Converting Cassette Tapes

[offthe215]

Hi there,

New to the forum as well as the software. I bought Amadeus Pro for the main reason of converting cassette tapes to Mp3. I have some studio recorded stuff as well as live stuff that I want to transferred. I do want the best sound possible, but I'm also not looking to get too in depth with sample rates, etc...

Did I buy the right software for what I want to do. Im a computer guy, but this just seems very complicated.

What is the best way, using this software, to transfer my tapes to mp3? Has anyone on here done it? What has your process been? Can anyone help me through it?

Thanks!

[CDJonah_alt]

What are you using to digitize the data?

I would suggest recording a tape with a maximum level on it +6dB or
something like that and then set the levels using whatever digitizer
you are using to be about -6 dB. Then I would just read stuff in -- use
44khz and go with it. Depending on your material, you could just read
it in, look on the entire track and find where the different selections are.

Chuck

offthe215 wrote:

[offthe215]

Not even sure what all that means. Lol.

Here's what I'm doing. I have a tape deck, and I have a line going from the headphone jack to the audio input to the computer. At first, in Amadeus, I couldn't even figure out why it was only coming out mono. But at least I got that. Where do I go from here? I just want to make the tapes sound the best they can.

[Martin Hairer]

[michaelRees]

And, use the line out from the tape machine, not the headphone jack.

--
Michael Rees,
composer &c.

Martin Hairer expressed with much marked refinement of phraseology:

[Bull]

I have converted a number of cassette tapes. In addition to the straightforward process of the initial recording, here are a few tips that may help.

1. I use the oscilloscope (Analyze menu) to make sure I am not clipping the audio. You can easily see clipping as sine waves with flat tops. If you allow clipping your recording will be irretrievably distorted. If you can identify the loudest portion and just play the tape while observing, you can then set your levels, then rewind and record. I set the levels using the volume control on the cassette recorder, as this part is analog and I believe is the only place where clipping can occur.

2. Once recorded I then normalize the recordings using the procedure in part 5.3.5 of the manual, page 22 or thereabouts. This step seems to make the finished audio more uniform. I do this for audio-books so I don't have to fiddle with the volume on my iPod.

3. Next I get rid of the tape hiss. Find a stretch of what should be silence, and you'll see low-level noise. Select a stretch of it, sample it (Effects/Denoising/Sample Noise), deselect the sample (or select all), then Suppress Noise (same menu). If you don't deselect the sample you will suppress the noise only in the sample.

4. If you find your cassette player's pitch is off, there's a function to correct this too. I have used it only once, but then got a new cassette player.

5. I find it useful to break each recording up into several smaller files. I do this by generating markers (Selection Menu) at places where there is silence, then using the Split According to Markers function. If you are doing an audio-book, you'll find that generating markers at 3 seconds of -30db of silence will let you find chapter beginnings. Open the Markers Window, click on a generated marker, then start playback from that point. You'll learn quickly how to identify a particular narrator's identification of a chapter by the waveform.

This is the right software. I also use Wiretap Studio for recording (and AP for processing). Wiretap lets you select audio source by application. I have JackPilot.app, but that's not as easy as just clicking on the source you want.

Bull

[Bull]

P.S. I should have said, when looking for hiss and when looking at markers, you need to adjust the horizontal zoom to see what's what.

[Gary Belzman]

Hello 215!!!

I played one of my old radio cassette aircheck analog tapes and recorded it to Amadeus Pro then edited it. The program worked great. I do radio production for a living. Just remember to allow about 1 second from the time you hit record until you roll your cassette machine on to Amadeus. You can edit the silence spots later if you wish. Because it is digital, you don't have to "peak" the recording level on Amadeus. I typically record at -3 db max.
a lot of people I know record at -10 DB with great results.
I hope this answers your question.

Best, Gary Bell
CBS Radio
Palm Springs, Ca.
_________________
Gary Bell
CBS Radio, Palm Springs, Ca.