thanks all, I've got enough to give me brainstrain and hopefull some cds now.
I hope to rescue a few old Adelaide session recordings, some sea shanties, my old bushband recording, & some old irish greats who fired my interest in the music years ago on long car trips.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
I use a Griffin iMic USB microphone interface and QuickTime Player to do this. Just connect it up and do "New Audio Recording". You can clean stuff up afterwards in Audacity or something if it needs it. Another way I sometimes do it is to record directly onto the iPod with a Micromemo recorder and just transfer it onto the computer afterwards. That saves me having to move the computer over to the hi-fi or vice versa.
Spend some time getting your levels right: You want the maximum music to noise ratio so go for the highest level you can without clipping.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Tigermoth, how do you break up the tracks when you use Audacity? Do you sit there and record each track individually? Or do you segment out the file bit by bit?
I have recorded tapes directly to my miniDisc recorder. This has the option of adding "marks" into the file, thereby creating new tracks. Then I can copy it onto the computer and make a CD out of it, with tracks for every tune set.
I wonder if you could do this with your Zen, Caroline?
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
One suggestion I have not seen made was bypassing the computer altogether. I recently got a CDR home stereo component for about $150USD, and it makes great CDs from my LPs and cassettes, and it is no more complicated than, say, taping an LP. Just hook up the component to your home stereo receiver, put a cassette in, hit play, hit record on the CDR, and it's done.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Hi Jode
What I do is record the whole of one side of the tape, then if it's a *cough* home recording of a cassette that takes both sides of a C90 say, I flip the tape over while Audacity is still running.
When it's finished recording the whole album I go to the beginning of what I've just recorded and delete any unwanted empty space at the start. Then I take a sample of the tape hiss and remove the noise from the whole album in one go. Noise removal setting on minimum. Takes a few minutes, probably ages on a low-end PC though.
Then I put the cursor in the gap between track one and track two, select 'Start to Cursor' then 'Export Selection as MP3, naming the track as marked on the track listing. Then do the same with the gap between track two and track three. Rinse & repeat until finished. Obviously removing some of the large silence from when the tape was flipped. That way, it has the right amount of silence between tracks, so it sounds like the original in that respect. Obsessed me, never!
I think it's worth the effort because it's quicker to select a specific track without searching an entire 1½ hour MP3.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Sounds easy enough, thanks for the help!
You know, I solve computer issues every day, but sometimes I just don't have the patience to figure this kind of thing out when it comes to music. Professional hazard, I suppose.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
One thing I forgot to add is that after saving the first track, with that track still selected and without touching the mouse, I delete it with the keyboard. That puts the next track is at the beginning. Then just repeat that process to the end.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Tigermoth, how long does it take you to digitize an albums worth into separate tracks with Audacity, from beginning to end? I've done the job with Cool Edit and it consumed a more time than I wanted to spend.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Take a look at Wave Corrector www.wavecor.co.uk It has a bit of a learning curve but it does a wonderful job of recording the material from tapes and records, then processing them to split tracks, remove crackles, hiss etc and then save them to a choice of different formats. Once I have recorded a C90 cassette to hard disc it only takes me a few minutes to process the material to make it ready for burning to CD.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Hi Bob
Not including the actual recording, as I just get on with something else while that's happening. I'd guess at about 20 minutes, to do the noise removal, selecting and saving of all the tracks, although I have a half decent PC.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Like Jode I've copied stuff from my MD recorder to the computer, and then I've used the aforementioned Audio Cleaning Lab software to edit and sort tracks. If you have a Hi-MD recorder you can use Sony's (buggy) software to transfer to computer much more quickly but of course you'd still have to copy from cassette to MD first which seems like a step too far. My ancient stereo system, which was my last link to the wonderful world of cassettes, bit the dust a good while back but I salvaged the still-working cassette deck from it which now sits all forlorn on top of my wardrobe. Could I just plug this into my computer - no amp or any such thing - and copy cassettes on to my hard-drive from it? Or do I need some sort of fancy intermediary gizmo to link 'em up first? I have a wonderful collection of leads of all kinds that I've amassed over the years, so it's not leads I'm talking about.
