What is the best way to digitize a cassette tape?

[Blueser100]

I have a cassette tape with music on it that I would like to digitize. I have a Mac and I can use a program i have called Audio Hijack. But there are nine separate songs on the tape and I would like ultimately to make them individual mp3 tracks. In order to do this with Audio Hijack, I would have to make breaks in the tracks on the fly while recording into the computer.

What is the best way to go about doing this? Are there other programs that may be better for this? Thanks.

[Coke_zero]

There's something you can buy which has a USB cable which you put into your computer. I've never used one but that's one way. Amazon probably sells them. My dad has one but for his vynal collection. Seemed to work perfectly.

[Blueser100]

Thanks. I don't need the cable - I have a 1/8" to 1/8' cable that will get the signal from the cassette recorder through the input jack of my computer. I am wondering about software programs that will help me work with the material once it's in the computer.

[kscobie8]

Download Audacity and give it a try. It's a free digital audio recording software, similar to garageband on a mac. It has a lot of features, but it is easy to use (and free!). You can have the program record the signal coming into the 1/8" input on your soundcard and do any sort of editing once it's in the computer.

Bel isi,
-kyle

[Blueser100]

I have heard of Audacity but until now have never had a reason to use it. I have some unreleased tracks given to me personally by an artist years ago when I was in the music business. She recently died and it got me thinking that I better digitize them now or risk losing them forever.

[chas52]

maybe try Reaper.
I've been using it for years. I love it.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Taylorgyrl

I have a cassette tape with music on it that I would like to digitize. I have a Mac and I can use a program i have called Audio Hijack. But there are nine separate songs on the tape and I would like ultimately to make them individual mp3 tracks. In order to do this with Audio Hijack, I would have to make breaks in the tracks on the fly while recording into the computer.

What is the best way to go about doing this? Are there other programs that may be better for this? Thanks.

Hi TG…
There is a setting in Audio Hijack which will look for dead spaces and automatically split and start a new track.

On the fly is as simple as listening while you rip them to the computer and hitting the ''Split'' button (top right). It merely starts a new file and files the previous one into the location you told it to...it names consecutive tracks differently so you can tell them apart.

If you have the deck wired to record into the computer you are good to go. You will want a program like GarageBand to act as the interface to play it into (and it needs to be playing on the computer speakers as well). Audio Hijack monitors the audio being played by the computer.

You just ''hijack'' the program that is acting as the player, and then turn it loose.

Of course you could record the tracks directly into GarageBand, or Audacity, CubaseLE etc. You'd have to split them manually and then export them to iTunes...not a big deal either way (Hijack or a Recording program).

Hope this isn't too confusing. I use Hijack Pro and have been using this program for many years because it gives me more control over recording things playing on my browser or in programs than any other (even my sophisticated recording programs).

I like to record old time radio shows for time-shifted listening...and have done many a cassette to computer rip.

[rdm321]

Originally Posted by Taylorgyrl

I have a cassette tape with music on it that I would like to digitize. I have a Mac

You can do this using GarageBand, which is already on your Mac. You don't have to make the gaps on the fly, but you'll have to pick them out later by eye or by ear.

