4/3/2015

6 Ways to Transfer Cassette Tape to Computer

wikiHow

How to Transfer Cassette Tape to

Computer
Six Methods:

Preparing to Record

Using A Professional App

Using Audacity

Using QuickTime

Using Sound Recorder

Finishing Your Recorded Audio (Mastering)

Audio cassettes open up a world of portability unimaginable in the days when

LPs ruled the roost. Music on the go! However, cassette tapes have fallen by
the wayside (or, in many cases, have been thrown to the wayside from moving
vehicles), and, unlike LPs, they dont appear to be making a comeback
anytime soon. Audio cassettes eventually deteriorate or get eaten by your
tape player and cassette players are becoming increasingly rare. All is not lost,
though: it is possible to transfer audio from cassettes to your computer, where
it can be stored in formats such as WAV and MP3 or can be burned to CDs.
We'll show you how.

Method 1 of 6: Preparing to Record

Gather your materials. See the Supplies You'll Need section below for a
comprehensive list of options, but the short version is this: you will need a cable

that connects your cassette player to the line input on your computer. The particular bits
you will need depend primarily on your cassette deck. We will assume, for this article,
that your computer's sound input is a linelevel 3.5mm jack.
Virtually all cassette decks have a 3.5mm headphone jack. This jack sends an
amplified signal to your headphones, in mono or stereo, depending on the
features of your cassette deck. To connect to your computer with a headphone
jack, you will need a cable with a 3.5mm stereo plug on each end (or a cable
with suitable adapters so that both ends terminate with a 3.5mm stereo plug).
Many cassette decks have unbalanced line outputs. You'll recognize those as
having the familiar red and white plastic rings where you insert matching red
and white plugsred for the right channel, and white for the left. The cable you
will need for this will have two RCA plugs on one end, and a 3.5mm plug on the
other. As above, adapters are fine as long as one end has two RCA plugs, and
the other end a 3.5mm stereo plug.
A very few highend cassette decks will sport balanced line outputs, with dual 3
pin XLRF connectors or balanced 1/4" phone jacks. For these, you will need
balanced cables that have XLRM or a 1/4" phone plug on one end, and plugs
to match your computer sound input hardware on the other end. If you're using
a balancedoutput cassette deck, it's likely your computer sound hardware has
balanced inputs. If not, you will need an adapter to turn your balanced signals
into unbalanced ones. Consult with your local audio supply store for the best fit
for your hardware setup.

Connecting to a headphone jack. Plug one end of your cable into the headphone
jack of your cassette deck, and the other to the line input (not microphone input) of

your computer. The traditional "line input" of a desktop is blue with what looks like
communication waves spreading outwards above it. It is usually situated next to the
headphone input (green) and the microphone input (pink). If using Audacity make sure
it's set to "line input" by clicking on the menu next to the microphone icon.
Make certain the plugs are inserted completely and are secure.

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4/3/2015

6 Ways to Transfer Cassette Tape to Computer

wikiHow

Connecting to line output jacks. Connect the red and white RCA plugs on the
cable to the matching red and white jacks on your cassette player or receiver.

(Note that some receivers have a special "recording output," which is fine to use as well
it delivers the same output levels as the line out of a cassette deck). Insert the 3.5mm
plug into the line in jack on your computer.
Make certain the plugs are inserted completely and are secure.

Connecting balanced line outputs. Plug in the XLR or phone plugs into the left
and right outputs, and the other end of the balanced cables into your computer's

sound input. If you are plugging into an unbalanced 3.5mm line input jack, you will need
an adapter that converts the balanced outputs to unbalanced outputs, and matches the
connector of the line input of your sound card.
Note: under no circumstances connect your speaker outputs to any input of
your sound card. This will, in all likelihood, destroy your sound card, and could
possibly damage your amp as well.

Check your sound input levels. In order to get the best recordings, you will want
to ensure that you have just the right amount of signal coming in. Too loud, and

your sound will be distorted. Too quiet, and there will be a lot of hiss and muffled
sounds.

Set your input and adjust levels on a PC. Open the Sound control panel by
clicking the Start button, then clicking Control Panel. Type "sound," and then click

Sound in the results.

Click the Recording tab, then click Line In, then click Set Default.
Click Properties, then click on the Levels tab. Move the volume slider to the
right to increase the recording volume, then click OK. When you're returned to
the Sound dialog box, click OK.

