WE have a computer question - Audio Cassettes to CD's? Multiple questions for the Super Geniuses!

Delta-Boudreaux, SamAdam76,tang-soo | 1-9-2002 | Delta-Boudreaux, SamAdam76,tang-soo

[Delta-Boudreaux]

WE have a computer question -  How Do We Transfer Audio Cassettes onto CDs?

This question evolved from another thread "I have a Computer Question.... How can I Transfer my VCR tapes to DVD?"

----- Post #100 from previous thread----
Excellent suggestions in this thread. As always, Freepers come through with some great advice. If you don't mind, I'd like to expand the scope of this thread to include the transfer of audiotapes to CD-R.

I have a very large base of tape cassettes (over 1400 hours) that I taped off the radio. For example, I have taped many Christmas shows over the years and much special programming off the radio.

I have experimented converting these tapes with mixed results. Basically I run a portable cassette player through the sound card. But the sound is kind of crappy. The original tapes sound better. There must be a better way.

My biggest problem is getting a "pause" made between tracks so that the CD will have track numbers. Yet many times, the songs flow uninterrupted on the original tape. I can manually pause the input between tracks but it's sort of a clunky way to do it. I'd like to get the entire tape on my hard drive as one large .wav file and then have the ability to separate them into smaller .wav files for track separation. Also, I can delete the commercials this way. If I cut the commercials, I should be able to fit most of my 90-minute tapes onto a 74 minute CD. Also there is DJ chatter in between the tracks but I'd like to keep it as they are discussing the music and that was part of the appeal of making all these tapes in the first place.

SamAdams76

----- Post #69 from previous thread ----
I have a similar question. I have been using creative labs to record tapes of my pastor's sermons and making cd's for friends. Its a great service but I would like to be more efficient. The size of the audio files are about 10 times as large as other audio files I download from the net. Am I doing something wrong? I've look through the software for such things as compression level settings ... etc to no avail. Any suggestions would be welcome. By the way, the resulting file would still need to be able to be played in a standard audio cd device. Ideally, I would like to be able to fit 3 or 4 sermons on a single cd.

Also, I would like recommendations for a tool that would let me edit the audio file into different tracks. (something like 10 minutes each). For now, I get one track (40 minutes long) that makes it rather inconvenient when its desired to start in the middle of the sermon. I don't need a real sophisticated studio environment too, just something with some minor utility.

Thanks.
tang-soo

--------- New Question --------
I also have a tape library (500 cassettes) that I would like to be able to download to cd.
I would like to be able to put multiple tapes on each cd, as much as possible.
I do not have to be able to play mine on a CD player, so I guess MP3 files would be the best for my application.
How do I capture the audio cassettes into the computer.

Delta-Boudreaux


 

[djreece]

marking

[general_re]

I do have the original multi-track master tapes, but not the equipment.

Well, if you're interested in doing that, keep js's suggestion in mind - it's not uncommon for four- and eight-track decks to show up in yard sales, usually as a result of someone's garage band folding up before they got their big break. You might find one fairly cheap if you keep your eyes peeled. Digitize the masters, remix to your liking, downmix to two channels, and burn, baby, burn ;)

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

(Anyone know how much that's worth, by the way? It's an Ingraham eight-day wind-up.)

Much depends on it's age and condition...but a good estimate would be about $200.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

...you're better off doing your editing before putting it on CD.

Most expubidently. Actually, I use GoldWave for the editing portion. Audacity will do it but Gold Wave has far more little fiddly-bits when you want to do a proper job of it.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Just ping me or Freepmail me if you get stuck. I'm always glad to help.

[Biblical Calvinist]

Sorry; didn't see your reply and question till now. The inputs on any sound card are color coded.. the LINE IN input is light blue; directly to the right of the speaker output.

[general_re]

Yeah, I've used Goldwave myself - I really like the filtering capabilities it has built in, but my major beef with it is that it only has, IIRC, one "undo" level. If you spend much time tweaking, that's really frustrating, because you can't step backwards through the changes you've applied.

[Nita Nupress]

I forgot that Delta is no longer with us, at least not under that screen name.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/612085/posts

[Nita Nupress]

Much depends on it's age and condition...but a good estimate would be about $200.

Thanks. Is there anything you don't know? ;-)

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Thanks. Is there anything you don't know? ;-)

Hell yeah. Just ask Mrs. B. S. Roberts. She's got a whole list. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to fill you in.    =;^)

[Senator Pardek]

The DD 3000 has its audio built into the MB (almost ordered one the other night - but broke down and shelled out for a laptop - ugh).

2 years later, the tech has gone crazy - even without a non-pro soundard, if you have the right software, you can improve on the original tapes (on my home page, there's an excerpt to a piece I wrote on a drum machine when I was a kid - dig!)

[Nita Nupress]

Cool sound on the drum thingy.

What kind of laptop did you get? I'm looking at those too and trying to decide between that and a desktop.

[JoJo Gunn]

I'm no audio pro, but will say this - since you're archiving don't even think of MP3's. They're the .jpg's of the audio world, and they throw information away in order to reduce file size, information you'll never recover, and already you're going to be dealing with hiss and possible azimuth problems (head and tape alignment) from old stretched tapes, etc.

Go with .wav files all the way, 44,100 khz at 16 bits, which is the CD standard. MP3's will be converted to that anyway when burning your CD(s).

[JoJo Gunn]

Addenda: the CD standard is 74 minutes, at 650 mb's a disc, which averages out to about 8.78 meg's of file size for each minute. I'd personally make some safeties after getting them on the hard drive and before any sort of editing, so go out and grab some extra CD-R's or RW's.

[Senator Pardek]

HP Pavilion zv5370us

Look around and you can find it at a lower price...

[Nita Nupress]

Thank you for that information. I'm anxious to get started on this project, but it'll have to wait a few more weeks. Your tips about file formats will help. Thanks!

[Nita Nupress]

HP, huh? I've been using their Pavilion desktop for several years and don't have any major complaints. But I won't buy one again because it's too hard to find parts (proprietary).

[aruanan]

Hi, I'm still using SparkME to record and edit my cassettes. I'm using the Emagic 6/2m to input from the cassette deck. Although I have LogicPro, I haven't had enough time yet to use it.

[steve-b]

One additional suggestion: first, burn a raw copy (i.e. before doing anything other than checking the peak level to make sure that it is in a good range -- preferably at least 25%, and NOT 100%, if it's outside that range, adjust the recording level and try again) to CD and put it aside. Then, try various tweaks (noise cleanup, etc). If you get a good result, burn that to CD, but keep the raw copy so that you can try to make it better as the technology and your understanding of how to use it improves.

[Nita Nupress]

You know, that's an excellent piece of advice. I thank you for going to the trouble of giving it to me. :-)