Converting cassette tapes to CD

[MorseLady]

Do I need any special software to convert my cassette tapes by playing them on to my computer via line in and then converting them to a format suitable for burning to CD such as MP3? I already have software to convert formats.

I have Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS and Roxio Easy Media Creator Basic.

What will the music sound like after converting?

[Zonie]

Hi MorseLady, try tis site HERE hope this works for you.

[Platypus]

What will the music sound like after converting?

The computer is capable of recording to a higher quality standard than the original tapes, so the sound on your computer should be just like the tapes themselves. If you wanted to spend the time, you could apply noise reduction to them, and enhance them that way, but for many applications I don't think it's justified.

If you record into .wav files at CD quality (44.1KHz 16 bit), and make a regular CD (ie you could fit 74 or 80 minutes per CD) you'll have CDs that sound just like the tapes.

If you want to use MP3 files to fit much more per disc, how they'll sound is governed by the bitrate you set when you convert to MP3. 384Kbps is hard to distinguish from CD sound, but you can fit nearly four times the material per disc. I use 192Kbps for the MP3s I play in the car, and they are adequate for that purpose. I can easily hear the quality loss of 128Kbps files.

[Ferrit]

Audacity is a great sound recording program
Matched by none for free i dont think

[MorseLady]

Thanks for the replies and links.

As my tape deck is part of a fairly high end hi fi setup I will take the sound source direct from my amplifier so I can get the benefit of high quality output. The tape deck itself can select between metal, chrome and ordinary tape and has Dolby B and C. I suppose I could record from my minidisc deck too or even record from the high quality digital radio stations that come as part of my cable TV service as the TV sound is via a hi fi amplifier.

This is more an interest project than anything as my car has a cassette player and the tape deck in my hi fi is good but I hate winding and rewinding tapes to listen to a track again. It also enables me to pick the best tracks and mix them as I have done whilst making MP3 discs from music CDs.

[MorseLady]

I set everything up and played a tape and although it was defin tely stereo and I had the output correct the program was showing recording in mono with just one track on the screen. When I played the WAV file back it was most definitely stereo so I am puzzled

LATER EDIT: I have just discovered that my soundcard software has it's own recorder which is very good and very easy and I will use that as it definitely shows stereo waveforms.

[NooNoo]

Glad you have got it sorted. Was it audacity not showing you both tracks?

[MorseLady]

Audacity was only showing one track but it was stereo. I found that I had a recording studio asd part of my Creative soundcard software and it is very easy so I am using it and it saves to MP3 and I have already created quite a few tracks from tape and minidisc and sounds very good.

[Guts3d]

Hey, Zonie, thanks for the link! I have a customer who will benefit immensely from that. I really didn't want to travel to her home and charge her just to show her how to rip and save music, and she is a really nice lady.

[Platypus]

Audio recording software like Audacity will normally default to one stereo track, and record simultaneously from L & R channels. You can add mono tracks if you want to add something like commentary from a microphone, or sing along etc...

Or vice versa, if you have something like an interview you can add background music or extra comments. You use pan controls to move mono tracks between left & right to where you want them in the mix, then "mix down" the result to a single stereo track for burning to CD.

[NooNoo]

Audio recording software like Audacity .......or sing along etc...

And you know this because..... : D

[Platypus]

And you know this because.....

It's such fun...

Not really, I hate karaoke!