2.) Software to clean things up (I have both Steinberg's WaveLab & Sony's SoundForge, but these are pricey in their full forms.) I would recommend either the Magix Audio Cleaning Lab or Soundsoap 2:
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Cleaning Lab ain't free I should point out and it also installs a thing called C_Dilla in your registry that Spybot, AdAware, etc. don't like. You can't uninstall it though if you want to keep the program. I don't like to think it's there but it hasn't done me any harm that I know of. Audio Cleaning Lab is pretty good.
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Cheers, tigermoth. I have those connectors and that lineout . I just wondered whether it needed some kind of preamp like my record deck did. It's just that the amplifier that came with the system doesn't exist any more!
Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
I have some cassette tapes form early 1980s which are probably deteriorating. I have not listened to them as I worry that will further degrade them. They would have been fairly rough quality to start with, but had some great music on them. Some out of print albums and some Adelaide sessions (I think)
Is there an EASY way for a very nontechno lass to record them over to computer and maybe get rid of some of the little wheels turning noise from the original? I'd love to listen to them with modern technology ie CD or my NEW MP3 nonuserfriendly creative zen. The quality of sound from its tiny little internal mike is wonderful, compared to old cassette recording.
I have had a search of the discussions and can't find enough info on this to work it out. Hope someone knows just how to do this.
Caroline
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by mrs.b
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
We meet on another thread!
First, playing and playing your tapes will make them deteriorate, it's true, but not playing them at all will make sticking more likely, and will increase "print-through" where the magnetic pattern in each layer of tape creates an echo of itself on adjacent layers. So if you want the music that's on them it would be good to get on with the job.
Secondly, you will have to be a bit technical, but it should not be awful. By "turning wheels" do you mean the "squeak-creak" as the tape turns? That would in all probability be just mechanical and will mostly disappear once you have re-recorded the tracks.
You will need a jack-to-jack lead, probably from the tape players headphone's output to what will be called "line in" on your computer. If you haven't got one, they are very easy to buy from any hi-fi or similar store.
Then you also need some recording software. Others will know better than me what would be a good choice there. The so-called Windows recorder only allows something like 1 minute clips, so that is no use. I use the Creative Wave Editor, because it came with the Creative sound card I chose, but I have no idea whether that would be cost-effective if you don't already have it.
Then you just need to make a few settings, telling the thing, for instance, to record from "line in" (not from the microphone, for instance), maybe setting the volume level, choosing sampling rates and the like. These will take you two minutes once you know how to do them, but they may take an hour or two to figure out the first time - you know what computers are like!
Software like a "wave editor" is really handy here, for jobs like "topping and tailing" the tracks and so on.
Good luck
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by Lingpupa
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Caroline,
There was a recent discussion on Mudcat.org about this. Here’s a link:
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98053
In case that doesn’t work, go to Mudcat.org and search for this discussion thread:
Tech: From cassette tapes to CDs
Thread began on 1/14/07
In case you still can’t find it, here are some links mentioned in the thread, listed there as Parts 1 through 5. These are detailed articles telling you exactly how to convert cassettes to CDs. Don’t worry if the length of it all looks daunting. – it’s not actually difficult to do, but there is a learning curve. These articles will help, though, if you have the time to read them.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2006/11/14/ecrboot14.xml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2006/11/21/ecrboot21.xml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2006/11/28/ecrboot28.xml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2006/12/06/ecrboot06.xml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2006/12/12/ecrboot12.xml
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by Zhenya
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Perhaps one of these: looks like a newer model, due in March 2007.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/drives/7a8d/
http://www.plusdeck.com/Englishsite/product_01.html
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by kkrell
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
I use Steinberg Wave Lab.
