# Cassette to MP3? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 14, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassette-to-mp3/655681 "2013-04-14T14:50:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassette-to-mp3/655681/1 "2013-04-14T14:50:44Z")
I’ve got some old master stuff on cassette from my old bands and such that I’d like to digitize. Anyone have any non-expensive advice for how to do so? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassette-to-mp3/655681/2 "2013-04-14T15:18:30Z")
Audacity is a popular free and open multiplatform digital audio editor. software is at > **[Audacity](https://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/)** > > Download Audacity for free. A free multi-track audio editor and recorder. Audacity is no longer at SourceForge. Audacity can be downloaded via AudacityTeam website instead: http://www.audacityteam.org/download/ > > > Audacity is a free, easy-to-use,... information is at > **[Home](https://www.audacityteam.org)** > > Welcome to Audacity > > > Audacity® is free, open source, cross-platform audio software for multi-track recording and editing. > > Audacity is available for Windows®, Mac®, GNU/Linux® and other operating systems. Check our feature list, Wiki and... plug your cassette deck into your sound card and record away. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassette-to-mp3/655681/3 "2013-04-14T15:22:48Z")
Well, the only problem with that would be my lack of cassette deck. I’ll poke around. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassette-to-mp3/655681/4 "2013-04-14T15:47:50Z")
Not sure how expensive it was, but my mom had a combination tape player/cd player that could convert things back and forth. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassette-to-mp3/655681/5 "2013-04-14T17:57:29Z")
The problem is that the defects in tape recording are not as ‘fixable’ as LP’s. Tape decks can be found at Goodwill and the like, but crosstalk, wow, and stretching tape all lends itself to crappy digitization. (Where the pops and stuff you get on LP’s can be easily filtered.) The other problem was: The tapes I loved the most, suffered from the most degredation because they got _played_ the most. So…tapedeck + RCA to stereo cable, plus your computer plus Audacity will get you to where you can judge if it’s worth it or not. It wasn’t for me, but my music was easily available in iTunes. ---
**Author:** ![TechnoNinja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@TechnoNinja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TechnoNinja)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassette-to-mp3/655681/6 "2013-04-15T07:20:08Z")
i bought roxio’s converter not too long ago and got all of my cassettes into mp3 format flawlessly. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassette-to-mp3/655681/7 "2013-04-15T19:33:05Z")
> [@TechnoNinja](#): > > i bought roxio’s converter not too long ago and got all of my cassettes into mp3 format flawlessly. I had a bunch of rare things on cassette from 1979, which were originally recorded on a reel to reel deck in 1971. I converted them about five years ago, and they came out great. Far better than they sounded on my cassette deck,