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discoredia
New Member
United Kingdom
71 posts
Joined: Nov, 2008
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 Posted - 2009/01/25 : 13:20:41
O.K,
So I've got stacks of old tapes from '91 onwards with quite a few getting worse for wear. I've got a stereo with tape deck, a reasonable laptop, and a lead that will connect from the headphone socket of one to the microphone socket of the other.
The question is what's the best way to get the old tapes copied across so that I can a) save them for posterity before they all get chewed and b) burn them from laptop to c.d so that I can listen to them in the car?
Do I need to download audacity (or soemthing else?) to get the best results? How have other people done this?
Any hints, tips, or links would be greatly appreciated. I'm only looking to copy old tapes that I won't be able to get on c.d so I don't think there are any copyright issues with doing this and I'd hate for my collection to just end up no use just because the tapes have worn out and technology has moved on.
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Triquatra
Moderator
United Kingdom
12,640 posts
Joined: Nov, 2003
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Posted - 2009/01/25 : 13:28:50
how you're doing it is probably going to be the best way - however, your lead should be going into the laptops "line-in" else it will most probably be all distorted when you record it in audacity/audition/goldwave etc etc
its advisable to do a few takes with 20seconds of the tape, make sure you have the volume levels right..
you can just record em at 192kbps, thats the highest you should really have to go, as it wont reduce the quality, any lower and you may be able to pick out digital elements due to the audio compression. :)
then afterwards you can try and clean the audio up if you want
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Edited by - Triquatra on 2009/01/25 13:31:18 |
discoredia
New Member
United Kingdom
71 posts
Joined: Nov, 2008
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Posted - 2009/01/25 : 13:38:39
Thanks.
Due to the condition of some of the tapes I might have to try cleaning it up afterwards but I guess that's something I can mess around with once I've got something copied across.
By "line in" do you mean the microphone socket on the laptop? The other end of the cable going into the headphone socket of the stereo? I'm hoping that the tape player is up to this as I don't use it that often these days and when I do the volume always seems to drop out when it gets to the last 20 minutes or so.
I'll download audacity and use that unless anyone has any other recommendations?
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Mortis
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
7,493 posts
Joined: May, 2004
341 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2009/01/25 : 14:21:04
The "Line In" that Triquatra is refering to is the "Line In" socket on your laptop. Your wire should plug into that and the other end into the tape player. Audacity is a capable free recorder and editor so you should be fine with that, when your wire is plugged into the "Line In" socket make sure Audacity is set to "line In" to be able to record it.
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discoredia
New Member
United Kingdom
71 posts
Joined: Nov, 2008
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Posted - 2009/01/25 : 15:00:46
Cheers Mortis, but there's nothing marked as "line in" anywhere on the laptop, just a socket with a headphone symbol and one with a mic symbol.
Connecting into the mic socket, and using audacity, I've managed to record the start of a tape but it seems that I need the stereo on a ridiculously loud volume setting to do it.
I'll have a play around and see how I can get on but thanks for the tips and if anyone has any others keep 'em coming.
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Samination
Advanced Member
Sweden
13,281 posts
Joined: Jul, 2004
195 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2009/01/25 : 15:58:11
if you intend to clean the audio out, i'd advise you to record to the highest possible quality first. Since you seem to have a reasonable laptop, I dont think a 1-2gb WAV file wont hurt?
for cleaning (and recording), I use MAGIX's Cleaning Lab (which i mostly use for vinyls)
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Happy, UK Hardcore, Freeform, Makina and Gabber
http://samination.se/
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Triquatra
Moderator
United Kingdom
12,640 posts
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Posted - 2009/01/25 : 17:01:02
its not reasonable if it doesnt have a line-in :P
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Jackol
Senior Member
United States
443 posts
Joined: Nov, 2008
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Posted - 2009/01/26 : 04:51:30
mic input lines on laptops are notorious for poor quality.
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silver
Admin
Japan
12,579 posts
Joined: Feb, 2001
894 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2009/01/26 : 06:01:55
quote:
Originally posted by Jackol:
mic input lines on laptops are notorious for poor quality.
My old IBM lappy had a software setting to turn the mic into a line-in or vise versa
I seem to remember seeing a USB tape to PC backup device...
ok found it (google FTW)...
http://www.ionaudio.com/tape2pc
That connects via USB, looks quite the monster size wise but is purpose build, might even support double speed recording so you could record the tapes twice as fast.
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Triquatra
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United Kingdom
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Posted - 2009/01/26 : 07:18:18
hehe ion = numark
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silver
Admin
Japan
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Posted - 2009/01/26 : 08:11:32
meh does the job no?
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lozowen
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
533 posts
Joined: Dec, 2008
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Posted - 2009/01/26 : 08:15:30
quote:
Originally posted by DjTriquatra:
hehe ion = numark
whats wrong with numark? :D
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silver
Admin
Japan
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Posted - 2009/01/26 : 08:38:15
quote:
Originally posted by lozowen:
quote:
Originally posted by DjTriquatra:
hehe ion = numark
whats wrong with numark? :D
It's cheap DJ equipment, every Numark mixer I have used the knobs or sliders fly off when you use them heavily... or they are already missing when I got there... They are build for high school / mobile / party DJ's or something, any sort of real DJing on them breaks them...
If you have had a difference experience then all good, just what I have run into... numark are just as bad a behringer mixers... they are also cheap crap with a fancy name.
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discoredia
New Member
United Kingdom
71 posts
Joined: Nov, 2008
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Posted - 2009/01/26 : 09:00:33
There's a tape to pc usb device in the Argos catalogue that I came across last night but I need to balance out the fact that although this will probably be better quality, it isn't cheap, and with a wedding to pay for budgets are a bit tight.
With the number of tapes I'll be looking to get copied, eventually, I may also need an external hard disc to store them all on, particularly when the laptop is actually belongs to work.
Thanks for all your suggestions, going to have a mess about with things when I get in tonight but the biggest issue is the socket on the stereo, really poor connection despite it never being used before.
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Samination
Advanced Member
Sweden
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Posted - 2009/01/26 : 10:02:32
most soundcard can change the inputs and outputs.
'
Heck I could use line-out for mic in, or mic in as a line out, atleast on this stationary PC
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Samination, Swedish Hardcore DJ
Happy, UK Hardcore, Freeform, Makina and Gabber
http://samination.se/
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Edited by - Samination on 2009/01/26 10:04:53 |
rosin007
Senior Member
Norway
409 posts
Joined: Oct, 2008
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Posted - 2009/01/26 : 11:05:51
quote:
Originally posted by DjSamination:
most soundcard can change the inputs and outputs.
'
Heck I could use line-out for mic in, or mic in as a line out, atleast on this stationary PC
stationary pc's have a lot more of the in-puts and out-puts than a laptop, my stationary has like 8 different in-puts and stuff like that in the back and 2 in the front(mic and headset though). my laptop only has a mic and headset out-put..
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