Gene Dorcas wrote:
> Can anyone tell me what kind of devices are available that can "you=92re
> your cassette tapes and send a digital output to your computer."
>
> In the past I've had to use the analog inputs to my computer to transfer
> from cassettes.
The analog inputs on the computer do the same thing as a external device
would do. They take the analog through a A/D converter and send digital
into the computer.
Computer soundcards have a couple problems. First off computers are not
well filtered for keeping analog noise down in their power feeds. And
their own internal signals can end up a false analog signals too. So, a
internal soundcard can pick this stuff up fairly easily.
Second, computers are made with the cheapest possible components. Only
the minimum that will do the job. Most common soundcards don't have good
A/D converters compared to those used for music equipment and so on.
You can get some more elaborate and more expensive soundcards that are
made better. The best of these will do as well as any external device.
Or you can get a converter that is external and then transmits the
digital stream into the computer via USB. This arrangement is less
likely to pick up noise from the computer circuits.
From there you have a number of choices, most not portable.
I use one of the USB converters, a Roland UA-30, a older version of the
Edirol UA-3D. I have a portable recorder that has digital outputs, so
use the optical digital inputs of the Roland with my HHb Portadisc. The
Roland does have good analog inputs with good A/D.
You should be aware that the cassette tape is limiting the quality of
the signal far more than nearly all the digital options. So, you
probably won't improve your sound much.
Walt
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