Set your input and adjust levels on a Macintosh. Open the Sound control panel
in System Preferences. Click on the Input button at the top of the window, and

ensure that Line In is selected in the list.

Set the Input volume control in the Sound control panel to about 75%. Set the
headphone output of your cassette deck to 0.
Locate a loud passage on the tape you're going to record from, then press
"Play" on your cassette player. Keep an eye on the meters as you slowly
increase the output volume on the cassette player. When the meters in the
Sound control panel are flashing regularly around 80% (about 12 "LEDs" lit),
you have a good recording level. If you need more level after the cassette
player output is at maximum, increase the Input volume in the Sound control
panel. If you need less volume, reduce the level from the recorder. This will give
you the cleanest signal overall.
Note: unless you have a very high output from your headphone jack, there is
little risk of damaging your sound card using this method. By setting the output
of your cassette player to zero, then increasing gradually, you ensure that your
sound card is not damaged.

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6 Ways to Transfer Cassette Tape to Computer

wikiHow

Determine what software you will use. Your needs, including number of
cassettes you want to convert, the quality of the resulting recordings, and how you

plan on playing your recordings on the computer, will determine the most effective
software. This article will cover basic sound recording I/O and software, as those with
professionallevel audio software are most likely skilled at conversion.

Method 2 of 6: Using Audacity

Use Audacity. Audacity is free opensource application that is loaded with

features and capabilities. It's not only free, it's far more flexible than many

commercial applications!
Set the sound input in Audacity. Make sure it's set to Line Input by clicking on
the menu next to the microphone icon.
Press the round, red Record button, then press "Play" on your cassette player.
When you are done recording, press the square, gold Stop button, then stop
your cassette deck.
With Audacity, you can edit your audio for best results: trim silences, normalize
so you get maximum volume, break into tracks, etc. For more information on
using Audacity, click here.

Method 3 of 6: Using QuickTime

Use QuickTime. It's easily available, wellsupported, and is an excellent choice for
doing basic, highquality conversions. There are no frills, and has relatively simple

editing capabilities, which means it's super easy to use. That makes it a great option if
you're bringing lectures, audio books, or other long, unbroken blocks of audio.

Acquire the software. For Macintosh users, QuickTime X, which ships with OS X
10.6, 10.7, and 10.8, is able to record external sources. For older versions of the

Mac OS, or for Windows, QuickTime 7 Pro is available for purchase from Apple. Start
with this link: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/extending/ then pick the OS that is
applicable to you.
Whether you use QuickTime Player X, or QuickTime Pro, it's the same process
when you're ready to record.

Make sure everything is connected. Ensure that your tape player's plugged in,

Launch QuickTime Player. From the File menu, select New Audio Recording.

and that you have set the levels properly.

This will open a simple control strip (QuickTime X) or preview window (QuickTime

Pro).

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Press the red button in the middle of the control area to begin recording.
Then, press Play on the cassette player. When you are finished recording, press

the button again, then shut off your cassette player. Your movie will be saved to the
desktop.
Click on the menu on the right side of the control strip to select a different
destination for the file. (QuickTime Player X)
Choose a different default location in the Recording pane of QuickTime Player
Preferences. (QuickTime Pro)

Method 4 of 6: Using Sound Recorder

Take advantage of Sound Recorder. Every PC ships with Sound Recorder, and
for a free little utility it's become quite useful. There are no frills, which means it's

super easy to use, and also completely basic when it comes to editing. Like QuickTime
Player X, it's a great option to use if you're bringing lectures, audio books, or other long,
unbroken blocks of audio.

Launch Sound Recorder. Click the Start button, and in the search box enter

Click Start Recording. Then on the cassette player, press "Play." Record the

"Sound Recorder." In the list of results, click Sound Recorder.

audio you want, and when finished, press Stop Recording. Press Stop on your

cassette player.
Enter a file name for the recorded file, then click Save.

Method 5 of 6: Using A Professional App

Use a professional app. For even greater flexibility and professional cleanup,
there are a number of apps ranging from about $50USD to over $500 USD. The

details of operation vary, but they all follow the same essential process as even the most
basic sound recorder:
Make sure that Line Input is selected in the software setup.
Press record in the software, record your piece, then press the stop button to
halt recording.

Edit your audio. The benefit with professional apps is that they allow you to split
your audio into regions (for CDs) and perform many professional mastering

functions using highquality plugins.

