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Gear / Technical Help => Post-Processing, Computer / Streaming / Internet Devices & Related Activity => Topic started by: setboy on May 14, 2004, 12:37:00 PM

Title: cassettes to computerwhat a good sound card for this
Post by: setboy on May 14, 2004, 12:37:00 PM: hey all
i have some cassettes id like to put on cd what kind of sound card is good for this?

and if any ones got any thing esle to say about this let me know

THANKS

Raphael
Title: Re: cassettes to computerwhat a good sound card for this
Post by: greenone on May 14, 2004, 03:51:23 PM: Sound card matters very little...it's the A/D process you should be concerned about. If you have an A/D, run cass deck>analog>A/D>digi>sound card>HD. If not, do you have a DAT deck? The built-in A/D in those will be much better than any A/D built into a sound card; I'd go cass deck>analog>DAT deck>digi>sound card>hd. Just get something cheap and bit-perfect (Delta Dio, Hercules Game Theater XP, Waveterminal 2496) and you're good to go...
Title: Re: cassettes to computerwhat a good sound card for this
Post by: hexyjones on May 15, 2004, 05:09:28 AM: If not, do you have a DAT deck? The built-in A/D in those will be much better than any A/D built into a sound card

Not sure if that's totally true...at least for the D3,D7,D8,M1 mini DATs - they had to make compromises for size...and some of those units are over 10 years old!

That said - give it a whirl with what ever is in there now...the very common AC97 codec sounds pretty good. I've done a lot of transfers just using my built in sound - they sound great - often better, by the time you scale the gain up a bit...

Try "Audacity" for recording and mastering. It's open source, free and does everything you need for transfering your cassettes...

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Title: Re: cassettes to computerwhat a good sound card for this
Post by: Brian Skalinder on May 15, 2004, 09:48:25 AM: Quote from: hexyjones on May 15, 2004, 05:09:28 AM
If not, do you have a DAT deck? The built-in A/D in those will be much better than any A/D built into a sound card

Not sure if that's totally true...at least for the D3,D7,D8,M1 mini DATs - they had to make compromises for size...and some of those units are over 10 years old!

I can't speak to the comparison of D3/D7/D8s v. internal soundcards, but I can say my D100 ADC sounds better than my EgoSys Waveterminal 2496 at 16-bit/44.1kHz. Primary reason: noise introduced by the ADC process performed inside the PC. Try recording silence and you'll hear the nasties picked up by inside the PC due to poor shielding, etc. I'd wager based simply on internal v. external, all the DAT ADCs above will sound better.

That said, if you don't have an external ADC of some kind, nor the inclination or cash to get one, give it a go with your soundcard!
Title: Re: cassettes to computerwhat a good sound card for this
Post by: hexyjones on May 15, 2004, 02:23:26 PM: Yeah - I'd bet - based on specs - most actually are better...but my D7 and my internal sound have a similar amount of noise...but you do have to crank it way up to hear it...and we're taking about cassette here - so we already have a fair amount of noise...

IMPORTANT - should have said this before...

The single most important thing when tranferring cassettes is to manually set the azimuth to match the source tape (unless of course you have the auto-azimuth NAK Dragon!)

You can do this by ear with a screwdriver...just pop the door off your cassette deck and take a little screwdriver to the screw on the left of the tape head...as you turn it listen to the high frequencies - you can hear them go in and out of focus as you turn the screw...the difference is NOT subtle - you will know when its "right"
Title: Re: cassettes to computerwhat a good sound card for this
Post by: setboy on May 16, 2004, 12:52:06 PM: THANKS for all the help
i'll have to do it with my sound card

and with the azimuth i just want to make sure i understand it

so i am going to be able to do it by ear?

and what is azimuth?

THANKS for all the HELP

Raphael
Title: Re: cassettes to computerwhat a good sound card for this
Post by: hexyjones on May 23, 2004, 01:29:50 AM: Yes - you will be able to hear the high-frequencies sweep into focus...the effect is not subtle...

Azimuth is the position of the head relative to the tape...you want it to track as close to the path it was originally recorded on...the screw adjusts the head across the tape path...

As hard as manufacturers tried to maintain a standard...the average cassette mechanism was still prone to wander a bit...particularly portables...

You may want to practice on an old deck...

But - I cant stress it enough..NOTHING is more important than azimuth when doing cassette transfers...
Title: Re: cassettes to computerwhat a good sound card for this
Post by: porphyry on May 30, 2004, 02:02:55 AM: i'm in the same boat as setboy, although more serious cos someone's sending me his cassettes to transfer to CD and all I got is my crappy in-built soundcard and I don't even have a good tape deck yet.

as for EQ, which approach do you guys think would be better:

a) record at 24/96 then EQ in post production and dither down for burning, or

b) run tapes through a separate EQ and then into the soundcard at 16/41?

also, what is the best external ADC for under $250 (if there is one)?

thanks to anyone who helps me out
Title: Re: cassettes to computerwhat a good sound card for this
Post by: Weazel on June 01, 2004, 04:45:36 PM: http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/drives/6908/

check out this device