Best way to digitize old cassette tapes?

Hi all,

How do you all go about digitizing your tapes? I have a few I'd like to backup and I'm aware I could use any simple cassette corder and aux cable + Audacity to do the job, but is there are hardware you recommend using for this task? Thanks!

 

I’ve been using a Fostex FR2LE which records WAV to CF flash at 48/24. The only issue with this unit is the headphone amp is not the best, but listening back on a proper machine shows you how good it is. You can use any small portable, I just have one of these from years back. You could use a Zoom H4N for example, anything with pro-grade preamps will be a good deal better than a PC sound card

 

It depends out the sound card. You could go down a complete rabbit hole discussing those if you start looking at semi professional and professional ones.

 

Yes and no. I guess the cost of a portable is a few hundred £ and you can get a sound card for that price too. I just have this very good 2 track unit doing nothing. I would say the tape machine is more important, you don’t want to add anything to the recording that can be avoided. Otherwise the copy isn’t a true copy

 

I will be trying to do this soon with a Pioneer CT-F1250 cassette deck to, most probably, Audacity...

 

Hi, I think I'm going to do the same with my Technics deck too. Will also be using it to do some recordings, just waiting on an aux cable to arrive...

 

DCC outputs SPDIF. So, rip tapes via a cheap CMedia CM6206 connected to the digital out and you're away. You'll have to clean the heads, a lot.

 

Any particular reason you want to digitise your cassettes?