Converting Tapes Into Mp3 Files

[my benny rai]

Is there a significant difference in sound quality between gold cables that run from the microphone jack on the stereo to your computer's sound card? I am converting tapes into MP3 files and find that the sound quality is not so hot--a lot of echoes. Should I invest in a few hundred baht and buy the "gold" cables?

Does the quality of your stereo matter in the process? I am using a good program--Creative Sound Blaster--but I am not sure how to use it well.

Anyone have any tricks on getting good sound quality when converting old tapes into MP3s?

Edited February 20, 2007 by my benny rai

[Crossy]

The gold flashed plugs will corrode less readily than the regular ones, so they'll last longer before going 'crackly' but I doubt you'll hear any improvement in quality, you are after all starting with tape (noisy) and going to mp3 (compressed).

If you've got 'echos' I suspect another problem, is your mic enabled, may be getting feedback.

I use SoundLaundry to clean up hissy tape recordings, it's not free though and mine is some years old (it works so why update).

[elkangorito]

Echoes in audio are normally the result of 'compression' (of the audio waveform), which can be due to over amplification of the original signal or the type of amp used at the 'front end' of the receiving equipment.

[marquess]

Is there a significant difference in sound quality between gold cables that run from the microphone jack on the stereo to your computer's sound card? I am converting tapes into MP3 files and find that the sound quality is not so hot--a lot of echoes. Should I invest in a few hundred baht and buy the "gold" cables?

Does the quality of your stereo matter in the process? I am using a good program--Creative Sound Blaster--but I am not sure how to use it well.

Anyone have any tricks on getting good sound quality when converting old tapes into MP3s?

Yes! Make sure you choose a bit rate of at least 160, you do really notice the difference between that and 128.

[monty]

192 kbps is considered to be near CD quality!

sure makes a big difference...

[backflip]

The compression is digital, not analog, so the cables will not make a difference.