Chart Hit [Level 6]
but did you know that now there's a USB cassette recorder? (and yes I KNOW you can do conversions with a traditional recorder but this would apparently make the job easier). There are music stores in my area selling pre-recorded cassettes for a quarter now since almost no one listens to them anymore, and I think I'll do a little experimenting since they're so cheap. Will USB 8-Track players be next?
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
It just baffles me why anyone would pay for these things. They seem to be cashing in on the people who believe that there's no possible way to get audio into a computer without some sort of USB device. A regular cassette deck will do just fine and probably sound better; all you need is a $2 adaptor cable and Audacity. A cassette deck is even easier to hook up to a PC than a turntable, since you don't need a phono stage or any other additional equipment.
Chart Hit [Level 6]
people pay for these things because they don't have the same level of technical knowledge that other people have and they can't find anyone to help them learn, or they can't find anyone who is honest. And quite often, when you try to hire someone to help you learn new computer functions, they try to take advantage of you. I've tried to learn several functions using the customer service representatives that manufactured my computer, and found that I either couldn't understand them because they couldn't explain anything without using a lot of computer terminology, or they themselves didn't have the knowledge I needed and were pretty much guessing. Not everyone is computer literate, even in 2009. I know people who still don't even OWN computers...my best buddy doesn't, and if you think he's dense, he's a college graduate with 3 very impressive degrees. Everyone's lives, priorities and interests are different and unique.Originally Written by BrunoRepublic
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
My point is that the companies which make these products are also taking advantage of people's computer ignorance and in a much worse way. Hooking up a line-level device to a PC is about the easiest thing to do: connect an RCA-to-3.5mm jack from the tape deck's output jacks to the computer's line in. Download Audacity (which is what half of these USB devices come with anyway) and record.
All the information you need to do this sort of thing is free via Google. I'm not a computer whiz either; I'd say I have only slightly-above-average Windows knowledge, and even less for OS X.
I'll concede that turntables are a bit trickier, because you will likely need a phono stage between the table and the computer. But you still need a phono stage to be able to use a turntable at all, so again I'm at a loss as to why a USB connection is so necessary.
The computer industry has done such a good job of convincing people that USB = easy that people now believe it even when it's not true.
Chart Hit [Level 6]
this is a pretty good example of what I'm saying. I have NO IDEA what "RCA to 3.5mm jack" or "phono stage" or "line level" mean. Terms like these may be second nature to YOU but light years away from being "the easiest thing to do" for someone else, depending, once again, on their individual circumstances, interests and backgrounds, and ANY device that can make performing certain tasks easier (or even possible) without having to understand such terminology is usually greatly appreciated by those with a low tolerance level for such frustration....THAT'S the kind of purpose the USB devices serve. I'd tried using the Roxio "Easy' ("easy" my Aunt Fred) CD burner, and got nothing but a headache. The manufacturer would NOT answer my email requests for help, and instead kept referring me to FAQ pages, which were about as helpful as a milk bucket under a bull. So much for the "all the information you need" theory working. But we've labored this point long enough. Thanks for sharing.My point is that the companies which make these products are also taking advantage of people's computer ignorance and in a much worse way. Hooking up a line-level device to a PC is about the easiest thing to do: connect an RCA-to-3.5mm jack from the tape deck's output jacks to the computer's line in. Download Audacity (which is what half of these USB devices come with anyway) and record.
All the information you need to do this sort of thing is free via Google. I'm not a computer whiz either; I'd say I have only slightly-above-average Windows knowledge, and even less for OS X.
I'll concede that turntables are a bit trickier, because you will likely need a phono stage between the table and the computer. But you still need a phono stage to be able to use a turntable at all, so again I'm at a loss as to why a USB connection is so necessary.
The computer industry has done such a good job of convincing people that USB = easy that people now believe it even when it's not true.
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
Then I'll explain.
RCA jacks are the jacks you find on standard stereo equipment, usually in pairs, with one red and one white (for right and left channels).
A 3.5mm jack is the mini-jack you'll find on most computer sound cards. It's the same kind of jack that you'd plug your iPod/walkman headphones into.
Line-level is something of a standard, and the only reason I mention it is that you can't plug something that is line level (like a cassette deck) into a mic jack, because you'll get huge distortion. Most sound cards have separate inputs for mic and line.
For a very modest sum of money, you can get a cable that has RCA jacks on one end, and a 3.5mm jack on the other. Connect one to the tape deck and the other to the computer, and voila. Go into the Windows mixer and mute anything that isn't the line in, fire up Audacity, and hit record. No need for a whole new cassette deck, and your old one probably sounds better than some plastic USB device anyway. Good quality cassette decks simply aren't manufactured anymore at all, since the format is dead.
