Audio Cassette Tapes to MP3
in [UK Mac]
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From: Larry Stoter on 7 Apr 2010 04:40 Larry Stoter <larry(a)666.com> wrote: > I have a small number of audio cassette tapes, almost all books or > plays, which I want to convert to MP3. > > The ION Tape Express from Maplin at ~�50 looks like excellent value. > > Anybody any experience of this device? > > Does it work on Mac? > > Thanks, > > Larry Should probably have mentioned that I no longer have any device capable of playing audio tape cassettes ..... And yes, you might well ask why I disposed of the tape players while keeping the tapes ...... Sounds like e-bay is the best solution. Larry
From: Geoff Berrow on 7 Apr 2010 05:11 On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 09:40:44 +0100, larry(a)666.com (Larry Stoter) wrote: >Should probably have mentioned that I no longer have any device capable >of playing audio tape cassettes ..... > >And yes, you might well ask why I disposed of the tape players while >keeping the tapes ...... > >Sounds like e-bay is the best solution. Well even the simplest little beat box will do, which you can probably borrow. Just you just need a suitable lead from the headphone socket. -- Geoff Berrow (Put thecat out to email) It's only Usenet, no one dies. My opinions, not the committee's, mine. Simple RFDs www.4theweb.co.uk/rfdmaker
From: Adrian C on 7 Apr 2010 18:46 On 07/04/2010 10:11, Geoff Berrow wrote: > On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 09:40:44 +0100, larry(a)666.com (Larry Stoter) wrote: >> Sounds like e-bay is the best solution. > > Well even the simplest little beat box will do, which you can probably > borrow. Just you just need a suitable lead from the headphone socket. Depends on the tape and the original machine that recorded it. However, if ye can find someone with a well looked after Nakamichi deck - those are capable of maybe getting just a bit more out of the recording than that that went in. Yup, I know that sounds like nonsense, but the Nak's head design and replay electronics quality are what matters if ye are being a bit fussy about the best results. http://www.naks.com/ Problem is finding a Nak deck cheap on eBay. I'm not the only one in the world that knows the above ;-( The following may be useful. http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php?title=Recording_from_Cassette If not looking for this kind of job then there are other alternatives out there. Technics, Denon and Awia all made good cassette decks IMO. Out of these, Technics decks have been known to take all sorts of abuse and still survive. (Old college radio station testimony) Might be worth including "dual capstan cassette" in the eBay search, including description text. Avoid things auto reverse. -- Adrian C
From: Rowland McDonnell on 7 Apr 2010 20:05
Adrian C <email(a)here.invalid> wrote: > Geoff Berrow wrote: > > larry(a)666.com (Larry Stoter) wrote: > > >> Sounds like e-bay is the best solution. > > > > Well even the simplest little beat box will do, which you can probably > > borrow. Just you just need a suitable lead from the headphone socket. > > Depends on the tape and the original machine that recorded it. However, > if ye can find someone with a well looked after Nakamichi deck - those > are capable of maybe getting just a bit more out of the recording than > that that went in. > > Yup, I know that sounds like nonsense, but the Nak's head design and > replay electronics quality are what matters if ye are being a bit fussy > about the best results. Yes, but: if the recordings are done with Dolby `on', you want to make sure that you're using a tape player that has the same implementation of Dolby noise reduction. Dolby analogue noise reduction works by compressing then decompressing the amplitude in frequency bands. Different Dolby implementations often don't play well together 'cos the compression and frequency bands aren't necessarily the same. The official Dolby logo doesn't mean that it meets a well-defined technical standard for a noise reduction system - damnit. I'd work by assuming that a cassette deck from the same firm from the same era as the one that did the recording would do - and others, if only you could find out who used whose Dolby circuitry. [snip] Rowland. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking |