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Digitizing Audio Cassettes

cbxjeffcbxjeff Member Posts: 17,639 ✭✭✭✭
edited May 2017 in General Discussion
I have quite a lot of old cassette tapes that I would like to put on my laptop hard drive. I know that there is hardware to do this but I'm looking for suggestions as to what brand/model to buy. Has anyone done this?

Thanks guys,
It's too late for me, save yourself.
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Comments

  • hillbillehillbille Member Posts: 14,461 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    duct tape will do just fine if you stack them carefully...........
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  • papernickerpapernicker Member Posts: 1,371 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    For what its worth, I did all mine and and rarely listen. They are just hard to use, in a modern phone etc, but better in a computer. I used a free program called Audiograbber. The tapes take time but disks are quicker. I sure won't do that again.
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  • e8gme8gm Member Posts: 1,277 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I downloaded Audacity (free download) and used a portable cassette player to copy to my hard drive. Used a 1/8 stereo jack patch cord to from the head phone jack of the tape player to the mic in jack on the computer. You have to record in real time so it takes a while if you have alot of music to transfer. Also you can't hear the music while it records. I've done over 200 songs over the years, 10-12 at a time.
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  • CaptFunCaptFun Member Posts: 16,678 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    newsgroups.....

    Just saying.

    My CD's I ripped myself. I think my Music directory has a little over 50,000 files
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  • cbxjeffcbxjeff Member Posts: 17,639 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well once again, I should have offered more details. What I am doing is transferring music to USB memory sticks to use in the truck I recently purchased. This works well using CD/stick transfers (I have compression software). What I need is a cassette player (I no longer have one) and software to digitize and install on my computer. Then I can compress and transfer to the USB memory stick.
    It's too late for me, save yourself.
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  • CaptFunCaptFun Member Posts: 16,678 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by cbxjeff
    Well once again, I should have offered more details. What I am doing is transferring music to USB memory sticks to use in the truck I recently purchased. This works well using CD/stick transfers (I have compression software). What I need is a cassette player (I no longer have one) and software to digitize and install on my computer. Then I can compress and transfer to the USB memory stick.


    Unlike CD ripping , trying to rip from vinyl or tape is real time only. If you have 200 hours of music it will take you 200 hours to capture it and then more time to fiddle with it. figure 500 hours total since the vinyl and tape have hiss and pops.

    You are better off finding a digital copy to start with.
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  • cbxjeffcbxjeff Member Posts: 17,639 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks CaptFun and others for the input (except hillbille :). So my thought of first converting them and saving them on my laptop and then take those saved files and using my compression software to put on the USB memory stick isn't practical - correct?
    It's too late for me, save yourself.
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  • yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 22,071 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    There used to be a CD/DVD drive looking thing you stick in to a PC case that was for a cassettes to MP3 conversion. Little different looking now. Looks like you can just jack it in instead of opening the case for the install.

    I should spend the $30 and do this before all my tapes rot.
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  • BrookwoodBrookwood Member, Moderator Posts: 13,768 ******
    edited November -1
    I sure do miss free NAPSTER.[:I]
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  • grumpygygrumpygy Member Posts: 48,464 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Perfect time to do it with the FBI having no leader.[8D]
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  • john carrjohn carr Member Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    While I had XP I downloaded the Audacity mentioned above and it worked fine. I switched favorite songs and full audio tapes into MP3. Now after being slammed by AT&T into Windows 10 I haven't been able to download Audacity into a working media. Glad I got as many changed as I did.
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