Using USB Cassette Player with PC

**MorseLady** · January 25th, 2008, 07:02 AM

I have seen a cassette deck which plugs into a USB port and allows you to record the output on to your computer for conversion to MP3 etc or burning to CD. It says your sound card needs to suppoort USB input.

My sound card is Creative Audigy 2 ZS and came with my computer which is nearly three years old. I have looked at the online manual but can see no reference to USB.

I would be grateful if anyone can tell me if the USB deck would work with my sound card or not please?

**NooNoo** · January 25th, 2008, 07:46 AM

That's an interesting use of USB.

But any cassette player with a line out (or headphone socket) can be plugged into the line in of the sound card and recorded that way...

The easiest way to check if your Creative Audigy 2 ZS will support a usb audio source is to get a usb microphone. To save you the bother someone already did that here (post 8) and reported it works... so your usb cassette should be fine.

Which cassette deck did you propose to get?

**MorseLady** · January 25th, 2008, 07:58 AM

The reason I want to get a dedicated USB cassette player is because I am fed up pulling my 5 component hi fi stack out to mess about with the RCA leads at the back to feed the signal into the line in of my computer. Having said that I would miss out on a very good input indeed from my hi fi amplifier against maybe a not so good signal from the cassette player.

The brand is ION and there is a single one at Argos for £79.99 and a twin cassette version at Maplin for £99.99. The single one will do.

Noo do I get the impression from your message that I could use the headphone socket of my hi fi amplifier to input the sound to my computer line in socket? I take it that would be WYHIWYG ie my computer would record the sound as I hear it and any changes I made to bass and treble would affect the recording? My amp does have a direct facility for the components but then it does not sound so good. The recorder that comes with the Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS is extremely good and easy to use ands the big WAV files can easily be concerted to something smaller. I have plenty of hard disk space for the initial large WAV files.

**NooNoo** · January 25th, 2008, 08:01 AM

Well if you open the Argos one carefully, you could always take it back if it doesn't suit...

**MorseLady** · January 25th, 2008, 08:10 AM

No problem with Argos they always refund no quibble even once when I did not have the receipt. Yes I will get one and try it and as you say I can always take it back. I only need the single cassette, got twin cassette on my main hi fi system.

**NooNoo** · January 25th, 2008, 08:25 AM

There are some items they refuse to take back - for instance pc games unless they are proved to be faulty. It doesn't hurt to check that this isn't one of those items.

**MorseLady** · January 25th, 2008, 08:29 AM

I have checked on the website that it is not excluded and I always ask before I take the article.

Here is a link to the player

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/st...tId=1500151909

**NooNoo** · January 25th, 2008, 08:32 AM

Ah good, would hate you or anyone to be caught out... like the woman I was stood next to at my local Argos who had bought the wrong game for her grandchild, despite the fact it was still shrinkwrapped, they would not exchange it. Meanwhile, I was making my 5th attempt to collect something I had reserved... my local Argos is the pits.

**MorseLady** · January 25th, 2008, 11:06 AM

Noo I assume these USB audio devices come up as a drive the same as a camera or MP3 player? I just wondered how I get to listen to the tapes? I do have a sound recorder which came with my Audigy 2 ZS do I boot that?

I was going to pay at the kiosk with my card which is quick but if the queue is not long I will pay at the desk and ask to view which means I can double check with CS that I can take it back.

**CeeBee** · January 25th, 2008, 11:19 AM

The intuition tells me that the USB tape drive will show up as a sound input device - just like the microphone of a webcam. Only advantage (or disadvantage, depending on the quality of the hardware) is that A/D conversion is being done in the tape drive. But if it has a poor A/D converter and decent analog amplifier you might be better off using the line out

**MorseLady** · January 25th, 2008, 11:41 AM

I have just tried connecting the headphone socket of my hi fi into the input of my computer with a lead with a double ended mini stereo jack and provided I keep the level down I get very good recordings indeed with excellent stereo separation. If I want to monitor I can use one of those Y connectors used to share an MP3 player between two people. It works well.

I will not be buying the tape deck for now anyway, until I have done some more tests with this method. Seems a pity to swap sound from a very good hi fi system for a cheap tape deck and cheap sound.

**NooNoo** · January 25th, 2008, 12:09 PM

Now that's unusual, posting at Windrivers usually means having to go get new hardware, not saving a bundle on not buying it!!

**MorseLady** · January 25th, 2008, 02:31 PM

I think it has helped me anyway and I am recording something I took off BBC Radio Three ten years ago which I cannot find on CD and I am recording it to my computer now having first made a few test recordings. I also realised that using my hi fi is best because most of my tapes have been recorded using Dolby C setting and chrome tapes and cheap tape decks don't have Dolby or tape settings.

I have also realised that I do not have enough tapes I want to convert to justify the expense of a dedicated USB tape deck and that the cassettes are very useful for my car which does not have a CD player.

Thanks everyone.

ADDED LATER

Just encountered a problem. I want to convert the WAV files to CDA to burn to a convential CD but the converters I have don't so that, are there any that do?

**NooNoo** · January 25th, 2008, 03:30 PM

Any burning softare will do that for you

When you open your burning program, choose Audio CD. Dump the wavs on the CD in the order you want them and click burn. The software will recode them.

**paraflyer** · January 25th, 2008, 03:53 PM

Was just strolling thru the forums and saw this. I can't speak for the ION cassette deck, but their USB Turntable is a wonderful little device. Plus it has an external input direct to the A/D converter, for input from a CD player or tape deck. And the standard RCA jacks if you want to plug it into your regular stereo.

Something to consider, especially if you have stacks of old album laying around.

http://www.ion-audio.com/ionttusb

Cost me around $130 US.