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by dafydd
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Zhenya, thank you!
The mudcat thread looks like just what I need, with its links to the telegraph pages, these are very detailed and give a translation of the technical terms too.
I am a little daunted by the sheer volume of information, but at first glance it is very nicely organised in logical steps, and doesn't assume I know what I am doing, which of course, I don't..............Yet!
It looks even more difficult to record my old records on cd, but at least these aren't corrupting themselves in their packets.
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by mrs.b
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
I've just been recently been ploughing through my cassette collection and converting them to MP3. I've been using Audacity (it's free!) and it works a treat.
Each tape may vary in its original recorded volume, particularly if home recorded, so experiment a bit to get the levels right before recording the whole tape.
As Morphonymic Tootler said, make sure you select Line In for the input source, because if you select Microphone, you'll only be recording in mono.
Any clicking or mechanical noise from the cassette player shouldn't show up in the audio received by the PC. There's also noise removal tools you can use to get rid of tape hiss, although I find they also remove a certain amount of high frequency 'good' noise as well.
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Where are my manners? Thank you also to the Tootler with the overenthusiastic cat, although now I am alarmed about what my tapes have been doing to themselves.
Thanks all, I've got enough to give me brainstrain and hopefull some cds now.
I hope to rescue a few old Adelaide session recordings, some sea shanties, my old bushband recording, & some old irish greats who fired my interest in the music years ago on long car trips.
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by mrs.b
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Was thinking about doing the same myself. Can anyone point me towards a decent free recording software download for this job?
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by proinsiasrua
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
I use a Griffin iMic USB microphone interface and QuickTime Player to do this. Just connect it up and do "New Audio Recording". You can clean stuff up afterwards in Audacity or something if it needs it. Another way I sometimes do it is to record directly onto the iPod with a Micromemo recorder and just transfer it onto the computer afterwards. That saves me having to move the computer over to the hi-fi or vice versa.
Spend some time getting your levels right: You want the maximum music to noise ratio so go for the highest level you can without clipping.
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by JerryH
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Tigermoth, how do you break up the tracks when you use Audacity? Do you sit there and record each track individually? Or do you segment out the file bit by bit?
I have recorded tapes directly to my miniDisc recorder. This has the option of adding "marks" into the file, thereby creating new tracks. Then I can copy it onto the computer and make a CD out of it, with tracks for every tune set.
I wonder if you could do this with your Zen, Caroline?
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by Jode
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
One suggestion I have not seen made was bypassing the computer altogether. I recently got a CDR home stereo component for about $150USD, and it makes great CDs from my LPs and cassettes, and it is no more complicated than, say, taping an LP. Just hook up the component to your home stereo receiver, put a cassette in, hit play, hit record on the CDR, and it's done.
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by Jameson Stew
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Hi Jode
What I do is record the whole of one side of the tape, then if it's a *cough* home recording of a cassette that takes both sides of a C90 say, I flip the tape over while Audacity is still running.
When it's finished recording the whole album I go to the beginning of what I've just recorded and delete any unwanted empty space at the start. Then I take a sample of the tape hiss and remove the noise from the whole album in one go. Noise removal setting on minimum. Takes a few minutes, probably ages on a low-end PC though.
Then I put the cursor in the gap between track one and track two, select 'Start to Cursor' then 'Export Selection as MP3, naming the track as marked on the track listing. Then do the same with the gap between track two and track three. Rinse & repeat until finished. Obviously removing some of the large silence from when the tape was flipped. That way, it has the right amount of silence between tracks, so it sounds like the original in that respect. Obsessed me, never!
I think it's worth the effort because it's quicker to select a specific track without searching an entire 1½ hour MP3.
HTH
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Sounds easy enough, thanks for the help!
You know, I solve computer issues every day, but sometimes I just don't have the patience to figure this kind of thing out when it comes to music. Professional hazard, I suppose.
