noise on copy

I am using Audacity 2.0.3 on Windows 10 home version 21H2. I am trying to copy casettes to my computer as MP3 files, using the Cassette to MP# converter and the Audacity software. The first cassette I copied, Mike Agrinoff’s “Rocking the Boat”, worked just fine. The picture on Audacity shows similar jagged line on both tracks and the copy plays just fine.

All of the other cassettes I’ve tried to copy make a loud buzzing noise, and the picture of the bottom track on Audacity shows a fat, slightly irregular line.

Most recently, I have been trying to copy Popeye, original motion picture soundtrack album, which is only available on cassette. But the same problem happens on everything I try to copy.

Also, I cannot play the album while I am copying it, but I’ll just ask for help on one problem at a time.

Those “cheap little” USB cassette players seem to often be unreliable… :frowning:

Regular cassette decks are rare these days but not as rare as VHS players! If you have a desktop computer with a regular soundcard you can connect the headphone-out or line-out from a cassette deck to line-in on your soundcard and record (digitize). Most laptops only have microphone-in and headphone-out so you normally need a USB audio interface with line inputs.

Mike Agrinoff’s “Rocking the Boat”, worked just fine.

Have you tried a bit of that one again to see if something’s changed?

Make sure you have “directly” selected the USB device as your [u]Recording Device[/u]

All of the other cassettes I’ve tried to copy make a loud buzzing noise, and the picture of the bottom track on Audacity shows a fat, slightly irregular line.

I assume the cassette player has a headphone jack. Have you tried listening to that? …If the analog isn’t working the digital won’t work either. (But if the analog works that doesn’t mean the digital will work.)

Also, I cannot play the album while I am copying it, but I’ll just ask for help on one problem at a time.

Turn-on [u]Software Playthrough of Input[/u].

which is only available on cassette.

I don’t normally condone Internet piracy but you have paid for a copy and they aren’t making a digital copy available, so…

I found it on [u]Spotify[/u]. You can record whatever is playing on your computer with [u]WASAPI loopback for Streaming Audio[/u]. Make sure to turn Software Playthrough OFF for this, otherwise it makes an internal feedback loop.