Fiddling with input levels [ cassette to mp4]

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Group,
I suspect I'm greenhorning things up here and hope someone with some
experience will take time to straighten me out.

I'm trying to record from a collection of homemade cassette tapes to
computer file. That is, to mp4 or something similar.

I find that getting from tape to electronic file causes the volume
capabililties to weaken. That is, on tape I can lift the roof, but
once recorded to mp4 or *.wav I need pretthy high volume setting to
hear normally.

The hardware is a sony cassete deck.
Soundcard is SB Audigy2 ZS Platinum Pro
OS = windows xp pro

I've used software that is supposed to allow you to compensate
somewhat. Goldwave, and SB Audigy2 soundcard bundled software that is
a recorder/player with a slide for setting input level.

I find the amount of ajustment is very small. In some cases it seems
to be non-existent.

I'm thinking this is really a hardware problem. That I need something
inbetween that can boost the signal or something.

Maybe something like the cards suggested in a post here:
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=products.list&ID=pciinterfac
Do these have capability to make incoming tape data

Thinking about that I realized I don't really have a clue what I'm
doing.

What is a normal way or tried and tested way of doing this?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

You want to record to the computer at the highest input level possible,
without clipping or distortion. Do you have the Audigy front panel
rack? You can adjust the microphone input there. You can also adjust
the input levels from the sound controls on the computer. You just need
to experiment with it to find the right level, without having too much
background noise, or distortion.

When you say the amount of adjustment "is very small"-- do you mean, you
are getting very little results? Or you can't really vary the input
levels?

You also didn't say where you were taking the signal from-- the output
jacks, or headphone? If the output jacks are too low, try the headphone
output, but control the input levels on the computer.

reader@newsguy.com wrote:

>Group,
>I suspect I'm greenhorning things up here and hope someone with some
>experience will take time to straighten me out.
>
>I'm trying to record from a collection of homemade cassette tapes to
>computer file. That is, to mp4 or something similar.
>
>I find that getting from tape to electronic file causes the volume
>capabililties to weaken. That is, on tape I can lift the roof, but
>once recorded to mp4 or *.wav I need pretthy high volume setting to
>hear normally.
>
>The hardware is a sony cassete deck.
>Soundcard is SB Audigy2 ZS Platinum Pro
>OS = windows xp pro
>
>I've used software that is supposed to allow you to compensate
>somewhat. Goldwave, and SB Audigy2 soundcard bundled software that is
>a recorder/player with a slide for setting input level.
>
>I find the amount of ajustment is very small. In some cases it seems
>to be non-existent.
>
>I'm thinking this is really a hardware problem. That I need something
>inbetween that can boost the signal or something.
>
>Maybe something like the cards suggested in a post here:
>http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=products.list&ID=pciinterfac
>Do these have capability to make incoming tape data
>
>Thinking about that I realized I don't really have a clue what I'm
>doing.
>
>What is a normal way or tried and tested way of doing this?
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Bill Van Dyk <trash@christian-horizons.org> writes:

> You want to record to the computer at the highest input level
> possible, without clipping or distortion. Do you have the Audigy
> front panel rack? You can adjust the microphone input there. You can
> also adjust the input levels from the sound controls on the computer.
> You just need to experiment with it to find the right level, without
> having too much background noise, or distortion.
>
> When you say the amount of adjustment "is very small"-- do you mean,
> you are getting very little results? Or you can't really vary the
> input levels?

I meant the controlls on the software recorder. The audigy play/rec
tool has a slide to control input level. I mean it doesn't do
anything noticable hence a `very small amount' of adjustment if any occurs.

I see now from your post, I should be looking on the audigy sound mixer
software tool. But as you've guessed below the normal output jacks
were just too low. So even the mixer setttings wouldn't help much.

> You also didn't say where you were taking the signal from-- the output
> jacks, or headphone? If the output jacks are too low, try the
> headphone output, but control the input levels on the computer.

OK, now were talking... I was thinking taking it from the headphone
jacks would blow something up. I've been taking it from the rca out
jacks. Now I know its not crazy to tap it at the headphone
jacks... They are quite loud. (And have no built in control) But as
you mention... the audigy mixer can handle that.

Thanks... that one little clue was the missing data