USB or RCA?

[Paul McDonald]

Hello,

I have a Digitech USB Casette JW-51SWG

I've successfully converted a cassette tape to mp3 with reasonable results. It doesn't have any gain control but I've worked around that thanks to others on this forum.

This USB device also has red and white RCA outputs that this cable would attach to http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/File ... ni-RCA.jpg

My Gigabyte GA-H87M-D3H motherboard has audio jacks including line in. It also has microphone in but I know I shouldn't use that.

I would have to buy the cable and from what others have said on this forum, that should increase the quality of the conversion.

My question I guess is will it significantly improve the quality and is it worth forking out the $10 for the cable

I have to do about 50 cassette tapes.

Regards,

Paul

[kozikowski]

I don't think the analog RCA pathway is better than the USB. I think the USB digital converter inside the cassette machine is probably better than the default digital converter inside the hot, electrically noisy computer. Do you remember the posting where someone told you the RCAs were better?

Koz

[Paul McDonald]

I don't think the analog RCA pathway is better than the USB. I think the USB digital converter inside the cassette machine is probably better than the default digital converter inside the hot, electrically noisy computer. Do you remember the posting where someone told you the RCAs were better?

Koz

Hi Koz,

I guess it was here that confused me about whether to use rca instead of usb http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/USB_turntables

The bit under alternative solutions I mean where is lists all the potential usb problems.

I am happy enough with the quality of what I have recorded already.

Regards,

Paul

[waxcylinder]

I guess it was here that confused me about whether to use rca instead of usb http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/USB_turntables

The bit under alternative solutions I mean where is lists all the potential usb problems.

That Wiki article is a little dated now - it's partly because the Wiki is partly used to document legacy versions of Audacity.

Most modern computers have no problem keeping up with a USB stream - provided you don't plug in via a USB hub and you are not making the computer do too much other work. The modern version of that article is this one in the manual: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/re ... ables.html

It is part of this set of tutorials that will probably be useful to you: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/tu ... to_cd.html

I agree with Koz that it is likely to be better using the soundcard in the cassette device and connecting to your computer via the USB.

WC