Hi Folks,

Buying a USB cassette deck or turntable

Question - My husband has a large collection of records and cassettes. He wants a turntable or cassette deck that will convert music to CD or MP3. These machines don't look so great. What do you recommend?

Answer - Your husband is not alone. Plenty of people want to convert cassettes, LPs and even reel-to-reel tapes to CD or MP3. I must tell people how to do this two or three times a day! However, I'm still waiting for someone to ask about 8-track tapes!

It is relatively easy to digitize records and tapes on your own. You just need the right cables to connect a stereo to your sound card. Then you use software like Audacity to record the music.

Several manufacturers have created USB cassette decks and turntables. These will help you convert your old audio. These offer advantages over a do-it-yourself solution. They're particularly useful for people who want to convert large music collections quickly and easily.

Since they connect via a USB port, you don't need to hunt down cables to hook up your stereo. And you don't need to worry about using the correct input jack on your sound card.

In the case of turntables, the sound needs to be amplified. Some turntables have built-in pre-amps. Turntables without pre-amps can't be connected directly to your computer's sound card. You don't need to worry about this with USB turntables.

USB tape decks and turntables also include software for your computer. The software converts the audio to a digital file. You can burn the music to CD or create MP3 files.

I've saved the best feature for last. Some USB tape decks and turntables support high-speed dubbing. This will appeal to people who have extensive record and cassette collections.

You don't have to play your music in real time. The music is played faster to speed up the recording process. The software will correct the speed in the digital file.

Cassette decks

There aren't many options when it comes to USB cassette decks. In fact, I'm only aware of one currently available in the United States: ION's Tape2PC USB cassette deck.

The Tape2PC is a dual tape deck that connects to your stereo system. It also has a USB connection for your computer.

Bundled software will transfer your cassettes directly to iTunes. It also includes Audacity to create CDs or MP3 files. It features high-speed dubbing. It works with both Macs and PCs.

An alternative is BTO's plusdeck2c. It does not connect to your computer via a USB port. Rather, it fits into a 5½-inch bay in your computer.

A ribbon cable connects the deck to a plate that you install at the rear of your computer. The plate fits into an opening for a PCI card. However, the plate is not connected internally to a PCI slot. You must run cables from the plate to your computer's sound card.

Included software will help you convert your cassettes to a variety of digital formats. You can burn the files to CD for listening in a standalone CD player.

I can't really recommend the plusdeck2c. The installation is a hassle. And it does not provide any true advantage to hooking up your existing tape deck to your sound card.

BTO has released an external version called the plusdeck EX. It connects to your computer via USB port. It is not currently available in the United States.

USB turntables

There are more options when it comes to USB turntables. ION, Stanton, Crosley, Numark and Audio-Technica make them.

The turntables include software for your computer. The software will convert the audio to digital format. You can create music files or CDs.

Remember that records are subject to pops and hissing. So look for a turntable with software that helps you remove these from your recordings.

As with the ION cassette deck, you'll find turntables with high-speed recording options. Again, this is helpful for people with large record collections.

Some of the USB turntables have audio inputs. No, you won't be able to record to vinyl! Rather, you can connect another audio source (8-track player, anyone?) to the turntable. Audio will pass through the turntable to the computer.

Now, you mentioned that the USB turntables and tape decks aren't very attractive. I don't know that I can really argue with that. But how much does that matter? The important thing is that these gadgets will help convert music to digital formats.

Coming up in Wednesday's Tip: Set time limits on your computer.

Perhaps you'll be looking for a new job in the coming months. But how do you make sure your résumé passes the spam filters? On tomorrow's Kim Komando Digital Minute, I'll tell you. To find the radio station nearest you that broadcasts my Minute, use the map on my site. If there isn't one near you, don't fear: Kim's Club subscribers can download the Minutes directly from my site!

Please feel free to forward this to anyone that you think might be interested in it.  If they wish to subscribe, they can click on the link below.

If this was forwarded to you and you wish to subscribe, please click here: Subscribe
If you wish to be deleted from the mailing list, please click here: Unsubscribe