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How to Record Audio Cassette to CD on a Computer

Cassette tapes were the latest and greatest technology not very many years ago. Many serious music collectors still have some great music on tape and would like to transfer it to digital. Although there is hardware out there for transferring analog to digital, it is expensive. However, there is a way to accomplish the transfer of tape to digital without any investment other than your time and perhaps some connectors that you don't currently own.

Things You'll Need

  • Cassette deck
  • Stereo cable with RCA connectors on both ends
  • Stereo amplifier
  • Stereo cable with two RCA connectors on one end and a 3.5 male stereo phone jack on the other
  • Recording software program
  • iTunes
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Instructions

    • 1

      Down load and install a free recording software program from the Internet. (see resources)

    • 2

      Connect your cassette deck "out" left and right into your stereo amplifier "in" left and right. Test your connection by placing a cassette in your tape deck and push play. Make sure your stereo is set to "Tape."

    • 3

      Attach the stereo cable RCA plugs into "out" left and right on your amplifier. Plug the 3.5 male stereo phone jack into your computer's mini phone jack female connector. Be sure to use the "input" connector and not the ear phone connector.

    • 4

      Open your recording software and start recording. After the computer has started recording, start your cassette. If you want to record each track separately, you'll have to stop after each song and repeat this process for as many tracks as there are on the cassette, otherwise all the songs will be recorded onto one track. When the recording is finished, press the stop button in the software window.

    • 5

      Drag and highlight all but one second of silence at the beginning of the recording and press "Delete" on your computer. Repeat this at the end of the recording.

    • 6

      Save the recording under the "File" menu. Some recording programs call this "exporting." Save the recording to your desktop.

    • 7

      Open iTunes and drag all the songs from the cassette on your desktop into your music folder. At this point, you can locate your songs in iTunes by doing a search by title in the upper right search window of your iTunes window. "Command "I" will get you to the songs window. Press the "info" button and insert any information that you wish included. Be sure and fill in the "Album" information as this will make it easier to find later.

    • 8

      Select "New Playlist" from the iTunes file menu and replace the "Untitled Playlist" name with the name of your album.

    • 9

      Drag all the tunes from the cassette that are now in your iTunes music folder to your new "Playlist" and press the "Burn Disk" button on the bottom right of your iTunes window.

    • 10

      Insert a blank compact disc when prompted and record your DC.

Digital Music

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