noelw
1st Class Member
Rio Linda, Calif. 95673
Foreman
Posts:233
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 | | 09/18/2008 11:34 PM |
| Has any one been able to record a audio cassette tape to a CD?
I have some Train and Circus music sounds on both sides of some cassette tapes that I would like to get on a CD. There is also a Thunder Storm with Rain cassette that I would like to transfer.
I guess the question is dose anyone have equipment to do this or a link to go to? | |
Rio feather says...One leave train running here and take coffee break may find Koi fish checking out how deep an Engine can swim when swing bridge is left open. It happen to Big Feather Tweedledum.
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Semper Vaporo
1st Class Member
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Engineer
Posts:1534
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| | 09/19/2008 12:13 AM |
| | I know there are "USB turntables" for transcribing records, maybe there are "USB tape decks"... try a google search for those words.. | |
 C. T. McCullough
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Le 18:22
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John J
Moderator
Conductor
Posts:913
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| | 09/19/2008 12:54 AM |
| | I too would be interested in audio transfer. I have some records I would like to transfer to CD. Does anyone have any leads on Software for this purpose? | |
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noelw
1st Class Member
Rio Linda, Calif. 95673
Foreman
Posts:233
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lownote
1st Class Member
Arlington VA
Conductor
Posts:661
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| | 09/19/2008 3:46 AM |
| My experience with this is that you need a preamp of some kind to boost the signal. The outputs from a turntable are extremely low, for example.
You need an audio interface/preamp, something like this
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/iKEY-Audio-ICONNEX-DJ-Phono-USB-Interface?sku=482898
it has phono/RCA plug inputs, so no cabling needed
I use an audio interface all the time to record musical instruments. They typically have 1/4 (phone plug) inputs and XLR (mic cable) inputs. You could use one of those if you got the right adapters. Something like this
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Lexicon-Alpha-USB-Audio-Interface?sku=245507
There are LOTS of these being made now--if you look on Ebay for "USB Audio Interfaces" you'll find a bunch of them | |
Evading the Midas touch of expertise
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/magic/westover/ | |
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KCHahn
Longmont, Co.
Brakeman
Posts:76
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| | 09/19/2008 7:04 AM |
| I've got a USB Turntable. Got mine at the Sharper Image store in Broomfield about 6 months ago.
Works good, for recording records. Also has a Line In jack, that allows the connection of a tape deck, or other device(s).
Comes with audio software CD, instructions etc....
Check this, from Amazon. This is the same set up I have:
http://www.amazon.com/Ion-10-Recording-Turntable-Audacity/dp/B000PZQPP4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1221829255&sr=1-2
Works best when connected via USB cable. Has RCA jack also, for connection to stereo system, if you choose to do so.
I've copied a few blooper records, and a couple of tapes so far, with good results.
Software also let you fine tune recordings, as needed.
Cost me $200 + Tax. But, I think it was worth the price paid. I've got a pile of train records I gotta record at some point!
Plus a variety of tapes. | |
Keith
Life Member
Colorado Railroad Museum
www.crrm.org
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Rio Grande Modeling and Historical Society
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DKRickman
1st Class Member
Salisbury, NC
Foreman
Posts:376
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| | 09/19/2008 7:37 AM |
| It's not horribly difficult, but I don't know of an automated, push the button and walk away method.
You need a computer with a CD burner, sound sard with audio inputs, and recording and burning software. You'll also need a tape player with an audio output or speaker jack.
Connect the output of the taple player to the input of the sound card. "Line in" is better than "mic", but in a pinch, either can be made to work. Using the recording software (I like Audacity, but there are plenty of others), record the audio to your hard drive. Edit it as needed, separate it into tracks if you like, etc. Then burn the resulting audio track(s) to an audio CD. | |
Kenneth Rickman - krickman1@carolina.rr.com
Salisbury, NC
If at first you don't succeed, use a bigger hammer! | |
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Pete Thornton
1st Class Member
Annapolis, MD
Conductor
Posts:626
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| | 09/19/2008 8:41 AM |
| I've just finished converting my entire LP collection to CD and MP3 files. The info in the preceding posts covers most of the details.
