How to Copy an Audio Tape to a CD Device
Many people have treasured audio tapes--cassettes, reel-to-reel or even 8-tracks--that are decaying with time. The best way to preserve this audio is to transfer it to compact disc. With the latest CD recording devices, you can do this in a single step, without having to create a separate sound file first and then transferring that file to CD later.
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Instructions
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Transferring Audio Tape to CD
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Some tape player outputs will require a 3.5 mm jack. Connect the audio tape player to the CD recorder. The patch cord should go from the output jacks of the audio player to the input or analog input jacks of the CD recorder. Depending on the tape player you're using, the output may either be a pair of red and white RCA jacks or a 3.5mm headphone jack.
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Turn on the power for both the tape player and the CD recorder.
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Put the audio tape in the player.
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Play some of the audio tape and adjust the sound level. It ought to be at a comfortably loud level. If you're using the headphone jack as your audio output, you'll need to unplug the patch cord while you perform this step.
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Rewind the audio tape to the point at which you want to start recording. Reconnect the patch cord if you had to disconnect it to set the sound level.
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Place the recordable CD disk in the CD recorder.
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Set the recording input on the CD recorder, if necessary. Most CD recorders can record both digital and analog inputs. Make sure your input is set to analog.
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Hit the "Record" button on the CD recorder.
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Press the "Play" button on the audio tape player.
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Adjust the recording level on the CD player, so the input signal stays near the top of the green bar on the recording meter, but doesn't go into the red.
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If you're recording a cassette tape, press "Pause" on the CD recorder when the first side ends. Then flip the cassette over, press the "Pause" on the CD recorder to resume recording and press "Play" on the cassette player.
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When the audio tape has finished playing, press "Stop" on the CD recorder. Your CD is finished.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're recording a music tape, many CD recorders can automatically create separate tracks for you.
Most CD recorders will allow you to listen to the audio during the recording process, so you'll know when to start and when to stop recording.
If your audio tapes are fairly short, you can combine several of them on a single CD. Just pause the CD recorder before you switch audio tapes on the player.
It's always a good idea to start the CD recorder first, then start the tape player. That way you don't lose any of your audio while the CD recorder is getting started.
Make sure you have the right patch cable for the job. Most CD recorders will use red and white RCA jacks for their input, but your tape player may output through RCA jacks, a 3.5 mm stereo jack or even a large 1/4 phone plug.
If your CD recorder supports both digital and analog inputs, make sure you connect to the analog. Otherwise the recorder may tell you it can't find a digital device to record from.
Recordable CDs will only accept 70 minutes of music. If you're recording from a C-90 or C-120 audio cassette, you're going to need to stop the recording before the end of the tape and put in a new recordable CD in the CD recorder to finish the project. For convenience, you may want to use a separate disc for each side of the tape.
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Resources
- Photo Credit old audio tapes image by Kirill Kurashov from Fotolia.com jack image by danimages from Fotolia.com
