Hi. I have an Ion Tape2Pc cassette deck. It connects to my pc via a usb cable. I have sound coming through my pc speakers, but the sound is distorted. The cassette deck has a gain knob, but either way I turn it, the sound is still distorted. Audacity can be used to record from the tape deck, but I cannot get rid of the distortion to hear the usual nice music sound I hear with everthing else. I’ve used the cassette deck before, but I put it away and now I need to re-record some songs from some tapes. If anyone can help me get good quality sound instead of distorted sound, please do so. Currently, audacity preferences are set at follows:
Hi. I am using Windows 7 and Realtek High Defintion Audio as the default. I can hear audio when this is chosen. The other options are Soundtap Recorder and USB Audio Codec. These two are the speaker options. For the life of me, I cannot remember what I did the last time I used the Ion Tape2Pc. I was on another pc at the time, but this pc is far better than my previous one. And, forgive me if I did not answer your question. I don’t have much knowledge about soundcards, but I hope I answered it. Thanks.
good start
now we need to know all the options and settings
can you go into the realtek control page
click on the speaker icon in lower right tray
or hunt it down in the system control panel
and see what you have set for inputs and outputs
are there any adjustments you can make to inputs to lower the gain to avoid distortion
are there any special “features” being added by realtek
turn them all off
flatten the eq in realtek and save it too
my version kept applying oddball adjustments until i did that
are you running skype or other software at the same time?
what may have changed since the time it worked other than settings in audacity?
Thanks for all replies, but nothing seems to be helping. My sound is distorted no matter how low or high I set the input levels or any other volume level. The cassette deck has a gain control, but even turned to its lowest, there is still distortion.
I presume that you mean the knob on the back of the machine. The one on the front is for when you are recording onto cassette - the one on the back is for recording onto the computer. I presume that you have tried adjusting that all the way round in both directions?
Do you have the cassette deck connected to an amplifier and speakers? If so, does the sound from the speakers sound clear and undistorted?
Have you tried recording with EZ Vinyl/Tape Converter? Does that have the same problem?
Did you find the recording level control in the Windows Control Panel? Did you try turning that down really low? Did it make any difference?
“stevethefiddle”]The cassette deck has a gain control
I presume that you mean the knob on the back of the machine.
Yes, the knob on the back. It’s at the lowest gain point and there is still distortion.
I presume that you have tried adjusting that all the way round in both directions?
Yes.
Do you have the cassette deck connected to an amplifier and speakers?
No, it’s not connected to an amp or connected to speakers.
Have you tried recording with EZ Vinyl/Tape Converter? Does that have the same problem?
Yes, I tried that. Same problem.
Did you find the recording level control in the Windows Control Panel? Did you try turning that down really low? Did it make any difference?
I tried that too. It only makes the volume lower, but it still low distorted volume nonetheless. I have rca connections on the back of the cassette deck and had a thought to try those and connect the deck to my pc speakers, which have a line in jack. I tried it and the sound came through clear. I then connected the deck to my pc microphone jack and the sound is distorted as it is via the usb. I thought maybe something may be wrong with the cassette deck, but it sounds fine through the rca connction to my pc speaker’s line in jack. Maybe I will see if the line in jack in the back of my pc will sound okay. If it does, I still have to find a way to get Audacity to record the music that way. Any idea as to why the sound is distorted via the usb and the microphone jack? Am I missing some place on my pc or in Audacity to make the sound coming through the usb and/or the mic jack less distorted? Thanks.
Ok. Tried connecting the rca’s to the line in jack in the back of pc and it sound okay. Still would be nice to connect it via the usb though. No clue as to why it sounds distorted via that usb port. If anyone finds out later, please post. It would help me out and someone else, I’m sure. Thanks, again.
It sounds me me as though the USB services on your ION are broken. I would also have suspected the on-board pre-amp, but as you say you get good sound wfrom the RCA outputs into your PC - so this largely clears the pre-amp.
ION devices normally deliver a good usable signal through the USB - I used to run an ION iTTUSB turntable and that was certainly ok in the USB and pre-amp department (just let down by its lightweight platter).
I suggest that either talk to the ION tech support folk (I’ve always found them extremely helpful) - you should find the telephone numbers in your manual or look on the ION website. You probably need to take it back to the shop for a replacement or refund.