cassettes

[Jimbo2]

I'm using Audacity 2.4.2.

So, my mother just passed, and I found a huge stash of cassettes from long ago. She used to be in a traveling singing group, and I remember those days very well.

I'm wanting to digitize those cassettes.

I don't have any trouble doing that, but there are so many tools on Audacity, and I want to use the right tools to clean up these recordings. So many of them don't seem to be of value. I use a video converter, using the sound ports, to record on my laptop. It does okay, better than the line in port on the old desktop. I usually run DC Offset, Noise Reduction, and Amplify.

Is there anything else that I should be doing?

Also, I typically record in stereo, rather than mono. Would that be a hinderance to what I'm trying to do or no?

Thanks in advance!

[DVDdoug]

Your process is fine.

You can optionally experiment with the Graphic Equalizer to bring-out "clarity", etc. (Run the Amplify or Normalize effect after the Equalizer.)

Also, I typically record in stereo, rather than mono. Would that be a hinderance to what I'm trying to do or no?

If the recordings are in stereo, of course leave them stereo. If they are mono, recording in stereo and then converting to mono should reduce the noise slightly.