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How to Record From a Tape Recorder to a CD on the Computer

Recording from a cassette tape to CD can preserve your old music collection. You can also configure your computer to record other audio, such as lectures. Regardless of the content, recording from tape recorders to CD by computer is an effective way to digitize your audio and make it more convenient to access.

Things You'll Need

  • Music on cassette tape
  • Cassette player
  • Computer with CD writer
  • Audio recording software or audio editing software
  • RCA cable or TRS connecter cable
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Instructions

    • 1

      Load and cue your tape player. Insert the tape you wish to record. Cue the tape to where you would like the recording to begin.

    • 2

      Determine the appropriate output-to-input connection for your tape player and computer. Use an RCA cable if your tape player and computer or sound card have RCA ports. Use the appropriate connector cable if you need to output from RCA-to-TRS or TRS-to-TRS. Ideally, you want to connect from tape player output to computer input port on the console or sound card. However, you may need to connect from the tape player headphone port or to the computer microphone port if there are no other options.

    • 3

      Start your audio recording or audio editing software. Push the "Record" button to begin a digital recording of your taped audio.

    • 4

      Push "Play" on your tape player immediately after your digital recording begins.

    • 5

      Push "Stop" on your audio recording or editing software when you no longer want to record from the tape source. Stop the tape player as well if it has not already stopped on its own.

    • 6

      Save your recording as a new audio file. Remember its location on your computer. This file may need to be saved in .wav or .mp3 format in order to be compatible with your CD writer program.

    • 7

      Load a blank recordable audio CD into your computer's CD writer drive.

    • 8

      Open your audio CD writer program. Create a new CD writing queue or playlist including the audio file of your recording from tape. Exercise the "Write", "Burn" or "Record" function on your CD writer program to complete the recording from tape recorder to CD.

Digital Music

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