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by Jode
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
One thing I forgot to add is that after saving the first track, with that track still selected and without touching the mouse, I delete it with the keyboard. That puts the next track is at the beginning. Then just repeat that process to the end.
# Posted on February 20th 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Tigermoth, how long does it take you to digitize an albums worth into separate tracks with Audacity, from beginning to end? I've done the job with Cool Edit and it consumed a more time than I wanted to spend.
# Posted on February 21st 2007 by Bob himself
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Take a look at Wave Corrector www.wavecor.co.uk It has a bit of a learning curve but it does a wonderful job of recording the material from tapes and records, then processing them to split tracks, remove crackles, hiss etc and then save them to a choice of different formats. Once I have recorded a C90 cassette to hard disc it only takes me a few minutes to process the material to make it ready for burning to CD.
# Posted on February 21st 2007 by deeor
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Hi Bob
Not including the actual recording, as I just get on with something else while that's happening. I'd guess at about 20 minutes, to do the noise removal, selecting and saving of all the tracks, although I have a half decent PC.
# Posted on February 21st 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Like Jode I've copied stuff from my MD recorder to the computer, and then I've used the aforementioned Audio Cleaning Lab software to edit and sort tracks. If you have a Hi-MD recorder you can use Sony's (buggy) software to transfer to computer much more quickly but of course you'd still have to copy from cassette to MD first which seems like a step too far. My ancient stereo system, which was my last link to the wonderful world of cassettes, bit the dust a good while back but I salvaged the still-working cassette deck from it which now sits all forlorn on top of my wardrobe. Could I just plug this into my computer - no amp or any such thing - and copy cassettes on to my hard-drive from it? Or do I need some sort of fancy intermediary gizmo to link 'em up first? I have a wonderful collection of leads of all kinds that I've amassed over the years, so it's not leads I'm talking about.
# Posted on February 21st 2007 by Steve Shaw
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
1.) an audio interface ~ excellent USB interfaces are available from Edirol, for example their UA-4FX...
Edirol UA-1EX
http://www.roland.com/products/en/UA-1EX/index.html
UA-4FX
http://www.roland.com/products/en/UA-4FX/index.html
2.) Software to clean things up (I have both Steinberg's WaveLab & Sony's SoundForge, but these are pricey in their full forms.) I would recommend either the Magix Audio Cleaning Lab or Soundsoap 2:
http://site.magix.net/english-us/home/music/audio-cleaning-lab-11/
http://www.bias-inc.com/products/soundsoap/
Avoid Steinberg's "Clean" as it is a pain in the arse...
# Posted on February 21st 2007 by ceolachan
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
The cheapest sources for Soundsoap 2 (not the Pro version unless you're as mad as me) is North America, also for Magix Audio Cleaning Lab...
# Posted on February 21st 2007 by ceolachan
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Cleaning Lab ain't free I should point out and it also installs a thing called C_Dilla in your registry that Spybot, AdAware, etc. don't like. You can't uninstall it though if you want to keep the program. I don't like to think it's there but it hasn't done me any harm that I know of. Audio Cleaning Lab is pretty good.
# Posted on February 21st 2007 by Steve Shaw
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Steve, what sort of output sockets does it have? If it's RCA (phone) line-out, you should be ok with just a 3.5mm stereo jack to 2 x RCA plug.
# Posted on February 21st 2007 by Tigermoth
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
Cheers, tigermoth. I have those connectors and that lineout . I just wondered whether it needed some kind of preamp like my record deck did. It's just that the amplifier that came with the system doesn't exist any more!
# Posted on February 21st 2007 by Steve Shaw
Re: Rescuing cassette tape recordings and music by transfer to computer/CD etc. How?
The signal level is likely to be on the low side, but at least you won't have to worry about clipping or trying to set the levels right.
# Posted on February 21st 2007 by Tigermoth