Transferring Cassette Tapes to mp3

Hi, I know how to transfer tapes to Audacity but sometimes the tape sounds a bit on the faded and fuzzy side, even with amplification, and noise removal. Is there another effect I should use?

By the way, I used an analog recorder to do the transferring.

Sometimes there’s only so-much you can do. :frowning: There’s a reason that pros still record in soundproof studios with good equipment, good mic position, and a good performance, etc. Even pro software is limited.

Noise reduction works best when you have a tiny-constant background noise… When you don’t really need it. When the noise is bad, sometimes, “the cure can be worse than the disease”

You can also try the Noise Gate. A noise gate reduces (or kills the sound completely) when the level falls below the threshold. So for example, you can have zero noise between songs. But it can be distracting when the background noise cuts in-and-out, so usually you don’t want a big reduction (unless the noise is low to begin with). And it doesn’t do anything when the sound is above the threshold.

Amplifying digitally doesn’t change the signal-to-noise ratio. Everything is amplified together. Sometimes that makes the noise seem worse but it’s no different from turning-up the volume when you play it.

If you use compression or limiting to make “everything louder”, that makes the signal-to-noise ratio worse.

There’s nothing you can do about distortion.

Boosting the high frequencies with the Graphic EQ can bring-out “clarity” and “detail” but it also boosts the tape hiss. Or, cutting the highs can reduce the hiss but if there are high frequencies in the recording they will be reduced too.

…AI is getting smarter every day and since it can make Elvis sing a song that he never recorded it SHOULD be able to make clean version of anything, keeping the good parts (or re-creating them) while throwing-away the noise and distortion, etc. I assume that soon there will be a tool for that.

If it is only some tapes. It’s the tape. There are experts here that can advise you on attempting to compensate.

Can you tell me how I can reach the experts(or try to reach them for me)?

They are like Chuck Norris. You don’t contact them, they contact you.

Wait a few days and see if anyone replies to your message.

1 Like

Oxided tapes are really bad .
In the old days It was always better to record than buy one at the Sears
Audio Department.
I had an old Maranz Gold Machine that was able to double the speed of the tape
So with a chrome tape and Dobly B.Noise reduction this was cool .
But only in the room the machine was in but later transfers to Cd was cool.
THis also worked good with Reel to Reel tapes.
So much for the 70s and 80s you think. ( I Just revealed my age)
Anyway two things,
Rig a tape deck to play faster, record it in digital , clean the file
then reduce back to a normal speed ( all by ear I say)
Or speed up your digital recordings , clean them , reprint them thru a hybird system ( Analog loop back ) Then slow the down to normal speed.
The 2nd option is way less stressful providing you have a system to do this
IE; USB ADAC Audio play back and record .
You will have to record twice.
Sometimes there is some really good head scratchers out there
OUTSIDE THE BOX BABY…
COOL STUFF
MIKE

This topic was automatically closed after 30 days. New replies are no longer allowed.