Now, Turntables are an exception, because they're the one stereo component which *isn't* at line level. They require both additional amplification and EQ or they will sound very very quiet and have almost no bass. Records are deliberately cut with the highs boosted and the bass flattened, and you need something in between to correct this as well as boost the volume up.
Back in the day, all stereo systems included special phono inputs that took care of this. Nowadays you usually need to buy a separate component, called a pre-amplifier or a phono stage. So you first connect the turntable into a phono stage, and then connect that to your main amp, or computer, or whatever.
Low quality audio aside, the big problem with USB audio devices (aside from the fact that compatibility is not guaranteed, but that's another matter) is that they are quite likely to be obsolete and largely unusable in the near future. Every time Microsoft updates Windows (or Apple updates OS X), MANY of the drivers for these things either break or become unstable. So if you get a new computer, or sometimes even download a system update, you'll have to wait for the manufacturer to come up with new drivers... if they do at all. It's quite common for manufacturers to stop supporting older models and require you to either stick with outdated computers, or upgrade your equipment. That way they can sell you another turntable.
Meanwhile, a decent turntable made 30 years ago is still every bit as usable as the day it was made.
FWIW, I do actually make regular use of a USB audio device, in the form of my external sound card (which gives somewhat better sound than the regular built-in kind, but those would be fine for most people). But even then, it's not a simple matter of plug-and-play. When I first got it, the Mac drivers were barely functional. After a few months, they issued an update, but it still does oddball things on the Mac, so I only use it on Windows. Meanwhile, I did some reading, and computers with certain types of motherboards can't make use of this thing at all. So much for "universal" serial bus!
Chart Hit [Level 6]
thanks very much for sharing this, my head is spinning. All this reminds me of a related, similar experience I had with Toni, one of my favorite co-works about 7 years ago. She saw me listening to music on my headphones once and told me how much she loved the long version of "Love to Love You Baby". I offered to make her a CD copy of it and she thanked me for the offer but said she had no CD player to play it on. It so happened I had 2 old CDs players I no longer needed, so I gave her one of them AND the CD she wanted. Fast forward to 2 years later, I see Toni at her retirement dinner. I asked her if she was enjoying the song and she said she still hadn't played it. When I asked why, she said no matter how many times she put the silver disc on the spindle, it never would spin or play. Then she asked me to keep an eye out for her favorite old Stylistics album....on 8 track.
Underground Hit [Level 5]
Both point of views raise legitimate questions.
It's easy for me to go for the more complicated approach (non-USB) as I am a complicated individual (and I also have the technical background to achieve it).
There is an undeniable feeling of "control" when an analog transfer is done through a high quality sound board and preamplifier but I can understand that not anyone find the same level of fun into this.
Over the years, I've realized that most of the sound quality is lost during the processing (eq, click,pop and noise removal) using cheap software and also during the encoding/re-encoding of the same song over and over using a low quality or misused encoder.
But after all, if USB turntables allow a decent quality transfer with a minimum effort, why not - for those who are happy with the result?
USB turntable recording is like McNuggets; one may like the result but no one really wants to know what kind of process the final product went through...
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
You can get equally bad results using expensive software too :)
Underground Hit [Level 5]
You are right. Someone using correction the wrong way can mess it up pretty bad and I've heard this with famous recordings (labels).
There are still a lot of pseudo-audio-cleaning-fly-by-night-shareware-with-one-for-all-presets out there, to give the impression that restoration is an easy process.
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
Well, they wouldn't sell as nearly as much of the stuff if they said "You can get near-perfect results if you're willing to invest many hours of time on each album... oh, and having a good playback system really helps too" :)
Chart Hit [Level 6]
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you hit the nail RIGHT on the head! When you want RESULTS, you could care less about all the technical mumbo jumbo. If USB devices accomplish that task for some, I see nothing wrong with it. Learning to use the USB was a real revelation for me on 2 levels: After I could make compilation recordings from my old albums, I was able to sell about 400 albums that only had one or two tracks each that I liked. And once I discovered how much I enjoyed my home made compilation CDs (if the quality is acceptable to ME, that's all I care about), my interest in pre-recorded CDs dropped about 90%.....the only pre-recorded CDs I've bought since I learned to make my own are the ones from my local 50 cent bargain bins. I know it's hard for some technophobes to believe that there are people with no interest in joining the digital age, but believe me..there are. As further proof, in last Sunday's "Datebook" section of the San Francisco Chronicle, Stevie Nicks revealed that she doesn't own a cell phone OR a computer, and I'll bet that sounds unusual for someone who works in an industry where items like those are often considered indispensible.
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