CDs from old cassettes

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Greg F.
Date: 14 Mar 06 - 06:46 PM

Jerry-

I don't have the technical knowledge to answer your question about the multiple-copy machines. Sorry.

I think I made some notes from some articles on this subject of CD longevity not all that long ago- question is can I find 'em in this midden.

I DO recall from one of 'em that "Mitsui Gold" blank CD's were recommended as about the best for longevity in the home-burned class- but don't know if that info is still current.

I'll dig around, but if I don't post something in 24-48 hrs the search was unsuccessful.

This is a hot issue in the digital photo archiving area as well, as you might expect, and as I recall - again, my memory ain't what it used to be and probably never was - there were recommendations of using a high-end hard drive 7200RPM or better- for long-term starage.

Best,

Greg

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Mar 06 - 11:04 PM

In the end the world is going to be saved by those of us Luddites who still use books, paper, pens, vinyl, and cameras with film.

;-D

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 05:49 PM

..or chisels and stone...

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 22 Mar 06 - 11:58 AM

By the By:

I'm burning CDs of the Gospel Messengers album I did with Easy Media. I read with great interest all the recommendations for blank printable CDs, and started out with 30 Maxell blanks. People have said that they've had great success with them, and I believe it. Out of those 30 CDs, 3 didn't read correctly and had to be discarded.
Maybe that was just a fluke.

Since then, I bought blank, printable CDs in volume from Discmakers, and so far have had no problems. I've printed over 30 at this point, with no missfires.

This is not to refute the reliability of Maxell.. just to comment on the good results I'm getting with the discs from discmakers.

Jerry

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Mar 06 - 10:11 PM

I still have to mail one box to Art--the cold & sinus crud has kept me close to home and out of public places like stores and schools for the last ocuple of weeks. Then, once he stops staring at the galactic goop in his lava lamp, he will have some sleeves to slip his newly burned disks into. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: JudyB
Date: 23 Mar 06 - 09:10 AM

Jerry -

I'm sorry but not surprised to learn that Maxell discs didn't work for you - I do think there's some mystical compatibility factor with various burners - and/or software packages (I use Nero to burn the discs). The Memorex discs that were such a problem for me have worked all right for other folks. I guess the lesson here is to buy a modest amount and do a lot of checking before investing in hundreds of any particular type.

Thanks for letting us know of your experience with Maxell discs - I'll include it as another perspective when I recommend them in the future.

JudyB

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 23 Mar 06 - 03:03 PM

And thanks to you all once again for doing this. You have provided me with all kinds of incentive to have fun transferring some things. I've not installed the software yet. Right now we are too all consumed dealing with life stuff to even start yet. Chris WILL get here and do what needs to be done, if not sooner, then later will be fine too. Right now the energy isn't there to do much but "take it slow and easy"---as the old song says.

On an existential note, it is strange but all the talk of degrading CDs doesn't bother me anywhere near how it would've hit me 20 or 30 years ago. When 45 rpm records went out, I saw the value of LPs but mourned the passing of the old technology. Then my favorite LPs would get gouged, and I knew it was the end of the world. (It wasn't, of course. It was only the end of the world as I knew it.) Eventually, all the music I loved got stuck onto reel-to-reel tapes. They didn't last, so I saved what I could to cassettes.

Being on the road for a living, I tended to give away (potlatch) all the old items of the various media. It seemed in keeping with showing others what I had found. Rich Remsberg got ALL the reel-to-reel tapes. The LPs went everywhere.

Now CDs are showing their true fallible faces to us. ------ And I can't get bent out of shape too much.

The humor comes shining through, though! (Or should that read "though through"?) What a difference an "r" makes---for whatever that's worth.

The more things change, the more they get different!! (But only sometimes.) With all the music I have hear now, I am certain I'd never get to play half of it before it was time for me to click off this "motel soil"---to paraphrase Shakespeare. Life, sometimes, does seem like an overnight stay in a most fascinating wilderness campsite...

Art (with thanks for you all)

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Mar 06 - 09:43 PM

If you get a hankering to start burning CDs, just pop the program CD in and the software will pretty much install itself. Then have Jerry give you a call and talk you through the first one. You'll be amazed and wonder why it took you so long to get to it.

SRS

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Mar 06 - 03:01 PM

Art,

I see from your other thread that you have music ready to share right now!

I meant to write last week--the sinus fog was heaviest and I didn't write much--thank you so much for the copy of your CD. I love it!

