Hello, first time poster here. I’m running Audacity 2.3.1 on WIndows 10. I picked up a cassette tape recorder for 5 bucks today and I’m trying to record a cassette I have onto my computer as sort of a test. I listened to this cassette in my car with the auxiliary cord plugged into the output jack of the recorder and the input jack of my car. That worked perfectly. I’m trying to record the output audio on audacity but it will not pick up audio from the tape, no matter how much I move the volume slider. I’m pretty sure that the cord is a stereo cord and the tape deck is mono (because the audio is pitched all the way to the left when I plug my headphones into the output), is that the problem? This isn’t a very urgent or serious problem, I just wanted to see if I could do it, in case I needed to in the future.
Does your computer have a soundcard with line-in (usually color-coded blue)? The mic input on a soundcard or laptop is “wrong” and newer laptops have a mic/headphone combo jack and it takes a special connector to make the mic connection.
If you don’t have a line input you’ll need a USB audio interface with line inputs. The Behringer UCA202 or UCA222 is popular and inexpensive, or there are other alternatives. Don’t get a regular “USB soundcard” because they are like laptops with only mic-in and headphone-out.
I’m pretty sure that the cord is a stereo cord and the tape deck is mono (because the audio is pitched all the way to the left when I plug my headphones into the output)
Most portable recorder/players were mono but there were lots of stereo “Walkman” players that didn’t record. You may be able to record in mono or if you record in stereo with one silent channel you can convert the file to mono. A true-mono recording will play through both speakers. But if you have stereo tapes you might want to get a stereo tape deck.