Sunday, February 20, 2011

How to convert Cassette tapes to CDs






Things you will need:
1. Cassette player with headphone jack
2. One double male 3.5mm audio cord
3. Computer with microphone jack
4. Audacity(Free Audio recording and editing software)
5. A blank CD-R,CD+R
6. CD burning software

1. Download and install Audacity to your computer from here.

2. Place the cassette tape in the player and make sure it is rewound to the begining of the tape.

3. Plug one end of the double male 3.5mm audio cord in the headphone jack of the cassette player and plug the other end into the microphone jack of the computer.

4. Run audacity and Click "File", "Save Project As" and enter the name of the cassette and the side number that you are going to convert.

5. Press the record button in Audacity. Then promptly press the play button on the cassette player. After the cassette has played through on one side, press the "Stop" button in Audacity to stop recording. Now click "File", "Save Project".

6. To record the other side of the cassette just flip the cassette and repeat step 5 saving with the same name but different side number. (Example "Artist Name-Album Name Side 2")

You will notice blue vertical lines on the bottom half of the audacity window. The vertical lines represent the recorded sound. The horizontal lines in between indicate silence or breaks between the different songs on a cassette.

7. Start at the begining of the lines on the left. Left click with your mouse and drag right from one horizontal line to the next.You have now highlighted the first track or song on one side of the cassette. Click "File", "Export Selection As MP3" and save it with its respective track or song title.

Repeat step 7 for each group of vertical lines on one project till all the track or songs for one side of the cassette are exported as mp3 files. Then Open the Previous project and do the same thing to complete separating all of the tracks or songs from the cassette into its own MP3 file.

Now that all of your tracks are separated you are ready to burn a music CD.

I am using Free Easy CD DVD Burner. You can download and install it from here

Make sure you put a blank CD-R in your CD burner.
Open Free Easy CD DVD burner and click on "Audio CD" up top.
Click "Add files to Project". Locate and select the MP3 files that you just exported from Audacity. Then press "Open". The Mp3 files are now listed as files to be burned to your Music CD. Click "Burn" in the box labeled "Action" to start the final process. After the burning has finished you should have a fully functional Music CD and be able to switch from track to track with ease in any standard CD player.