Connect the turntable or cassette deck to the computer with the 1/8-inch stereo to dual RCA cable. Insert the dual RCA plugs into the output jacks on the back of the turntable or cassette deck, being sure to match the red plug to the red jack and the white (or black) plug to the white jack. Insert the 1/8-inch stereo plug into the line input jack on the computer.
Launch the audio editing software on the computer. Cue up the record or cassette to the beginning of the content to be recorded. In the audio editing software, click “Record.” Drop the needle on the turntable or press “Play” on the cassette deck. When the audio content has been recorded, click “Stop” in the software and lift the turntable’s needle or push “Stop” on the cassette deck.
Look at the waveform on the computer screen. If the waveform appears to be small and has a large amount of white space around it, the volume level is too low. If any part of the waveform goes beyond the vertical space limits, that part has been “clipped” and the level is too high. Adjust the gain in the audio software and re-record the audio content.
Remove the noise from the recording. Audio cassettes have varying degrees of background hiss and vinyl records may have some pops and crackles. Consult the documentation of the audio editing software for information on how to perform a noise removal.
Split the recording into tracks. With the audio software, select the portion of the waveform that represents one song or movement. Copy and paste the selected portion to a new file. Save the new file in AIF(F) or WAV format. Repeat this process until all songs or movements have been saved into separate files.
Launch the CD burning software on the computer. Insert a blank CD into the computer’s CD drive. Use the software to select and arrange the audio tracks created in Step 5. Burn the CD.