Options in the professional category include Sound Forge by Sonyan
excellent choice for this type of workas well as PolderbitS and Cubase on the
PC, Garage Band and Logic Pro on the Mac, and ProTools on either.

Method 6 of 6: Finishing Your Recorded Audio (Mastering)

Record a small amount at first. Before you transfer your entire tape collection
over to your hard drive, make sure you're getting a good recording. Record what

you did, then give it a listen. If you set up your signal chain correctly, you should have a
fairly clean digital copy of your old analog tapes.
If the recording is too quiet or too noisy (the music is quiet but there's lots
"fuzzy" noise), the output was too low and the recording did not have enough
signal to offset the noise. If the recorded sound sounds like it's being played
through a broken speaker, a meat grinder, or a Marshall stack turned up to 11,
your recording was too hot, and the sound's distorted. Back off the output level
from the tape player, and try again.

Edit your recording. You may not need to do any editing, but if you want to cut
out silences, erase some tracks, or change the volume, for example, most sound

recording programs will allow you to do so. This procedure is quite complex if you have
no experience with sound editing, and is beyond the scope of this article.
When editing, it is a good idea to keep the original file as a backup and change
the names of edited files when you save them in case you find you made a
mistake. When youre sure you like the edited file, you can delete the original to
save drive space on your computer.

Normalization. Once you have a basically good recording, you can improve it
through judicious use of software tools. Chief among those is Normalization.

Basically, it works by making sure the loudest peaks are at or near 100% of full scale
when all the meters are lit (or 0dB, depending on your metering).

Compression. This is not something you will use for every recording you make. It
can render a lot of music lifeless. It works by keeping the loudest sounds about

where they started, and bringing up the level of the quieter passages. You lose the
difference between the highs and lowsor dynamicsand in return, you get an
apparently louder recording. When listening at home, this isn't necessarily desirable, but
if you're making a CD for your car, it can be very useful.

EQ. Depending on your speakers, how they're set up, and the quality of your
overall playback system, adjusting the EQ to taste can be helpful. A word of

caution, though: like compression, "good" EQ is subjective. While you may adjust the
EQ so it sounds great on your system. But if you loan your CD to a friend with a different
speaker system, it may come out sounding thin, or muffled, or honky, or just plain wrong.

Always work with a copy. Once you've gone through the trouble of converting
your old cassettes, Make saving a copy of your recording the first thing you do

before you start doing destructive edits (normalization, EQ, compression, etc.)

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Tips
Don't throw out old cassettes or cassette players because they are rare
and becoming valuable.
To improve the source sound from tapeespecially cassette tape
adjust the azimuth. Listen in mono and slowly adjust the azimuth screw
on the play head on your cassette deck until you hear sound with the
maximum treble. You may need to move it a little left and right initially
to get a feel of how the sound changes and which setting gives you the
best high frequency playback.
Your sound card may need to be set to allow recording from the linein
port (the pale blue circular port). You can do this in Windows from the
volume control in the system tray (near the clock). Double click the
volume icon, then in the window that opens, click Options, then
Properties, then Recording, then click OK. Make sure the linein box is
selected.
For the reverse operationtransferring digital sound to tapesimply
use the same cable setup, but plug one end into the cassette deck's
microphone or line in jack, and the other end into the computer's line
out, headphone, or speaker jack. Hit record on the cassette deck, then
start the songs playing on the computer. Start with a low volume setting
and adjust for good quality sound, then rewind and start over the
recording at that volume level.
You may not need to buy recording software. Advanced sound
recording and editing software may come with your sound card.
Otherwise, you can find many good freeware programs on the internet
for recording, editing, and changing formats of audio files. It is
important that before you start, read the help manual for the recording
and editing software.
The audio file you create may be in the native PC sound file type: WAV
(.wav) format. You can play it with almost any audio software. These
files, however, are about 10 times larger than the equivalent file in
MP3, so you may want to compress them to MP3 if size is more
important than sound quality. Your sound recording or media player
software may have this function built in, or you may need to get
additional software. Fortunately, you can get such conversion software
free online, such as Audio Grabber which will record straight to MP3
(link below).

