How do I convert a cassette to a CD?

[Kilgore65]

I'm trying to convert a cassette to CD using a cord to connect the cassette player's output to the computer's microphone input, then using Sound Recorder. But the sound is very garbled. Is there a better application (preferably a free download) that I could use?

 

[TunaBoo]

Use a better sound recorder than sound recorder ( )


The quality will be really bad that way. You need a more high tech way, but I'm not sure of it.

 

[BurntKooshie]

Don't use the mircrophone jack, use the line-in jack, and change the sound settings to record from line-in.

 

[Workin']

And use Cool Edit instead of sound recorder! It's a free download.

 

[Kilgore65]

Thanks everyone for your responses. The support on these forums is really wonderful.

 

[CigarSmokedByClinton]

Use a steam roller.... it'll be nice and flat like a CD

Cigar

 

[StrangeRanger]

Use a decent sound package like cool edit or sound forge and the line out ont he tape deck to line in on sound card. then use nero or cd wav to split the tracks.
j

 

[Helznicht]

Wow, is there anything Nero doesnt do? :Q

 

[NelsonMuntz]

StrangeRanger has it down. That new version of Nero is an amazing thing, isn't it? I do like the steamroller idea though.

 

[StrangeRanger]

FYI, i don't use the new Nero 5.5 series, i think it still has too many bugs in it. Even the old versions of Nero have always been able to split tracks for you.
j

 

[Kilgore65]

Ok, folks, I tried the line-in method but no joy. I am using a Panasonic boom box cassette player together with a mono 9mm cord to bring the sound into the line-in jack on the sound card. Then I'm going into the sound properties on the windows toolbar and selecting line-in and deselecting microphone. Then I start Sound Recorder, then File - New and hit the record button, at the same time pressing play on the cassette recorder. No sound shows up in sound recorder. What could be going wrong? I'm going to try it again with a stereo 9mm cord to see if that could be the problem. I've tried downloading Cool Edit, but I have no idea how it is used. Plus, the free demo download only allows 1 minute of recording, I believe. What other options do I have?

 

[jcg]

the line output voltage from the boom box may be too low.
Try going thru some sort of amplifier.
The line output from the boom box should be at least 150mv for audio to be picked up on the recorder.

 

[Workin']

You should be using a stereo cord. And if it is connected to the headphone output of the boom box you will have to experiment with the volume setting of the boom box until you get a level that is satisfactory. Start low and SLOWLY increase it. But first thing to do is to get a stereo cord, of course assuming the boom box is stereo.

 

[JackMDS]

Boomboxs are not a good choice for such transfer.
Since noise is a problem in such transfer use Walkman type of player with batteries. Put fresh batteries, and connect the output (line out, if exists, or the earphone out). Make sure that you have stereo cable (it is a cable that have on both side a plug like the earphone plug).
Plug it to the line in of your computer audio card. It is better to put the Input audio of the computer on low, and control the Walkman volume.

There are a lot of computers programs that can help in such transfer. Ufortunately none of them are free. The shareware are usually crippled in away that it does not record more then few minutes.

A program that can record and spilt with good result is AudoiTools; it works with Lame mp3 freeware, so you can get nice WAV and MP3 from the original. It needs some playing around and trial and error until you get it under control.


AudioTools.

http://www.unrelatedinventions.com/Audiotools/


A good program to record one big WAV file of each side, and split and Burn with Nero, is Total Recorder.

http://www.highcriteria.com/


Collection of Audio programs that are available for Download:

http://www.davecentral.com/cgi-bin/search.pl?query=audio+recorder

 

[ABErickson]

You're probably over driving your sound card. I do quite a bit of cassette recording into my PC with my cassette deck and the signal has to be very low. Also, the two programs that I use are Audiotools or AudioGrabber (free version of Audiograbber has unlimited line-in recording).