i have a home recorded cassette tape that is nearly 30 years old. i fear playing it because i\'m sure it will fall apart - but it has great sentimental value.
how best to go about getting it preserved in cd format?
When I was working on the X box set I had to deal with several cassettes from the late seventies that were the only masters for some of the stuff on the CD. All the reel to reel stuff I baked in an oven at 130 degrees for eight hours to loosen the aging binder. That is not an option with cassettes. For the cassettes I took a pencil inserted it into the take up reel and slowly hand wound the tape forward to gently unstick any hardened binder, then wind it back the same way. Using your best cassette deck I would first dip a cotton swab in to 98 percent denatured alcohol and clean the tape path and give the pinch roller a good going over so it won\'t slip when you try the cassette.
Now with some luck you should get one good play from the cassette. Patch you cassette player straight into your computers sound card and record into your computer. Should the tape get stuck, pull it out and use the pencil to rewind it back into the shell and try again, it may take several tries but you can edit the snippets back together in the computer. Good luck.
thanks! fingers crossed...
i\'m sure you\'ll hear the wailing from concord if it snaps.
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Don\'t forget to copy or make a "back-up CD" of the original transfer, in case your PC\'s hard drive crashes.
;D i plan to - i just hope the c\'nting tape survives the process... i sweet-talked a pal with a good deck & recording setup and he\'s volunteered to give it a try following Travis\' safety tips (:-* to him for that!). just need to hook up and get the deed done...
g