How does one . . ..

If you have a "boom box" that can play a cd and a cassette, its is very easy. Play the CD and hit the record button on the cassette player. I do these often to make practice tapes for our choir.

 

oooooh. Well, maybe someone else can post how. Surely there is a way. I only know how to do from cd to cd, or cd to cassette. I'll be watching, I'd like to learn too!

 

You have to have a CD burner on your computer.

 

It not as easy as it sounds. I wish it was.

The easiest way is to buy an inexpensive cd recorder, around $300 was the latest I have seen. Sony has their model RCDE-W500C at www.musiciansfriend.com for $299.00

You would play the tape from your cassette deck through the standard line out RCA style cables into the CD recorder and do it track by track. You can just walk away and do other things while it is recording.

In the computer, as I do it, it becomes more complicated as you need a sound card with "line-in" capability from your cassette deck and you will need some type of recording software and this must be done painfully track by track, then saved as "wavfiles" and pulled down into the cd recording software playback list after saving, ie Roxio or others. This is done 1 track at a time to create a "play list". This method allows you to change the order of the cd tracks any way you want them.

Some of the better SoundBlaster computer cards do have "line-in" capability, as opposed to the "mic-in" which is totally different. They might even come with some type of recording software for you to get the tracks into your computer. If you want to do this let me know and give you some better options than the SoundBlaster.

If you use the computer just remember this: having enough RAM is critial to using it as your recorder. Standard CD's are called CD RedBook format, which is 16 bit/44.1khz sampling rate. This equates to about 11 megabytes of ram memory per minute of recording. A 4 minute sond is over 40 megs of ram. You should have at least 200 megs of ram to consider this.

Once you have recorded each track you can, in most software, convert them to the dreaded MP3 format which is much smaller in file size, but is little better that the cassette quality you already have.

If you have a laptop ECHO Audio now has a Indigo I/O card for about $160-$180 that will allow you to do this as well and does a great job of creating these play lists. Its works with both Mac and Win computers and comes bundled with some software. It uses the standard Type 2 Card Bus interface which most laptops have.

It is full duplex, meaning you can listen while recording. it uses 1/8" stereo jacks just like the walkman headphone have and come with the necesary cables.

Make sure you buiy the right one as they also have a playback only card for $129 that will not allow you to record. You want the 2 channel I/O card.

If you need more help let me know. Good luck.

 

oops....

ok....What Jim said

 

It's real easy if you have a CD burner on your computer or any CD burner.

Take a mini jack and plug it into the earphone on your casstette player. Tkae the other end and plug it into your input on the computer. You need software that records audio. Some computers come with a recording device.

Press play on your cassette player. The audio will play through your computer speakers. Hit record on your computer recording device. Save it when it's done. Bring up your CD burner, find the files you want to record and add them to your burn list.

 

One Quick Note:

IMHO: it is better to record to a Wave file first so that it can be edited (if you have software.)

This also allows you to play it back to verify you got what you think you got...

I say this because some of the newer Sound Cards, like my SB Live!, are full-duplex. That is they can play and record at the same time...

And, if you don't have the Mixer Set to 'What You hear' you may be recording something (or nothing) that you aren't hearing...

Been there done that...

Gayla, if you haven't already had success in this... Please give us as much specific information as you can about the equipment you have to work with...

Mike D.

 

I use MusicMatch Jukebox and paid $20 for the "Plus" upgrade to accomplish this, but having some trouble. I am trying to record a 60 minute program, not individual songs. The tape is in good condition. I monitor during recording from cassette (boom box) to computer via speaker or headphones and sounds fine. When I playback from the computer the recording slows down noticeably about 5 minutes into it. The tape is not affected. Have tried different qualities and different file formats all with the same result. Any ideas?

 

Gayla,

You can buy a jack from any electronics store that has 1/8" jack on both ends. I bought mine at BestBuy for a few dollars. Maybe even the video department at Walmart might have them. That's the simplist way to go.

 

Gayla, CDex 1.51 is freeware.

 

Editing Software:

I Use SoundForge 4.0 XP it came with my SOund Blaster Live! Card...

On Music Match:

I, too, have used Music Match to Record...

I have found the best way to use Music Match is to record without *any* special processing...

Actually, I stopped using Music Match and now use Sound Forge and cut the sections apart after the fact...

In WinXP try [Start]-[Programs]-[Accesories]-[Entertainment]-[Sound Recorder] that may give you the basic 'flat' recording capability your are looking for.

Mike D

 

I use Audiotools 5.0 It's very simple for a simpleton like me.

You can download a free 15 day trial at download.com. They gave it a 5 out of 5 rating. I used up the 15 day trial and went ahead and purchased it for $25. Here's the LINK.

You can probably find one that's completly free at the same website or like another poster suggested, find a shareware program.

 

I just saw the answer to your problem, Gayle. Here's a link:

ThinkGeek.com- PlusDeck, a cassette deck for the PC

ThinkGeek.com is a really cool place. They carry all kinds of neat things that we geeks go absolutely nuts over! Be sure to browse their site after you look at the PlusDeck.

In Christ,
Trotter