Warnings
Be cautious about what kind of cable you use. Monster Cable makes a
good Ycable. Cheap cables often lack electronic shielding. If your
cable isnt up to par it will record the buzz of your computer fan as well
as the analog audio.
Before deciding to undertake this operation, please read the comments
(click on the "Discuss" tab), especially the comments regarding the
quality of results for music cassettes.
Your results, especially for music cassettes, will depend on a number
of factors: the quality and condition of your tapes, your cassette player,
your computer and AD converters (or sound card), your connecting
cable, and the level of your knowledge and experience in sound
editing.
Uncompressed audio files are very large. One cassette tape may take
hundreds of MB, so make sure you have enough space on your hard
drive.
Unless you are using specialized, expensive equipment, you may not
get the results you hoped for. Worst case, you could damage your
computer.
Attempting to transfer cassettes using a boombox or portable stereo to
play the cassettes may result in recordings of poorer quality than
expected.
Take care not to violate copyright laws with your recordings. Cassette
tapes may be old, but the copyright is usually still enforceable.
Don't throw away the cassette. Always keep your master copy. You will
need it when your hard drive crashes, or you find there was a glitch in
your transfer, or when your next new computer can record it better. It
also gives you the copyright to your copy you have just made.
Start with a very low volume on the cassette player or stereo, as your
computer's input circuitry can be damaged by highlevel input. Note:
Some recording software will instruct you to turn up the volume on your
cassette player. As you could damage your computer, use extreme
caution and get expert assistance if you are inexperienced. However,
don't panic, either: headphone amps on most consumer cassette
players are very low power: they're built for driving very small speakers
placed very close to your ears.

Things You'll Need

Your needs will vary depending on the hardware you are using. Here
are some common connectors that you might require.
3.5mm to 3.5mm
A doubleended 3.5mm stereo cable, available at most electronics
stores)

RCA to 3.5mm
"Y" stereo adapter cable with a pair of RCAstyle channel connectors
(one is usually red, the other white) at one end, and a single linein,
1/8inch (3.5 millimeter) miniconnector at the other. This is also
called a 3.5mm Stereo to RCA Dual Audio Cable.
A regular stereo hookup cable with RCA connectors at both ends
and (2) a 3.5mm miniconnector adapter. With this setup, you plug the
RCA connectors at one end into the cassette decks lineout jacks and
then plug the connectors at the other end into the adaptor, which has
a 3.5 mm miniconnector at the other end to plug into your sound
cards linein jack.
Note that if you have the option, a cable made to fit your setup is the
best: the fewer adapters you use, the better.
RCA to USB
This setup uses a regular stereo hookup cable with RCA connectors
at both ends and and RCAtoUSB audio interface (converter). These
can be moderately expensive, but may provide better analogtodigital
conversion than what your sound card offers. With this setup you
connect the RCA cable to the converter, which has a USB plug to
connect to your computers USB port.
Balanced Out to Balanced In
In this more professional setup, you'll need either balanced XLR or
balanced 1/4inch phone plugs on each end.
A Macintosh or PC with a sound card that has a linein jack. Almost all
computers have this device, except for some laptop computers that do
not have a linein jack. In this case, you may need to use the USB
interface.
If your PC or laptop does not have a linein, you may also be able to
use the microphonein port. Note however that the microphonein port
is probably monophonic, not stereophonic. Using this port is not
recommended by Audacity to record music from cassettes to the
computer. Just make sure that the volume setting is not too high: start
with the lowest setting and raise it little by little until you are able to
record a lowvolume sound, like for example the first few bars of
Ravel's Bolero.
Sound recording software.
A cassette player with either audio RCA line output jacks or a 3.5mm
stereo headphone or lineout jack.
Note: if your cassette deck is built in to your stereo receiver, you can
use the lineout jacks on the receiver.

Sources and Citations

Audacity A very popular freeware audio editor which has a more
complicated, but less restrictive interface than Microsoft Sound
Recorder.
Goldwave.com Goldwave, a sharewarelicensed piece of audio

software. Easy to use filters help enhance the quality of the file.
(http://www.audiograbber.org/ Audio Grabber (freeware) will record you
tapes straight to MP3 and is extremely user friendly (choose LineIn
Sampling).
Azimuth Adjustment when you convert cassettes to CD Manually
adjusting cassette azimuth for high quality when you convert cassettes
to cd or computer, PC.

Article Info

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Article

Franais: transfrer une cassette audio vers un ordinateur, Italiano: Trasferire le tue
Audio Cassette sul Computer, Espaol: transferir el audio de un cassette a la
computadora, Deutsch: Kassetten auf den Computer
bertragen, Portugus: Transferir o Contedo de Fitas Cassete Para o
Computador, Nederlands: Een cassettebandje overzetten naar de
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