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How to Copy an 8-Track Tape to a CD

Copying an 8-track tape to a CD allows you to put your recorded music onto a professional format so that you can present it to potential gig organizers or record labels. It also means that you can play your own music on your stereo, or better still your friends' stereos. The method of getting your record music from an 8-track tape to a CD is convoluted but this is only because the 8-track recorder and the CD are extremely different formats.

Things You'll Need

  • 8-track recorder
  • Stereo RCA cable with mini-jack
  • Computer
  • Music recording software
  • CD burning software
  • Blank CD-R (writable)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Plug in the black and white jacks into the line-out jack sockets on the back of your 8-track recorder. Plug the mini-jack end into your computer's line-in socket on the back or into the headphone socket of a laptop.

    • 2

      Open your music recording software program, such as Cubase, Cake Walk or Reason, and set it up to record a new track.

    • 3

      Insert your 8-track tape into your 8-track recorder and press "Play." Adjust the volume on the player and your software so that the level does not exceed the maximum record level set by the gauge.

    • 4

      Rewind the 8-track tape to the beginning. Press "Record" on your music recording software and press "Play" on the 8-track. Save the recorded 8-track tape to your computer's desktop.

    • 5

      Open your disc burning software, such as iTunes or Windows Media Player. Drag the recorded 8-track file into your software. Go to "File" then "New Playlist." Type a name for your new playlist. Click and drag the 8-track file into the playlist.

    • 6

      Insert a blank CD-R into your computer's disc drive. Click on "Burn" in your playlist window.

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Recording Music

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