How to preserve music from old tapes ?

[livi]

I have at least twenty hours of music on 20+ years old cassette deck tapes. It is all my own recorded music from the good old days with my band. Home made studio as well as outdoor concerts. I would really like to preserve it and ideally convert it to CD and in the process perhaps filter out a bit of background noise if possible.

Is this doable and how? Should I try it myself, given I had the right equipment or leave it to a pro?

Thanks,


Oh, and yes, I was the band leader, lead singer and guitarist as well as the author of all our songs.. can you imagine that!

[jluetjen]

Get a sound card for your PC (if you don't already have one) and then buy and download Plus!Analog Recorder from Microsoft. It costs something like $20. This will let you plug your tape player into the back of your PC, and digitize it's contents. It also does a real nice job of removing pop and hiss. Once you've got it digitized and on your PC, it's a small job to dump the tracks onto a CD using someing like Rhapsody or iTunes.

I've used this process to transfer a number of old record albums over to CD. In the case of the oldest albums dating back to the early '60's or '50's, I have to admit that it sounds better (to me) on CD then it did on the record as a result of the reduction in noise.

[livi]

Thanks John! Exactly the information I was looking for.

How happy this will make my kids, now when they will be able to listen to my music all day long..

[lisa_spyder]

John,

you did this with a stack of old vinyl? I have 100s of albums; some very old stuff that I want to transfer. Thanks for the tip on Microsoft Plus - now to find the 100s of hours to get the job done.

Markus,

You children will love this.....maybe.....!

[jluetjen]

In regards to vinyl, I didn't have a turntable any more (mine seized and/or warped about 20 years ago due to lack of use), so I had to buy one off of Ebay. The trick is to get one that has a pre-amp built in it, this allows plugging it directly into the back of the PC. Otherwise you need to run it through an amp prior to the PC.

BTW, I've found that a lot of my old albums are already available on places like Rhapsody or iTunes. But I did have a couple of albums of old German Christmas carols which have been a Christmas tradition in my family since I was a kid. Nowhere were they available. But now I've got them on CD and on the computer and they sound clearer then ever. I didn't even violate a copywrite since they weren't copywritten. I've also noticed that after converting some old swing albums (like Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall), that the copy that I made had noticeably less hiss and pop then the Rhapsody versions.

For newer stuff that's widely available on CD, it's most likely almost as cheap, and a lot easier and cleaner to just buy the CD. Lots of the old albums have skips on them that even a dime on the arm won't help.

Have fun!

[anotherblack944]

This is what I got a few years ago for transferring LP's to CD.

http://www.dak.com/reviews/2020storyT.cfm

Two Channel Pre-amp, recording software that generates MP3 or WAV files (edits and generates separate tracks at will), Pop and Hiss filter program (really puts my AMD through a workout) and amp to PC cable. Works like a charm (but IS time consuming)!

[jluetjen]

This is the turntable that I'm using. An Audio-Technica AT-PL50.



This one has a BIN of <$80.

[livi]

No Lisa, they will most likely hate me. Screaming for Britney Speeeerrsss instead..

Today´s kids!

[lisa_spyder]

John,

I've got stuff I want transfer for Mum - records from stage shows she went to when single (50s stuff)...also some obtuse blues stuff of mine. In Mum's day, you went to see the show and then could buy the album in the foyer afterwards. She's got quite a collection! Plus a lot of import stuff that she and Dad had that I can't really be bothered looking for on CD. And the swing and jazz stuff... Then she could play it all in the car; or if I can make it easy enough for her I'll stick it all on an ipod and set that up in the car for her...not easy as she doesn't even use a pc!

Still got a great sound system complete with turntable, amp etc so I'm OK there. We coupled a CD stacker to it years ago and still love what we have. We recently rescued a set of Celestian speakers from the shed that haven't been used for years - still can blow the roof off our house and the surrounding neighbourhood! I'll restore the cabinets at some stage - but these speakers are still unbelievably good, clear as bells even with the volume pumped.

Then there's the 78s...but I have found a turntable that's now available that will play them too (need to check if it has an inbuilt amp first as I doubt I can run it through mine).

Thanks guys for the tips - looks like a job for winter Sunday afternoons when it's cold and rainy; fire blazing, nice couple of bottles of red...bring on Winter .

Oh and Markus? Brittany Spears is dead in our house - YIPPEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! Even Charlotte just rolls her eyes every time the BS name comes up - actually the kids aren't into too many of the teenybopper starlets at all; more likely Deep Purple, ACDC, Rolling Stones and some Dixie Chicks for good measure!

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by livi
I have at least twenty hours of music on 20+ years old cassette deck tapes. It is all my own recorded music from the good old days with my band. Home made studio as well as outdoor concerts. I would really like to preserve it and ideally convert it to CD and in the process perhaps filter out a bit of background noise if possible.

Is this doable and how? Should I try it myself, given I had the right equipment or leave it to a pro?

Thanks,


Oh, and yes, I was the band leader, lead singer and guitarist as well as the author of all our songs.. can you imagine that!

Here you go. I used the software they recommended in this thread. Worked well.

[anotherblack944]

Originally posted by lisa_spyder
Then there's the 78s...but I have found a turntable that's now available that will play them too (need to check if it has an inbuilt amp first as I doubt I can run it through mine).

Lisa,

Not sure about the MS stuff but the DAK software has an option that will record 78's played at 45 and then convert it back to normal rate so you don't need a 78 turntable. I haven't tried it myself but know it's there... just another option.

[pmajka]

shame you missed out on th is product..

computer tape deck

[lisa_spyder]

You guys are awesome! Thanks fellas, really .

Now all I need is:

* Winter to arrive
* A good cellar stock
* A few spare Sunday afternoons....huh; winning lotto could be easier

[Super_Dave_D]

I saw this item today and looks like it would do the trick

http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/audio/85fb/