Recording from aux/headphone input?

Audacity 3 Help Forum
1

I’m about to buy a cassette recorder for some personal music stuff. I’m a complete beginner to most audio stuff. Most tape recorders I see online don’t have an Input/Output, but rather an Aux or even a headphone output. Is there a way I can get the audio output recorded digitally? Using the headphones/aux port of course. I’m on windows ten and I have the latest version of audacity. I haven’t purchased the cassette recorder yet, so I don’t know which one I’ll get.

2

If you just want audio to sound like tape, free emulation plugins are available which work in Audcaity3, e.g. Chow Tape Model , AirWindows ToTape7

4

Thanks, but I want to record to physical tapes as well as get the tape sound. Also I think it’s cool.

5

There is a difference between input and output - even if the connector is the same type. So please explain what you want to achieve and what equipment you have.

You play from a cassette / tape player and want to record using Audacity on your computer: you then need an “external sound card” like this one. The “line” output (recommended) or the headphones output (possible) of your tape player goes into your external sound card. The external sound card connects to your computer using USB.

You play from your computer and want to record on tape: you connect the output of your computer directly to the input of your tape recorder.

6

Cassettes are pretty much obsolete but here is a “traditional” cassette deck with line inputs & outputs. It’s also got USB for digitizing tapes.

You probably shouldn’t start with obsolete technology. :wink: Anything digital will give you better sound quality, and usually at lower cost. Even a recording app on your phone if you are recording acoustically (sounds in the room).

With digital, there is no tape hiss (or other noise), you get flat frequency response, and no audible distortion (unless you record “too loud” and clip).

Portable solid state recorders can be a good replacement/upgrade from a portable cassette recorder. They usually have built-in stereo microphones and they are available with “pro” XLR microphone inputs and line inputs.

Stand-alone solid state recorders tend to be more reliable than computers because with computers the multitasking operating system sometimes causes difficulty and there are lots of settings on a computer that can get fouled-up.

Or, with computer, plus spending a few hundred dollars on an audio interface and couple of studio microphones and you’ll have a nearly professional setup (minus the soundproof studio).