Tags: Taping

The FAQ is currently in the process of being updated in the new system. We apologize for any inconvenience, and will be updating this page as soon as possible.

Converting cassettes (or vinyl) to mp3 format:

Converting a cassette to mp3 is not as hard as one might suspect. You will need five things:

1. Computer
2. Sound Card
3. Tape Deck
4. Mixer
5. Studio Program

Elaborating on these five items:

1. Computer. Any computer will do provided it supports the next four items. Keep at least 2 gigs of memory available for recording each file.
2. Sound Card. All standard computers come equipped with a soundcard but when you’re looking for a high quality conversion, you may need an aftermarket product. Try to find a sound card with an "optical in" port [labeled as (((.)))] This input prevents sound loss that would be found in a microphone input. However, a microphone input does work. If you have a laptop, try the SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZX Notebook. It comes with a powerful studio program ideal for converting cassettes. If you have a desktop, the sky’s the limit, just do some research.
3. Tape Deck. Clean your heads and test a few tapes to verify your heads are playing smoothly. A clean head is the most important aspect to making a good conversion. Avoid using a cassette deck you haven’t used or cleaned for ages. If it doesn’t sound good from the start, it won’t sound good in the end.
4. Mixer. You can avoid a mixer by plugging your cassette deck straight into your soundcard, though this should be avoided. Cassettes have a wide range of sound and a mixer allows you to adjust the input volume prior to hitting your soundcard. Without a mixer you will rely heavily on De-Pop programs and sound adjustments. While they will do the job, the files made when converting to mp3 or wav are massive and take a really long time to adjust. DAK (www.DAK.com) makes a cheap, reliable mixer perfect for converting cassettes to mp3.
5. Studio Program. Both the SoundBlaster sound card and DAK mixer come with studio programs. I’ve found the SoundBlaster program (WaveStudio) has more fine tuning of the file. Regardless of the studio program you use, test it. Find the program you are most comfortable with and produces the best sound to your ears. Unless you’re working for MCA, you’re not making a digitally remastered album, so find what works best and go with it.

Provided you have the Tape Deck>Mixer>Sound Card setup, you’re ready to start converting files. The biggest problem in converting is the files sizes. A 45-minute side of a cassette will take up 2 gigs of memory in unreduced Wav. These files are a burden because any change you make requires converting the entire file.

Avoid this by saving your file before recording. You can save the file as an mp3 (128 kbps is standard) before you record. Go to File>Save As. A prompt will show up indicating the file type. Default on all programs I have come across is Wav. Click the scroll down box, click mp3 and then select your bit rate. While every program is unique in it’s layout, this general guideline should suffice.

Once your format is set to mp3 (or the format you desire), make a few sample recordings. Try adjusting the mixer input to get the right volume for that tape. Make the sample recordings short (~30 seconds) so you can efficiently use the de-pop and sound adjustment features in your studio program and see how they effect the recording. Again, because the file sizes are so large, the less you use the programs, the quicker you get a finalized product.

Recording a full 90 minute tape should be broken down into Side A and Side B. This is due to the file size and any dead spots in between sides. You’ve all had that tape that has 20 minutes of music on A and 25 minutes of nothing before you hit B. So why record it all? Sit and listen to your recordings as you record them and stop recording when appropriate. It makes the whole process much easier.

Depending on the studio program you use, you can separate the individual songs or put markers. Individual songs separate your cassette recording into individual songs (Fluffhead, Timber Ho, etc.) so you can listen to a particular song with ease. Markers just separate the large file into sections, but will keep the entire recording as one piece. If you’re an album listener, use markers. It’s basically a Disc at Once recording. Individual songs are basically Track at Once.

Once you have a complete recording, adjust the sound using the studio functions, if desired. It will take time but a good recording is invaluable. The file you just made is compatible with iTunes and any other mp3 player.

Hopefully this How-To helps you.

Sincerely,
Ben Watson
watsonb37@gmail.com
4/24/07