audio tape's to pc

[dustypuss]

hi is there a way of copping my vast amount of old audio tapes ie C60 to my pc . with out vast expense or hassle thanks DP UK

[bankythehat]

Hmm.. the problem is deciding if you want a cheap way of doing it or a hassle free way.

If you want a hassle free way then purchase a cassette converter from www.firebox.com (about �99)

If you want a cheap way then follow the advice from CNET below

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6450_7-5020866-1. html?legacy=cnet

[dannywells]

its quite long winded to go into detail, so i wont!
however yes, its just a case of getting the correct cable and connecting the output of the tape player to your audio in socket on your pc (most desktop pcs have audio in, laptops generally dont) then use some form of sound recorder and write them to CD - if u use the correct software the cds should then work on any CD player

[dannywells]

should have mentioned that you have to do each tape in real time, so im guessing that its not really practical due to the time involved, ie one hour just to record 1 tape, never mind the time taked to get it onto CD

[dustypuss]

thank to u two .look like a DIY job is out of the question then ! . do you know if there is professional firms that do transfers in the uk. ps i have over 400 tapes

[bankythehat]

Not good news I'm afraid! There are a few UK based companies out there, but unfortunately they are not cheap (I suspect because they have to do it manually as well) Prices seemed to be around the �10-�20 per cassette mark!! Making your 400 tapes about �5000, ouch!!!!

So no easy way that I can see. I'd go for the converter from Firebox but then again I've only got about 30 tapes that need converting.....