TSGL: Digital recordings on PC

[Shoup, Dan]

I second the Audacity suggestion.  If you have a few seconds of recorded tape where there is nothing but background noise, the program can use that to filter out background hiss inherent in most analog recording devices and remove sounds that are constant in the background like central air/heat system.  This really cleans up voice recordings.  Plus, the program is free.

Dan

________________________________________________
Daniel E. Shoup, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Fisheries Ecology
Department of Natural Resource Ecology & Management
242 Ag Hall
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078
405-744-9671
dshoup at okstate.edu
http://nrem.okstate.edu/faculty/shoup.htm


-----Original Message-----
From: list-bounces at tsgserver.com [mailto:list-bounces at tsgserver.com] On Behalf Of Alan Mitchell
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 10:12 PM
To: Tech Support Guy Mailing List
Subject: Re: TSGL: Digital recordings on PC

A simple, inexpensive way to get your analog tapes converted is to connect the audio out (headphone) jack of a tape player (you didn't say what type of analog tape you used, but I found a cheap cassette player for less than $15 at Walgreens) and connect to your computer's line-in jack. You can pick up a M-M cable at Radio Shack once you know the plug sizes. Then run Audacity freeware application which you can download. The application gives you all the editing and conversion you're likely to need. If it's not too difficult to take a laptop with you, Audacity is superb for live recordings.

Alan

-----Original Message-----
From: "Tilman Brandl" <tbrandl2 at chello.at>
To: "Tech Support Guy Mailing List" <List at tsgserver.com>
Sent: 12/10/07 5:56 PM
Subject: TSGL: Digital recordings on PC

Hi,

I wonder what the standard audio equipment on my new PC + Notebook can handle, and how to create and edit recordings.

In connection with my family history project I've recorded a few interviews with older relatives (born around 1910-25) in the past . My questions are:

1. the older records were with a voice recorder - probably analog(ue) - resulting in a few tapes. What would I need in order to convert those recordings into digital format, which would be easier to use later when my tapes may have faded (and I too)?

2. What do I need to do decent digital recordings. Can this simply be done e.g. using my laptop and a microphone? Is recording quality a highly important point, or just important to get standard intelligibility? Besides a good mike - what else would I need ?

Thanks in advance
Tilman
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