Connecting an old cassette tape deck to a pc.

[de8212]

I know someone that has a old cassette tape (audio, not VHS) and wants the recordings onto their pc. I do not believe their old cassette deck has a dedicated output on it but does have a headphone jack.
Can the headphone jack be connected to the line In (or microphone) of a sound card to capture the contents?
I would imagine the built in sound recorder in windows would do the job but would there be an advantage to a third party software?

thanks for any info.

 

[bendixG15]

Here's some info ...and save me lots of typing ..
http://www.delback.co.uk/pcaudiofaq.htm

 

[de8212]

Originally posted by: bendixG15
Here's some info ...and save me lots of typing ..
http://www.delback.co.uk/pcaudiofaq.htm

thanks. I'll take a look.

 

[moonsite]

The answer is yes. You can connect from the headphone jack to the the line-in on the computer. Windows Wave recorder is very limited. There are other free software out there that let you record and edit the sound file. WavePad is a free one.

 

[Gusty987]

Audacity ftw.

 

[nineball9]

If the someone you know has a true "tape deck", it has line out connectors which will perform much better than the mic output. However, if it's just a Walkman type portable cassette player you're probably stuck with the microphone connection.

I spent a lot of time digitizing my substantial LP collection and a few cassettes. I used several wave editors/recording software packages; you may wish to experiment with the many available packages to find one that suits your tastes and needs.

Good luck!

 

[de8212]

Thanks for all the replies.

It's a panasonic SC-AK29. I found the manual online and do not see any outputs other than headphone. So I guess I'll try with that and test out some of the recommended software.