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[42itous]

Can someone please give me a clue as to how to transfer an audio tape to a digital medium? Specifically, I have taped an interview that I want to place in five time capsules -- most of these will be opened in the next decade or so, but one needs to last 43 years, so if you want to debate what media will still be readable then, now's your chance.

Comments

[moechus.livejournal.com]

I suspect that most media will last that long. I have lots of vinyl that I still play that's older than that and I heard a story on the radio (must have been NPR) in the last week or two about a tape of the radio call of a Sandy Koufax no-hitter (early 60s) that just turned up in the back of someone's closet. I'm pretty sure it was the old fashioned reel-to-reel tape. I wouldn't be surprised if some analog media (e.g. unplayed vinyl) outlasted at least some digital media.

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

Fifteen years ago, most of my analog music was on LPs and audiocassettes. Most of my analog video was on VHS. Digital data was on 5-1/4" floppies. Digital video was on laser disks.

Now, although much of my music is in the form of mp3s and CDs, I have a turntable & a cassette player. Though some of my video is in the form of DVDs, I have a VCR. The floppies and the laser disks are pretty much a dead loss though.

If you really want to convert it though, just get a simple Y-connector with RCA plugs on one end (you stick 'em onto the Tape Output jacks of your stereo) and a plug that fits into your mic jack on the other. If you want to improve the quality, you can get something like an iMic, which is an external audio card that plugs into a USB port. It has the same type of jack that you put the mic into, but it will sound much better. Just record in and make a .wav file. There's a variety of software that will let you edit or improve the sound of audio files. I use something called Magix Audio Cleaning Lab, which has functions that are optimized for analog sound (gets rid of tape hiss, or phono pops), but you'd probably be fine with freeware you can find on line.

[42itous.livejournal.com]

I'm getting a lot of good advice in the comments here, most of which goes right over my head... but I guess I'll learn fast. Probably it'll all make sense to my in-house geek.