You can preserve recordings on LP records and cassette tapes by converting the audio signals on these old-school media to compact discs. A computer with a sound card and line-in jack enables quick connections to a tapedeck or turntable with audio and USB cables. Most computers come with software that can be loaded on a computer to clean up the pops and crackles on old records and tapes before burning the digital files to a CD, or free downloads of shareware are available.
Instructions
1. Connect your tape deck or turntable to the computer by plugging in the RCA-type audio cables from the output jack on the back of the stereo equipment to the computer's line-in jack. Use the red cable for the right audio channel and the white cable for left audio.
2. Create a folder to store the converted music on the computer. Use the name of the record album or cassette tape for the computer file to make it easy to locate and remember.
3. Launch the media software for recording on the computer and click the "Record" button. If it is not labeled, the "Record" function is usually a button with a red circle in the center.
4. Place an LP on the turntable or a cassette in the tape deck, depending on which component is connected to the computer, and begin playback.
5. Save the converted audio file in the new folder on the computer.
6. Launch the media software that manages the computer's CD burner. Popular media software includes Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, Apple QuickTime, Roxio and Audacity.
7. Insert a blank, recordable CD into the computer's CD tray.
8. Click Burn on the top menu of the media software.
9. Open the folder with the converted audio files from the LP or tape.
10. Click on the files and drag with the mouse to the "Burn" list in the media software.
11. Press the "Start Burn" button to begin burning the files to CD.
Tags: media software, audio cables, cassette tape, converted audio, Launch media