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How do I copy a cassette tape to CD?

pearljgirl2010pearljgirl2010 Shillington, PA/Tuckerton, NJ Posts: 3,428
edited April 2008 in The Porch
I have a whole bunch of old bootlegs on cassette tape and i would love to figure out if I can copy them to cd...anybody know how?

perhaps not the right forum, but If I can find out how to do this, I can then, in turn, share them!
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Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Stephen FlowStephen Flow Posts: 3,327
    your best bet is to just download them, most bootlegs are widely available online if you know where to look.

    also, it will be much better quality than going from tape to cd (ick!)
  • bacojbacoj Posts: 120
    I would suggest downloading the best versions of those boots you have and not trying to make lo-fi copies of the tapes. Unless of course they are 1st gen and from a digital source. There are many resources for locating bootleg download links. A good start would be:

    http://www.pearljamamerica.com/forum/bootlegs

    Or check the Given to Fly forum...
    mmmmm, it does go well with the chicken.....delicious again peter

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  • pearljgirl2010pearljgirl2010 Shillington, PA/Tuckerton, NJ Posts: 3,428
    thanks...you're both probably right. there's something so fun about listening to those cassettes, but I think it's time to graduate to cds :-)
    Need a tour Travel Agent??? Pick me :-)

    Whatever you are, be a good one --Lincoln
  • PresIntensePresIntense Posts: 33
    Sorry, but I don't know how best to transfer cassette to CD. I also realize how great it is to listen to something that you yourself have recorded. I have made many concert recordings myself over the years; and no matter how poor the quality, or how much the crowd drowns out the band, these recordings will always be special to me. I hope that someone can help you out. Peace.
  • DriftingByTheStormDriftingByTheStorm Posts: 8,684
    bacoj wrote:
    A good start would be:

    http://www.pearljamamerica.com/forum/bootlegs

    Or check the Given to Fly forum...

    ahem.
    youkanfakoff

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  • LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    Whats a cassette??? ;)


    Geez, even boots I got from 1995 were on CD.. :p
  • release30release30 Posts: 2,051
    LikeAnOcean wrote:
    Whats a cassette??? ;)


    Geez, even boots I got from 1995 were on CD.. :p


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  • PatrickBatemanPatrickBateman Posts: 2,243
    I have a Metallica and Faith No More bootleg on vinyl...for real
    If a man speaks in a forest and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?
  • JaneNYJaneNY Posts: 4,438
    To answer the original question, there is a program called Audacity which you can download for free. If you have a decent tape player, you can connect it to your computer, play the tape, record it as an mp3, and there you go. The quality won't be as good as downloading obviously, but that is a way to do it.
    PatrickBateman wrote:
    I have a Metallica and Faith No More bootleg on vinyl...for real

    Heh - I have a Springsteen vinyl bootleg, but its a million years old.
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  • jecicajecica Posts: 954
    I spent $100 on the PlusDeck 2C for my computer to transfer my enormous tape collection onto MP3. If the tape is old, it takes a while to get the sound setting right and can be frustrating in the beginning. I have a 93' Seattle boot on cassette and now I can play it on my IPod. Worth the investment if you have a lot of cassettes.

    They have so many different systems out now for transferring cassettes and vinyl to MP3s. Just look on the internet.
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  • dieguito96dieguito96 Posts: 16
    jecica wrote:
    I spent $100 on the PlusDeck 2C for my computer to transfer my enormous tape collection onto MP3. If the tape is old, it takes a while to get the sound setting right and can be frustrating in the beginning. I have a 93' Seattle boot on cassette and now I can play it on my IPod. Worth the investment if you have a lot of cassettes.

    They have so many different systems out now for transferring cassettes and vinyl to MP3s. Just look on the internet.

    I'd second for looking for the systems to transfer tapes and vinyl to MP3s. If you have a stereo with stereo inputs/outputs, it's the best way to go. Several years ago I bought a program called LP Recorder / LP Ripper by CFB Software for about $75 or so. It came with a connector that has a USB plug on one side and a L&R stereo plug on the other. You just play the tape & record it as you go. I've used this to to copy over all my LPs & some tapes with PJ bootlegs.

    Good luck!
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  • acutejamacutejam Posts: 1,433
    If you have a mac, GarageBand will help you out. Line out of tape deck into mini-plug mic in, set levels (kinda) in the System Prefs and tape away. The fun is in splitting the 45 min sides into individual songs for the CD. (I realize some Macs don't have mic-in anymore, then you need a USB sound-input adapter...)

    Then in iTunes you would use "gapless" songs to make the CDs.

    GarageBand and iTunes will do it -- kinda I think. Might be a problem with how loud/quiet the signal from the tape deck is...
    [sic] happens
  • U R A Crazy BreedU R A Crazy Breed Posts: 8,370
    i bought a CD burner for my stereo back when they first came out,i transfer from my cassette deck (doesn't see much action anymore) to my CD burner,then if i want mp3s i stick the CD in my computer and rip to my HD .

    it's worth it for those old tapes that never made it to CD!
  • blondieblue227blondieblue227 Va, USA Posts: 4,509
    JaneNY wrote:
    To answer the original question, there is a program called Audacity which you can download for free. If you have a decent tape player, you can connect it to your computer, play the tape, record it as an mp3, and there you go. The quality won't be as good as downloading obviously, but that is a way to do it.

    you can buy a tape player with USB ports?
    *~Pearl Jam will be blasted from speakers until morale improves~*

  • billtospillbilltospill Posts: 60
    blondieblue227 wrote:
    you can buy a tape player with USB ports?

    they usually use a headphone cable to connect. i have soundforge and i just plug a little 3.5 cable into the computer and into the headphone jack and then anything that comes through my stereo can be recorded and if you get your settings right the sound is good.
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  • blondieblue227blondieblue227 Va, USA Posts: 4,509
    ahhh ok.

    learn something new every day.

    :)
    *~Pearl Jam will be blasted from speakers until morale improves~*

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