How to Copy Cassettes to Computer Hard Drive
Obtain a cassette player with a "Line Out" of some sort., Make sure you have a "Line In" somewhere on your computer, and see what type of plug it has., Make a trip to your favorite electronics store and pick up the cable you need to connect your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Obtain a cassette player with a "Line Out" of some sort.
It can be RCA cables, or even a headphone jack, like on a Walkman. -
Step 2: Make sure you have a "Line In" somewhere on your computer
If it's a small hole, like a headphone jack, it will be
3.5mm (1/8 inches).
If there are two jacks, with red and white around them, they're RCA jacks. , Be sure to specify that you want a stereo cable.
It will need to have the red and white (Right / Left) RCA plugs on one end and the 1/8" plug to go into your Line-In connection on your PC.
The way to be sure it's a stereo cable:
There will be two little grooves running around the plug-in part of the plug.
If there's only one, it's a mono cable and will not transfer your recording in stereo. , The standard Microsoft "Sound Recorder" won't work very well.
Try Audacity which is free, and easy to use. ,, Too soft? Adjust the volume of the Line Input on the computer until it's just right.
It should just hit the top (just where it begins to turn red) where the song is loudest, but it shouldn't be going over all the time. , If your cassette player automatically plays the other side of the tape, you can leave the computer to its own devices for a while.
If not, flip the tape over, and record that side. , Read your program's documentation for more information on how to do this with your specific program. , Don't forget to add ID tags! -
Step 3: and see what type of plug it has.
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Step 4: Make a trip to your favorite electronics store and pick up the cable you need to connect your cassette player to your computer.
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Step 5: Install recording and editing software onto your PC.
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Step 6: Connect your cassette player to your computer
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Step 7: open up your recording software
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Step 8: and try recording a little audio.
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Step 9: Listen to what you just recorded
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Step 10: and decide if the sound quality is ok. Is it too loud?
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Step 11: Play your cassette through
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Step 12: while recording.
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Step 13: After both sides are recorded
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Step 14: you can start splitting the long audio file into separate mp3 files.
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Step 15: Export each song as mp3.
Detailed Guide
It can be RCA cables, or even a headphone jack, like on a Walkman.
If it's a small hole, like a headphone jack, it will be
3.5mm (1/8 inches).
If there are two jacks, with red and white around them, they're RCA jacks. , Be sure to specify that you want a stereo cable.
It will need to have the red and white (Right / Left) RCA plugs on one end and the 1/8" plug to go into your Line-In connection on your PC.
The way to be sure it's a stereo cable:
There will be two little grooves running around the plug-in part of the plug.
If there's only one, it's a mono cable and will not transfer your recording in stereo. , The standard Microsoft "Sound Recorder" won't work very well.
Try Audacity which is free, and easy to use. ,, Too soft? Adjust the volume of the Line Input on the computer until it's just right.
It should just hit the top (just where it begins to turn red) where the song is loudest, but it shouldn't be going over all the time. , If your cassette player automatically plays the other side of the tape, you can leave the computer to its own devices for a while.
If not, flip the tape over, and record that side. , Read your program's documentation for more information on how to do this with your specific program. , Don't forget to add ID tags!
About the Author
Denise Mitchell
Denise Mitchell has dedicated 3 years to mastering education and learning. As a content creator, Denise focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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