I am a Mac OS 15 user + I have downloaded “Audacity" from www.audacityteam.org without Muse Hub. I want to be able to use the USB Cassette Capture to convert old, though cherished, cassette tape files into MP3 files via my Macbook Pro. However NO CD-R came with the Cassette player, and the instructions in the User Manual are for use with PC. Does anyone have or know where I may locate such a User Manual for Mac Users,? Maybe even the CD-R as well, for backup?
Thanks in advance
I’m a Windows guy…
This should get you started: Tutorial - Digitizing LPs, tapes or MiniDiscs
Does your USB player have a USB connection?
Are you talking about the CD drive or the blank discs?
You can get USB CD burners on Amazon, etc. Nowadays it’s usually also a DVD player and sometimes a DVD burner.
Audacity doesn’t burn discs. You’ll need another application for that.
You can burn MP3s onto a disc as “data” (computer files) but not all CD players can play them. Audio CDs use a format that’s similar to WAV files but they don’t have “computer files”. Virtually all CD burning applications can burn computer files (including MP3s) or they can make an audio disc.
Hi DVDdoug,
Thanks anyway. I think you may have misunderstood my question. I said cassette tapes, not reel to reel. Also, I meant a CD with the info etc on it. Maybe l should reread my question and edit it, will check. Yes the tape player connects to my laptop.
They are all the same. The important thing is how it’s connected. If it has USB, select the USB device as your Audacity Recording Device and click Record.
Most of this is covered in the tutorials.
If you have a line-output or a headphone-output you’ll need a USB audio interface with line-in. The microphone input is too sensitive and you’ll get poor quality and it’s usually mono.
Then, you’ll generally want to Export as a separate file for each song. You can optionally Save as an Audacity project.
If you are making MP3s, FLACs, or WAVs, etc., when you get to the Export window there is a Edit Metadata button where you can enter the song title, artist, album, etc. There are also 3rd-party “tag editors”. Audacity doesn’t support embedded artwork so you’ll need another application for that. Apple Music or iTunes can add/edit metadata.
It’s a lot easier on a data CD with music files than on a regular audio CD.
If you are burning an audio CD you’ll need a burning application that supports CD-Text. Not all players support CD-Text and not all CDs have it.
Since this information isn’t on most audio CDs, when you play an audio CD on your computer it gets a “fingerprint” of the CD and goes online to find the information and artwork, etc. But of course, your homemade CD won’t be in the database.
What info do you expect to be on a “missing CD”? Normally, devices sold for digitizing tapes or vinyls I’ve seen just come with a unusable CD containing a very old / outdated version of Audacity. There is just no use for it.
If the USB connector of the cassette device is for sound and not only for charging the device, then all you need is to find a connection cable. And you need to allow Audacity access to “Microphone” in the system settings of your Mac (under “Privacy and Security”).
Although some people here claim that not all devices work well with a Mac, I have so far not seen any problems myself. But if, then you can use the earphone connectors of the device and get fn “external sound card” such as the Behringer UCA-202 or similar. I myself use a very old “iMic” from Griffin Technology. But production of these devices stopped about 2 decades ago…
It’s the instructions for use with Mac that are the critical part romontschun. It would make the whole process simple + equitable. The CD-R could be additional. Why does PC usually get priority? The CD-R could be additional. It seems no-one on the Mac forum so far can assist.
You write about “instructions” - however, why would you need any? Just follow my “instructions” above.
If you look into this forum - there are many more questions from PC users than from Mac users. (I do not write about functionality questions, I mean question how to install / make work Audacity). It is either because the Mac being more user friendly, or because of the PC users being more clueless than Mac users. Or both.
What Mac forum? There is more than only one Mac forum.
I am a Mac user since the Mac 512k came out. And I tried to help you, but obviously this was not enough…
The User Manual applies to both and both seem to get equally treated equally on the Help/Support Pages.
Here on the forum, of course there is more Windows activity because Windows is more popular. A quick search says 70% of computer users are running Windows, 15% macOS, and 4% Linux.
Hi Doug. I’ll get back to it and give it all a try ,modifying the PC instructions as best l can for Mac usage. Thanks for your assistance. Indeed your very polite advice. All the best. Sal
Ta Doug. Will check this out as well. All the best. Sal.
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