Author Topic: Transferring audio cassette recordings to computer  (Read 1623 times)

Offline jayaygee

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Transferring audio cassette recordings to computer
« on: Wednesday 27 May 20 15:18 BST (UK) »
Can anyone suggest a reasonably simple way (if one exists) of transferring audio cassette recordings to computer, please ?

Judith
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Offline Dyingout

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Re: Transferring audio cassette recordings to computer
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 27 May 20 16:15 BST (UK) »
The easiest way is to buy a USB to computer player can be bought off Ebay for about 13 to 20 pounds.
I use a free program called Audacity which is brilliant takes a bit of reading to get the hang of splitting the tracks but very good software.
Then its just a case of playing the tape and hit record.
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Offline jayaygee

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Re: Transferring audio cassette recordings to computer
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 27 May 20 16:27 BST (UK) »
Thank you for your advice, Dyingout.  The recordings I want to transfer are of people's memories, so no need to split the tracks which sounds a bit too complicated for me!
BDF Twigg, Ellingham, Gates
BKM Bilbey, Collins, Brandon, Norwood, Smith
HAM Holloway (Romsey area)
HRT Brooks (Tring area)
LDN Saunders, Beedle
MDX Saunders
MLN Maitland, Robertson, McGlashan(all Edinburgh)
OXF Morby, Cross, Gardner (all Banbury area)
SAL Jones, Mathews, Higginson, Davies, Gobourn, Blount
WAR Pritchard (Birmingham)
WRY Dickinson, Atkinson, Mellon, Pritchard, Ashforth, Helliwell, Hague, Dungworth (all Sheffield area)

Online Chris Doran

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Re: Transferring audio cassette recordings to computer
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 27 May 20 17:35 BST (UK) »
If you don't want to buy a USB player, a cable from a cassette player's headphones output to the computer's "line in" or (if that's too faint) microphone socket is all you need. Pound shops often stock the cables. Of course, this only works at real time rate; maybe USB players transfer faster.

I too use Audacity, though its many features create something of a learning curve.
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Offline familydar

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Re: Transferring audio cassette recordings to computer
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 27 May 20 20:27 BST (UK) »
In defence of Audacity, yes it has all sorts of features that only a professional would understand or use, but for straightforward digital capture and splitting into tracks it's brilliant, and the learning curve isn't too steep.

Jane :-)
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Offline jayaygee

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Re: Transferring audio cassette recordings to computer
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 27 May 20 20:52 BST (UK) »
Thanks you, Chris Doran and familydar, for your additional input.  Maybe I'll try the cable option first and go for the USB player if the result isn't satisfactory.  All I need for what I want to transfer is the digital capture as the cassettes are of recorded family memories.

Judith
BDF Twigg, Ellingham, Gates
BKM Bilbey, Collins, Brandon, Norwood, Smith
HAM Holloway (Romsey area)
HRT Brooks (Tring area)
LDN Saunders, Beedle
MDX Saunders
MLN Maitland, Robertson, McGlashan(all Edinburgh)
OXF Morby, Cross, Gardner (all Banbury area)
SAL Jones, Mathews, Higginson, Davies, Gobourn, Blount
WAR Pritchard (Birmingham)
WRY Dickinson, Atkinson, Mellon, Pritchard, Ashforth, Helliwell, Hague, Dungworth (all Sheffield area)

Offline Ian Nelson

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Re: Transferring audio cassette recordings to computer
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 28 May 20 00:17 BST (UK) »
Haud on, haud on! 
You don't need all that.  Mono track is all you need.  Have you got a Cassette Player ? 
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Offline jayaygee

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Re: Transferring audio cassette recordings to computer
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 28 May 20 09:31 BST (UK) »
Yes.  What is mono track, please?
BDF Twigg, Ellingham, Gates
BKM Bilbey, Collins, Brandon, Norwood, Smith
HAM Holloway (Romsey area)
HRT Brooks (Tring area)
LDN Saunders, Beedle
MDX Saunders
MLN Maitland, Robertson, McGlashan(all Edinburgh)
OXF Morby, Cross, Gardner (all Banbury area)
SAL Jones, Mathews, Higginson, Davies, Gobourn, Blount
WAR Pritchard (Birmingham)
WRY Dickinson, Atkinson, Mellon, Pritchard, Ashforth, Helliwell, Hague, Dungworth (all Sheffield area)

Offline AngusMcCoatup

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Re: Transferring audio cassette recordings to computer
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 28 May 20 10:06 BST (UK) »
You need a line-out on the cassette player, a line-in on your PC/laptop, set Audacity to record from the line-in port and press play on the cassette player.

Once done, save the generated file to disk and then you can edit it if you like into smaller chunks, apply some Audacity audio filters, etc.

Line-out/in are typically 3.5mm jack plugs and sockets.