convert contents in a audio cassette into a file on computer

You need to plug your boom box into your PC via an audio cable into your sound card.  You plug one end of the cable into the output jack of your radio, boom box or stereo and the other end into the mic or input jack on the back of your PC (in your sound card) and go to download.com for free software (there's a million different programs that will do it for you) and click record on your PC and hit play on your boom box cassette at the same time and save it as an AVI or MP3 or WAV...preferably an MP3, depending on how your software will work.  If you don't have an extra audio cable laying around (it will look like a double ended walkman plug and fit into the mic spot on your PC), go to radio shack and pick one up for like 3 bucks.

Hi ajazshah,
try here:
http://www.lacoj.com/resources/Convert%20LP.htm
though you will need the tape player to record it.

also see here:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20330741/Cassette-tape-to-wav-to-mp3-in-Windows-XP.html

jason

sorry nasdaqphil, your post was not showing when i typed mine.

jason

...its all good.  :)  That's what we're here for.

Im in the process of doing this to a bunch of tapes I've had for years (before the quality degrades too much).

Make sure you record as detailed above to a .wav file and keep this wav as an archive copy. Then there are several programs that can convert this wav to an mp3 - I use CDEx ( http://www.surf.to/cdex )

while u are recording...remmeber these points for better recording...i assume u r using a walkman...

1. turn the walkman sound to minimum
2. turn your wave and master volume to maximum..
3. mute midi, mic and other sound sources except line in.
4. use line in for recording not the mic in.
5. set all sound effects off in the windows volume control (bass trebble to '0' or halfway in the slider, no 3d effects )
6. same for the walkman if it has the settings...
7. now play the cassate and turn on the volume of walkman to max u can till u hear undistorted sound. stop just before the distortion comes in.
8. now record the thing.
this would make sure you get best from the recording...

also make sure your walk man batteries are charged fully

HTH

To All

PL accept my heart felt thanks for your valuable suggestions. It is great that so many are ready to help to solve a problem.

thank you once more.

I hope I can do it now.

regards.
ajazshah

Best not to go from a boom box or a walkman into your MIC in.  Here's the reason.

A walkman's output is AMPLIFIED, and a MIC in is expecting a MICROPHONE.  You will end up overdriving your sound card, distorting the sound to heck.

Best scenario:  Use a casette player that has LINE OUTs, and a cord that will go into the LINE IN on your sound card.  If you must use a boom box, then use an ATTENUATING PATCH CORD (available at Radio Shack, about $10) to go from the headphone output into the mic in.  That will drop the signal down to where your computer can handle it.

If you go with the tape deck (best scenario) then you will need a Stereo 1/8" to 2 RCA (left and right) patch cord.

--Greg  (I do this all the time)

gbaughma is right....line out -> line in combination is always the best for perfect sound transfer....but my suggestions can be used if u dont have a device that can give u unamplified line out....
i have used it and achieved near perfect quality transfer...

some more tips....dont go for higher sampling rates....22khz and stereo is often the best for such transfers....
added advantage is that the files compress faster ( i have a p166 :-( ) and take very less space...in fact once i recorded a 5 min song with mono and 11khz, taking just 800kb...

I'm a bit of a Musicmatch fan for this.  The basic version is free and can be downloaded from: http://www.musicmatch.com/   This is a recorder, a jukebox style player and a file converter with choices of microphone or line level inputs.

Try to record from a cassette deck with RCA audio outputs
(you'll need to buy a lead that converts two RCA plugs to a stereo mini jack)

Plug this into the line in of your soundcard as 'gbaughma ' wisely suggested, not the mic. input.

In Musicmatch's 'options' drop down box select 'recorder' then 'format' and then MP3PRO -- which can give you CD quality at 64kbps with half the MB size of a standard MP3.

On the same 'options' drop down box select 'recorder' then
'source'  (the source will be your cassette player and it will be line level --anything from 300mv to 2v) chose 'line'.

In Musicmatch <Ctrl+R> gets you to the recorder or you can select it from the view menu.

Hit the red record button and then start your cassette.

There you have it.  All in one. You get the option to name your tracks as well.  You can keep all your songs on the jukebox for individual, continuous or random play.


Hope this helps
fredshovel (an old digger from down under)