I started before the "USB turntables" arrived, so I've been using the Audio In jack on my computer, which has a pretty fancy sound card. I originally attached it to my stereo (which had an old Technics direct drive turntable that I dug it out of the store room.) That rig produced lots of AC hum at 60 hz, despite extra grounding wires, etc. [Reviewing online docs indicated that hum is a common problem and is internal to the PC.]
I then got a component pre-amp for a different reason, but realised it had a phono/turntable input and a selectable ground (frame/external) so using that without any other amp produced a hum-free input. (I added my cassette player to it and then did all my cassettes too. Then I started on the video, but that's another story.)
I bought a neat little utility called "Rip vinyl" which creates the audio files from the input signal. It has a variety of options including MP3 and WAV. [It also doesn't close the last file properly, so always start a new file of rubbish before you close it!]
Another piece of software, "RipEditBurn" from Blaze Audio gave me a neat tool to edit the files. It can reduce scratching and noise, or let you drill down to a few milliseconds of sound and cut out the scratch entirely. I used it to clean up the audio, break it into tracks, add silence between them, etc. Then I used its 'batch output' to create MP3 versions for my own use.
My computer had a CD/DVD creation utility, "RecordNow" which is much better than Microsoft's options - it detects drive speed and uses it, for example.
Between the three programs, I could be playing an LP and recording it, while simultaneously editing a prior recording and burning a CD of another set of files. Afterwards, I got MS Music Player to 'find album info' in some cases.
Caveats: It isn't easy to go back and add the title/album/track info. You basically have to type it in - and for old LPs that means searching the internet for track and labum details. [Some of my LPs were water damaged - didn't affect the sound, but it obscured the labels!]
Don't tell everyone, or they'll dig out an old LP of RGS steam and ask you to convert it to CD! | |
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Bob Starr
1st Class Member
Brakeman
Posts:88
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| | 09/19/2008 8:42 AM |
| It depends on the quality of sound that you want to get. Most people have moved into a firewire setup. They involve a PCI card with outputs, these have latency. Here is a link:
http://www.zzounds.com/cat--PCI-Audio-Interfaces--2421
I use NTrack Studios to record my music, but I had to pay for the program. A free progtam that is very good is Reaper: http://reaper.fm/ | | | |
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ShadsTrains
Moderator
West Jordan, UT
Conductor
Posts:595
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| | 09/19/2008 9:19 AM |
| | I too am the proud owner of an ION TTUSB turn table.. Picked it up at Costco about a year ago for $120.. I love it. For what you want to accomplish, there's no need to spend any cash, but like other have said, it's not a quick and easy point and click process. There are a few steps involved. I also use the Audacity software.http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. It does what I need it to do and more. | |
Shad Pulley
Webmaster
www.mylargescale.com
As Abe Lincoln once said: "You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time." | |
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noelw
1st Class Member
Rio Linda, Calif. 95673
Foreman
Posts:233
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| | 09/19/2008 10:50 AM |
| Well there is a lot of good ans. but not worth buying a Audio Transfer unit for only 3 or 4 tapes.. Not at my age anyway... laf. I just using Tape player in my Ho 10 X 40 foot office trailer that is a large Ho modular layout.
The room goes in to 24 hrs in one hr. for night and day lighting. All of the building and etc. (light over a 1,000 of them. ) going on at differ times as dusk on the lighting program.......
So the Sounds of shays and logging Eng. are in the back ground and sounds in the Town of Little Truckee that has a carousel with Circus music. So the room has lot of sounds beside a light storm that will shake the room sometime.. A lot of animation are auto thru reeds and relays that also triggers sounds.
So just like to copy them to a CD for a continue run and not have to turn tape over after 5 to 10 mins. of running for background sounds.
I fig CD's would same more time is running trains and showing operations to guest.
I have four tape decks now to run difference area Thur a sound around sound sys. and like to replace them to CD player.
We have a few CD's player in the Garden R.R. town that works great for town sounds on our train get-together runs. So guess still looking for a cheap land easy way to conver them .. I do have two old pre-amps with 8 inputs that i can use, if that will work. .
Tks for all of the good ans.. Learn something every day..Noel | |
Rio feather says...One leave train running here and take coffee break may find Koi fish checking out how deep an Engine can swim when swing bridge is left open. It happen to Big Feather Tweedledum.
Photo Album | |
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