Easy steps. Note that I'm not on a Mac now, and I don't have my GB manual, so I'm not sure about the appearance of some of the icons that I mention below:
1. Open GB for "New recording". Set the tempo as low as it will go (I think it's 40 bpm). GB limits the time on a single recording to a finite number of bars, so choosing a slow tempo will allow you the maximum amount of time. I've recorded an entire LP like this.
2. Select "software instrument" and "No effects".
3. Plug the cassette player into the Mac, play the cassette & start recording.
4. Once the cassette has all been recorded, go back to the beginning of the recording. Find the end of the first song by looking on the time line (if you know the length of the song) or click at various points in the timeline and play the recording. Position the red line indicator at the end of song 1.
5. Select "Edit - Split". Click away, then click on the newly separated song 1. Drag it down, out of the recording. GB will automatically create a new track consisting of Song 1.
5 IMPORTANT - go to the end of the entire cassette's recording. There is an indicator that marks the end of the recording (I think it's brown or black, at the top of the recording line). Drag this little indicator leftward to the end of song 1. This can be tricky, because the indicator is tiny & can be difficult to pick up with the cursor.
6. Select the Track that contains song 1 and "Solo" it (clicK on one of the tiny icons at the left end of the track. Position the cursor on each one until a "Solo" pops up).
7. At the top toolbar, select "Share - send to iTunes". Song 1 will be sent to iTunes. Delete Song 1 from Garageband, freeing up the new track for Song 2. Click off "Solo" on the track that held Song 1.
8. Go back to the recording of the entire cassette. Drag the recording left until it begins at zero. Find the end of song 2, split again and drag Song 2 down to the lower track.
9. Step 8 causes the little indicator mentioned in Step 5 to zoom back to the end of the recording. You have to go after it, and drag it back to the end of song 2. This is very annoying, but it must be done every time.
10. Continue until you have separated each song & sent them to iTunes.
11. Go to iTunes, select song 1, select "Advanced - convert to MP3". Do this for each Song.

Good luck!!

[Blueser100]

Wow thanks rdm for taking the time to write out these steps. I will try GB and see how it goes. Again, thanks!

[rdm321]

after re-reading my post, above, there are a couple of additional points. you may already know these, if you're familiar with GB.

I think that you must select "Real Instrument" rather than "Software", at Step 2. (A cassette player is not a digital device.)

The "Solo" selection means that the soloed track is the only track that will be sent to iTunes. It's also the only track that you'll hear on playback, so it's important to "unSolo" the second track after each song is sent to iTunes. Otherwise you won't be able to listen to the other track containing the entire recording.

It is important to move the annoying tiny indicator to the end each song because it delimits the end of the track that is sent to iTunes. If it's left at the end of the entire recording, you'll send one song to iTunes, but it'll have many minutes of Dead Air at the end.

Cheers!

[muscmp]

Originally Posted by rdm321

after re-reading my post, above, there are a couple of additional points. you may already know these, if you're familiar with GB.

I think that you must select "Real Instrument" rather than "Software", at Step 2. (A cassette player is not a digital device.)

The "Solo" selection means that the soloed track is the only track that will be sent to iTunes. It's also the only track that you'll hear on playback, so it's important to "unSolo" the second track after each song is sent to iTunes. Otherwise you won't be able to listen to the other track containing the entire recording.

It is important to move the annoying tiny indicator to the end each song because it delimits the end of the track that is sent to iTunes. If it's left at the end of the entire recording, you'll send one song to iTunes, but it'll have many minutes of Dead Air at the end.

Cheers!

i would add that you will want to test and monitor(through finding the loudest part of the music) the incoming signal so that it doesn"t go into the red. you may need to lower the volume, or raise it if it is drastically low, so that you get a distortion-free recording.
this is not as difficult as it sounds. i just did the same thing with vinyl into logic into an apogee ensemble for conversion purposes.

[fitness1]

wow.....is that complicated. I'm so glad I'm "old school"


I run RCA cables from the record out on my tape deck to the input on my CD recorder and press play and record, respectively....

darned if it doesn't work like a charm everytime

[rdm321]

Originally Posted by fitness1

..... the input on my CD recorder.....

Simple indeed! Please give details of this device.

[Blueser100]

Originally Posted by fitness1

wow.....is that complicated. I'm so glad I'm "old school"


I run RCA cables from the record out on my tape deck to the input on my CD recorder and press play and record, respectively....

darned if it doesn't work like a charm everytime

Yeah that is indeed simpler but you have no control over the material, i.e., to edit into separate tracks, etc, right?

[tammuz7000]

I bough and imic from griffin and it had the software included. It is very easy to use. just run a cable from the cassette to the iMic and then the Imic to the mac and thats it. The software called final vinyl works easily. The Imic is a preamp and usb audio adapter.