The same technique can import, record and convert records / LPs / vinyl, 8-tracks, and other older audio formats. If the recorded audio is too loud or has too much static, decrease the volume on your cassette player.ĭon't stop with cassette tapes. You should record a ten-second clip at first, so you can play it back immediately in Audacity (green triangle button) and make sure your volume levels are right.

Get fancy with Audacity's audio editor features: You can cut, paste and add effects easily. The resulting WAV file can be saved on your computer, converted to MP3, or burned to a CD. You'll then seeĪ screen that should do what you need: Use the ' Device' selector to pick your input (soundcard, microphone, audio jack, etc), and change the ' Channels' selector to pick from mono or stereo recording.ģ) Press the record button (red circle) on Audacity, then press play on your cassette tape.Ĥ) Press the stop button (yellow square) on Audacity when the tape is finished playing.ĥ) Use the ' File -> Export as WAV' menu item to save your recording. To do this, open the Edit menu, then Preferences. This tells Audacity to record whatever it 'hears' on the soundcard input. To prevent possible soundcard damage, use the 'Line in' jack if possible, and not the 'Microphone'.Ģ) Start Audacity, and change the input type to 'Line in' or 'Microphone', depending on what soundcard jack you're using. (Though 3.5mm is a standard size, your own hardware may be different.) A six-foot cable can be found for about $5.00 at your local electronics store like Radio Shack.ġ) Plug one end of the audio cable into your cassette player's headphone or 'Line out' jack, and the other end into your computer soundcard's 'Microphone' or 'Line in' jack. You'll need a cassette tape player with a headphone jack, a computer with a soundcard, the free 'Audacity' software, and a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) male-male stereo audio cable.

With some very cheap equipment, audio cassette conversion is easy. Save your memories and convert your cassette tapes to digital media, like MP3s or CDs. And the best way was to convert it to a new digital format. With the luck of having such an old tape still work, and containing rare audio of the mid-eighties, we needed to get this tape copied fast. But we put it in a cassette tape player, pressed play, and heard our voices talking back from over twenty years ago! The tape rattled if you shook it gently, not a good sign. Just looking at it, you could tell it was old: The label, originally red and white, was now pink and brown. While cleaning up, they found a cassette tape wedged in a back corner, covered in thick layers of time and memory.

My parents recently redecorated a room in their house. See more Audacity questions and answers at the Audacity Q&A.

Cassette to cd converter machine