Cassette to USB ??

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Have lots of old music cassette tapes. Went looking (Amazon) for
device to convert to USB (Flash Drive) MP3.

Found lots of 'em in the 30-50 dollar range (and up).
Tried one - doesn't work well (or at all) on 'automatic' - but seems to do OK on 'manual'.

However 'manual' means you must re-start at each new track (and listen for the end, etc.

Of course, maybe I just don't understand "Chinglese" directions..:h

Anyway - ready to return it and try another.

Anyone happy with a choice? Brand name?

Thanks!

🙂

[wa8yxm]

Tom_M wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:
THat is the software that causes the problem.

Can you expand on this a bit? What problem?

I already did..

It is the SOFTWARE that listens for slient sections. Usually there is something like 2 or 3 seconds of silence between tracks, and this is what increments the track counter on the software.

BUT.. with older cassettes there may be enough "noise" in those "Breaks" for the software to think "Still stuff there not a break" or if you set the noise threshold high enough (on software where you can adjust it) it may false on silent portions of the music track as well.

I've done a lot of recording. and that includes transferring Tape to Both MP3 and Mini-Disc and it works best on Manual

But I've done it both ways.

The software. not the hardware is the problem.

[1492]

Has anyone mentioned the free Audacity? :B Another vote on my part. It's a professional grade audio editor. Even use it at work connected via Dante card from Yamaha mixer to iMac to record 8 tracks simultaneously. Not an audio techie by any means, but have had no learning curve issues using it. Here is a sample Audacity cassette digitation workflow.

Your cassette to mp3 transfers are obviously not going to sound as good as from a CD, as you are converting analog with fairly low dynamic range source to digital. My guess is that these portable cassette solutions have low grade quality parts, and likely not the best AD converters?

You'll get better quality results if you use the old cassette stereo system player/recorder, if you still own one? Or can pick one up at Goodwill fairly cheap at around $10-15. And use a semi-pro USB encoder such as the BEHRINGER U-Control Uca202.

[Campfire_Time]

K Charles wrote:
The newest version of Audicity makes it very easy to edit the tracks.

X3 on using Audacity. Lots of options to "clean up" as well. You can minimize the hiss froim cassettes, take out minor pops and crackles from LPs, etc. I've had excellent results making digital copies of my LPs and a few old cassettes.

[D_E_Bishop]

I have a lot of vinyl, and wanted to convert to CD's. Bought a Sony USB Turntable with IIRC, AudioForge. It worked pretty good but some of the really old stuff just wouldn't convert to to the noise caused by excessive play and some really cheap turntables from back in the 50's, 60's and 70's.

I got quite a few LPs converted with good results and the DW loves the sounds of the needle setting down and pauses between tracks. Started finding a lot of what I hadn't gotten around to converting on Amazon and other suppliers. Mostly KT and other folk groups. Lately the DDs have been giving us iTunes gift cards. That is in my opinion the absolute best way to go for almost all stuff back to the 60's.

Now I converting all our CDs to thumb drives for the new explorer. DW said no at first then I explained by playing one USB drive in her car. She loved it, not as much as her old Ford 6CD stereo in her 2002 Explorer, she come around completely in a few weeks.

[Tom_M1]

wa8yxm wrote:
THat is the software that causes the problem.

Can you expand on this a bit? What problem?

[K_Charles]

The newest version of Audicity makes it very easy to edit the tracks.

[wa8yxm]

THat is the software that causes the problem. I use Total Recorder or Audicity to do the actuall recording (Though I don't so much use TR any more)

THe software works by listening for SILENCE. sadly old cassette tapes do not have a lot of SILENCE. on some programs you can adjust the SILENCE thresholds but even then it does not work well because some musical pieces have short dramatic silent parts and that will trip the track counter.

WIth Audicity or TR and the "Audio scope" you can very easily edit. Does not take long at all. And yes I've done that job .

The version of Total Recorder I used to use was the Professional version... My Daughter is a rather good Classical Flutist and music teacher. Very well trained by some of the world's best including Ervin Monroe late of the Detroit Symphony. also Jeff Zook and the Late Phil Dykeman of same. Jeanne Baxtresser of teh NY Philharmonic and others.

While she lived in Detroit... I was her recording engineer recording all her performances or class concerts.. I've got soem GREAT recordings of Wayne State University Wind Symphony .

[Tom_M1]

I doubt that you will find any unit that will do a good job detecting tracks. Long pauses in a song, short pause between songs, and noise between songs will be problematic. You could record audio directly to your computer by connecting audio out from a cassette player into the audio in on the computer. I have used mp3DirectCut software that records directly to MP3. It can be downloaded here:

http://mpesch3.de1.cc/mp3dc.html

[ol_Bombero-JC]

This is a link to a YouTube review of one of the many brands available.
Three minutes, but no need to watch the entire clip to get the picture of what it is.

BTW - it's boxed, labeled and ready to go back to it's former foster home (distribution center) postage free in the AM.

Adios Manuel, hello Amazon Return Center.
No sweat, no strain - *maybe* I'll try a (different) one again!..:@


~

[ol_Bombero-JC]

wra wrote:
I have copied many tapes to my computer with good results. I wonder if the problem you are having is because you are using a player that has a dirty head. Clean the player's head with denatured alcohol on a clean soft cotton cloth (an old white T shirt) before copying.

Guess I didn't make myself clear.
*NOT* VHS tapes - the *audio* cassette tapes we "used to" have players for in our car stereos - in the "Before the CD era".

The Chinese cassette copy item is/was *new* - so, nice clean heads.
The audio "test tape" played just fine on the copy device - which resembles a Walkman (remember those?) - but with output to a USB flash drive.
It did copy the audio to the flash drive just fine in the manual mode. Manuel should be proud!

Got a good laugh (ROTFL) out of copying "for my own use"! NOBODY but nobody is going to want a copy of an old audio cassette (even "free") ......*maybe* a CD, but an audio cassette? Yikes, C'mon!

:R

[valhalla360]

A bit of a gray area but you presumably legitimately own the cassets and it's legal to make a backup so long as only one copy is in use (you can't make copies and hand out to other people), so just download clean copies off the internet and store the cassets so you retain proof that you purchased them.

[MrWizard]

do you mean 'convert to MP3 files on a USB stick'
direct conversion and storage ?
its still an Analog play to the converter soft/hardware input

I thought you meant cassette to USB in on the PC ?
audio capture and record on PC

USB is a PORT/hardware standard NOT a Media Standard

MP3 is a media standard

either way, as long as it sounds good to you on playback, then you are good to go

i'm no Audiophile, i have 'tin' ears

[wra]

I have copied many tapes to my computer with good results. I wonder if the problem you are having is because you are using a player that has a dirty head. Clean the player's head with denatured alcohol on a clean soft cotton cloth (an old white T shirt) before copying.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

rk911 - I was posting (or editing) while you were.

My opinion of the quality was good - to - very good.

You're supposed to pop the cassette into the device and it will copy a side automatically - and shut off when done. Either it - or me - aren't on the same page for automatic operation.

If you saw the "Chinglish" directions - you would understand!..:R

Manually you listen to the track, then push to record the next one.
Does just fine - but obviously, very time intensive!

No big deal - not much time invested - will try another.

And....another thank you!

~