transfer audio cassette to CD

sandy2_2

I would like a simple easy to use gadget I can can use to transfer my audiio cassette collection to cd and then onto my MP3
I think I found one on the Guardian newspaper offers but then found this one on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ADS-Instant-Music-Vinyl-Cassette-Ripper-into-CD-MP3_W0QQitemZ310031883943QQihZ021QQcategoryZ51346QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Has anyone used something identical or similar, is it easy, can I use it with my laptop,, are they worth the money

Any help or information welcome

A_Nice_Englishman

Assuming you have a tape player and your laptop has an audio in socket you probably won't need to spend money on a gadget. See 450-454 on the following page.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/essentials/ecrcomparc.xml

Or if the above seems too much hassle there's the following which seems to do the job for £7.50

http://www.ripvinyl.com/index.shtml

Stompa

If you want to go down the USB route then this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Griffin-Technology-iMic-Audio-Interface/dp/B00006BALQ/

might be worth considering.

sandy2_2

A_Nice_Englishman wrote: »

Assuming you have a tape player and your laptop has an audio in socket you probably won't need to spend money on a gadget. See 450-454 on the following page.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/essentials/ecrcomparc.xml

Or if the above seems too much hassle there's the following which seems to do the job for £7.50

http://www.ripvinyl.com/index.shtml

Thanks. I have looked at ripvinyl, but I haven't had much success downloading programs from internet as I don't have broadband.
Just going to study the Telegraph articles, but be warned I don't have much (any) technical expertise so I might be back with questions.....

sandy2_2

Stompa wrote: »

If you want to go down the USB route then this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Griffin-Technology-iMic-Audio-Interface/dp/B00006BALQ/

might be worth considering.

Thanks for your reply. Readimng thro the reviewers comments It seems as if it is simple if you have a Mac (although a bit later the same reviewer said alternative PCs are catered for in the small print) Another reviewer found it easy tho'. I think what I was really looking for was a cassette gadget which connected via usb to laptop and did everything from then on, bit like plug and play but in this case plug and transfer. I might get horribly confused if I had to try and sort out line in and line out stuff
(my level of technical expertise is very limited, can't even get DVD to record and I've had it 4 years!!!!)

Stompa

sandy2 wrote: »

I think what I was really looking for was a cassette gadget which connected via usb to laptop and did everything from then on...

Somewhat more expensive, but I guess there's this sort of thing:

http://www.johnlewis.com/230430748/Product.aspx

http://www.itweek.co.uk/computeractive/hardware/2203931/review-firebox-ion-usb-cassette

richt71

This has good reviews!

http://www.firebox.com/product/1849

A_Nice_Englishman

The devices mentioned just seem to be cassette players bundled with software similar to Ripvinyl or that mentioned in the articles I linked to. Or am I missing something?

dekh

If you have a hifi tape deck and a PC all you need is a phono to 3.5mm stereo jack. Otherwise, you could use the headphone socket and use a 3.5 to 3.5 stereo lead (sometimes 5mm!!), quality is not quite so good this way (don't set the headphone volume too high or you might get distortion).

I believe even the pound shops sell the cable, but wouldn't vouch for the quality

Then use something like Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Don't know about your laptop, mine is a couple of years old now, when you plug the 3.5mm jack into the mic socket a window pops up asking if it is a MIC input or Line Input. Choose Line Input.

Audacity samples at CD quality, will allow you to convert to wav for cd or mp3 at various sample rates to suit, will also allow you to chop your samples up into tracks, and lots of other stuff.

Best of all? It's free!

albertross_2

Got one of these anywhere? (Assuming a walkman style of tape player)

http://info.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?tabs=n&C=SO&U=strat18&ModuleNo=11422&ma=Connect!%20-%203.5mm%26nbsp%3B-%26nbsp%3B3.5mm%20Stereo%20Plug%20to%20Plug%20Lead

Stompa

A_Nice_Englishman wrote: »

The devices mentioned just seem to be cassette players bundled with software similar to Ripvinyl or that mentioned in the articles I linked to. Or am I missing something?

Pretty much I think, though with the USB interface built-in.