Ross Brown Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 My band leader just shot me an e mail. He wants to make a quick demo CD for some booking prospects that are asking. His idea and question: Is there an easy way to convert recordings from a crappy cassette tape recorder to a CD? My idea and question: What is the next best inexpensive (less than $200) option? What is the next best affordable (less than $400) option? I tried the search function. Thanks. RB "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 if you can run a line out from a cassette player, you should be able to record it on your computer. look into freeware like the open source recording program audacity. are you looking into doing the recording yourselves? you can buy a standalone digital recorder for cheap these days, like this fostex MR-8 8-track with two mic preamps . do you have mics? what is your plan? robb. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh a Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 I have a 4 track and use the headphone out into the computer recorded using audacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flemtone Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 You need one of these: PC Casette Deck I've converted a bunch of live tapes of various shows and rehearsals with this - it's pretty neat. All I need is a pair of fuzzy dice to hang over it. Unfortunately, I was looking for an 8-track model, but that may be asking a lot... Indeed, a casette deck or boombox's miniplug headphone jack or 'line out' jack to the 'line in' jack on your soundcard. Both should be stereo miniplugs. Radio Snork carries the cables for less than $10. Use Audacity or another freebie to record to .wav format, burn the .wavs to a music or data CD, and you're there. Play. Just play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanD Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 Do you have a computer, and is it a PC or Mac? If so does it have these things: firewire, you dont have to ahve this, but its nice. 512 MB ram: this is the min. most programs need to run Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted June 16, 2006 Author Share Posted June 16, 2006 Thanks. i got some good ideas here. Yep, got enough computer, just no skill. Just back from Radio Shack. They were clueless. I would like to make some decent recordings but that wasn't really the goal yet. Just convert crap on tape to crap on CD. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanD Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 Do you have a computer, and is it a PC or Mac? If so does it have these things: *firewire, you dont have to ahve this, but its nice. *512 MB ram: this is the min. most programs need to run. *1.8 processor speed or more. *at least 10 free gigs on your harddrive. if you have these things you can get a soundcard with some simple software for $150. if you dont have firewire look for the Delta 44 by motu, its cheap and it works. it has 4 quarter inch ins and 4 outs. This would be for a PC(windows computer) if you ahve a PC you can get "Cool Edit Pro" for free from a download. its easy to install as is the soundcard. I did it when i knew nothing about computers with no problems. Getting into computers will, IMO, help you and your band a great deal. Now you can get a recording that has better quality than the best stuff from the 70's in your own home, and if you take your time piecing stuff together and wait for good deals it doesnt cost much at all. There is a lot to explain, if you have any in depth questions about these specific things pm me and i can get you my phone number, opther wise I will be typing for a very long time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanD Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 sorry about the double post. when you flail your hands on the keyboard like a monkey sometimes things get ahead of you:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted June 16, 2006 Author Share Posted June 16, 2006 Originally posted by dnkritr: Do you have a computer, and is it a PC or Mac? If so does it have these things: *firewire, you dont have to ahve this, but its nice. *512 MB ram: this is the min. most programs need to run. *1.8 processor speed or more. *at least 10 free gigs on your harddrive. if you have these things you can get a soundcard with some simple software for $150. if you dont have firewire look for the Delta 44 by motu, its cheap and it works. it has 4 quarter inch ins and 4 outs. This would be for a PC(windows computer) if you ahve a PC you can get "Cool Edit Pro" for free from a download. its easy to install as is the soundcard. I did it when i knew nothing about computers with no problems. Getting into computers will, IMO, help you and your band a great deal. Now you can get a recording that has better quality than the best stuff from the 70's in your own home, and if you take your time piecing stuff together and wait for good deals it doesnt cost much at all. There is a lot to explain, if you have any in depth questions about these specific things pm me and i can get you my phone number, opther wise I will be typing for a very long time Very cool. Thanks. Right now I am just handling my assignment from the band. Getting into proper recording etc is another issue. Will probably tackle that when I have more time. Right now i am just learning songs and getting ready for giggin' and making that sound better. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowbee Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 As long as you have a tapedeck with a headphone out socket (preferably the small kind), get a lead which fits this socket with the same at the other end. This will fit into your "line in" socket on your soundcard. I use Nero to do my converting as there is module that comes with Nero 7 just for this purpose. The only thing you need to be really aware of is increasing or decreasing the line input so it doesn't distort etc. Now theres three of you in a band, youre like a proper band. Youre like the policemen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 Originally posted by Ross Brown: Thanks. i got some good ideas here. Yep, got enough computer, just no skill. Just back from Radio Shack. They were clueless. I would like to make some decent recordings but that wasn't really the goal yet. Just convert crap on tape to crap on CD. You alreay have the tapes done, there should be a store that converts Video to DVD, I would have thought they could do it for you. Or one of your PC savvy freinds. Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SavedByJaco Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 um yeah, all you need (at the very least) is a male to male connector, from there just plug it in to your micro phone jack on the computer, and vola, you got all you need, windows comes with a sound recorder, and it will save it as .wav, from there your good to go... I did that a LONG time ago when I first started doing recordings, and I hated it, but for this basic need it's easily the cheapest way to do it, with out wasting too much quality response to someone saying the bass was a spinoff of the g***r SavedByJaco:the bass is not a spin off of anything, it's a hybrid. Like on Underworld, the guy becomes a mix between the Vampire (G***r) and Werewolf (Upright Bass) and totally kicks ass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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