Tape To mp3

[Macy]

I found a load of my old tape bootlegs when I was at me mam's at the weekend. Anyone have any recommendations for software (preferably freeware/ or free demo) to record them on to my 'puter as mp3/ wma?

(I think someone might've posted info before, but I can't find it).

[Lionel Ritchie]

Do you have any audio software at all Macy? Did your PC come bundled with Soundblaster Creative Recorder or Wave Lab maybe?

If so it's pretty straightforward.

*take a line out from your tapedeck (headphones socket will do if it's all it has. If it has Line Out ...take it from there to your PC/laptop)

*on Creative Recorder (or whatever) select Line IN as your source.

*click record

*playback tape (you might want to adjust the record level to make sure the signal is not venturing into the deep orange/red)

*Save the completed recordings as MP3s.

There is inexpensive software out there that you can get for this as well and virtually everyone I know has a dodgy version of some of them that'd do the job for you either. If you can get your hands on Adobe Audition it takes out the need for Clean or similar noise reduction software as well.

[tetsujin1979]

Audacity does all that, and more, and it's free: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Can't recommend it enough

[Macy]

Cheers - will have a look at that. I'd imagine there is software on the PC, but thought there'd be something fancy that'd do a better job of cleaning them up (from memory some weren't the best to begin with). Haven't tried yet tbh as only got home with the box of tapes monday - the issue is probably getting a decent tape deck rather than the PC side of things from the sounds of it!