Connect a cassette player to pc
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stradis480
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AluMinioume Posted messages 3107 Registration date Status Member Last intervention -
AluMinioume Posted messages 3107 Registration date Status Member Last intervention -
Hello, I would like to transfer my audio cassettes to my PC using the Audacity program. However, for the connections, should I plug the cassette player directly into the computer, or should I connect the cassette player to an amplifier and then the amplifier to the PC via the jack plug? I am using a laptop; is this possible, or do I need to use a desktop PC? Thank you.
Best regards.
Best regards.
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Hello,
I haven't had the opportunity to test Quentin2121's solution, which undoubtedly works, but we can also simply connect the headphone output of the tape recorder to the microphone/line input of the PC, whether it's a desktop or a laptop.
To do this, use a 3.5 mm male-to-male stereo mini-jack cord.
However, you need to adjust the tape recorder's output level by ear to avoid saturating the microphone input, knowing that the downside of such a connection is that you cannot hear what you are recording.
The second downside is that you won't know when to stop recording. It's therefore better to know (calculate?) the total duration of the recordings on one side of the cassette, knowing that you will have to stop it manually.
We could imagine connecting to the tape output, aux or line of a hi-fi amplifier to output through the tape out, which would allow for listening on the speakers.
In this case, you need to use a mini-jack to RCA/Cinch plug cord and another from the tape out to the PC. Hoping not to saturate the microphone/line input (no danger but a saturated sound, making it unusable).
Best regards-
Hello,
The common output level of a cassette deck is not supposed to saturate a PC line input, which is designed to receive a signal of such level.
As for listening, it is quite possible to play directly from the PC audio output, which goes into the line input, whether one is recording or not.
At least, this is doable with the Realtek sound chipsets integrated into motherboards if one uses the audio manager provided by Realtek as standard (some motherboard manufacturers have fun removing some functions in the process...).
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