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How to Transfer a Reel to Reel Audio Tape to a CD

Recording a reel-to-reel audio tape to a CD is an important, and in some cases essential, way in which to ensure the safe-keeping of old and rare recordings. These recordings may be be of extreme personal value to the owner; perhaps old recordings of great grandparents or friends. For this reason, it is often worth the fiddly and slightly convoluted way in which this process works so that the owner of these recordings gets to play them and pass them down through the younger generations.

Things You'll Need

  • Stereo RCA cable with mini-jack
  • Reel-to-reel player
  • Computer
  • Music recording software
  • iTunes (or other program with CD burning function)
  • Blank CD
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Instructions

    • 1

      Connect the red and white RCA jacks into the line-out sockets in the back of the reel-to-reel machine. Insert the mini-jack end of the RCA cable into the line-in on the back of your computer--or the headphone socket if using a laptop.

    • 2

      Open the music recording software, such as Reason, Fruity Loops or Windows Media Player--any program will do as long as it records music.

    • 3

      Check that your recording program has the line-in option selected. Put the reel-to-reel audio tape to be recorded into the machine. Press play.

    • 4

      Adjust the recording levels, making sure that they do not go into the red section at the top of the level gauge on your music recording software.

    • 5

      Rewind the reel-to-reel tape back to the start. Hit the record button on your music recording program and press play on the reel-to-reel deck.

    • 6

      Select "File" and then "Save" from the drop-down menu when the recording is finished. Save to your desktop as a .wav or .mp3 file.

    • 7

      Open iTunes--or any other similar program with CD burning capabilities. Import the saved file into the music library.

    • 8

      Insert a blank disc into your computer's CD drive. Select "Burn Disc" or "Cop Disc" on your music program's screen.

Recording Music

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