Maggie (SRS)

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Mar 06 - 06:45 PM

Okay, I got past the sinus stuff (I'm on a second batch of antibiotics) so I was able to make my way to the post office this afternoon. I put two packages in the mail, Art. One has envelopes, and the other has envelopes. Actually, one has the CD sleeves we discussed (they can hold two CDs, or can hold a CD and a page with info about the CD so you don't scratch your CD) and the other contains about 10 cardboard mailers for CDs. I thought they might come in handy.

By the way, the box with the sleeves is a Certified Mudcat Recycled Parcel™, having come first from MMario with a shawl I purchased through the Mudcat auction.

(If all of the appearances of "CD" in this post seems a bit much, consider the following: I work with two women at the library, one who goes by CD, the other goes by Diane. CD's email is "[e-mail]" and Diane's email is "[e-mail]" . I have a heckuva time remembering who I'm talking to when I look at the address list at work.)

SRS

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Apr 06 - 12:09 PM

I put a printout of the entire thread in the mail to Art this morning.

Our little enterprise has been successfully concluded, at least from the Fort Worth contingent. Not sure how long it will take the materials from Oz to wend their way north and eastward.


Thanks, everyone!

SRS

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 01:55 AM

To all of the participants in sending the software and materials to Art, here's a nice update from the artist himself. You hear about micro-funding of projects in the third world, but sometimes it is just what is called for here at home, and it looks like it is having the desired effect--he's enjoying himself and he's saving those cassettes to CD at the same time. I find I'm positively beside myself with pleasure at the idea of all of the treasures he is going to discover as he does this work.

As one who can't resist a good pun, this one is being repeated. The Mudcat Endowment of the Art was brought to a folkie near you by:

SRS with great assistance from
Jerry Rasmussen
MMario
Katlaughing
Rapaire
Joybell & Hildebrand
Ron Davies

and I hope I didn't miss anyone.

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 03 Oct 06 - 05:49 PM

Folks, I just came up for air!! My last post here was as in August. I've been converting my cassettes to CD nonstop ever since.

This software is unbelievable. You can use it for an amazing number of different things.

Again, all of you, THANKS so very much.

Now back to my tasks...

Art

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Pauline L
Date: 15 Jan 07 - 12:38 AM

I need some help with transferring music from cassette tapes to CDs. I have Roxio (the free version) and a couple of other free software packages for burning CDs. My question is: How do I input the data (music) from my cassettes into my computer, store it, and convert it to the appropriate format? What kind of software and hardware do I need? To all those generous folks who sent money to Art to fund his project, I have this to say: Would someone consider sending me some money for this? I've been unemployed for five f*g years and I can't do much of anything without money!

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Jan 07 - 02:53 AM

Bill D usually has a good selection of free programs in use on his computer that he will happily recommend. If he doesn't turn up here soon you might want to PM him.

SRS

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 15 Jan 07 - 02:25 PM

I've just opened this thread and noticed Jerry Rasmussen's comments about Cakewalk and totally agree. I've got a copy and it's very cheap and very nasty (the price isn't though) and in Britain the back up support is non-existent.

I scrapped it recently and moved on to Cool Edit which is much less fiddly to use and has features which the makers of my edition of Cakewalk obviously never heard of.

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 15 Jan 07 - 03:28 PM

I can strongly recommend Polderbits

Free download and 28 day trial and only a few quid to licence. Dead easy to use and it splits tracks automatically. I also gives you full control of fade in outs etc.
Try it,

Andy

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 02:41 PM

Art--your package arrived yesterday in the mail! I'd send a PM if you could open them, but instead I'll offer an open "thank-you!" I am familiar with a couple of those artists, and I have at least one McClintock recording (was my Dad's). I'll enjoy this sampling of the work you're doing!

How are you fixed for CDs? Ready for a few more spindles yet?

Maggie (SRS)

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 05:09 PM

Richard Bridge, I think this is the thread you want.

See post at 28 Feb 06 - 06:27 AM

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 01:14 AM

This is a nice blast from the past - and this is just the software thread. There's another thread around here somewhere that had to do with a computer. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: CDs from old cassettes
From: wysiwyg
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 11:15 AM

Dunno why my testimonial does not appear for wilbyhillbilly but he did a GREAT job for us and I really had to conclude that doing it myself could not produce a result anywhere near as good.

With used CDs available at Amazon I no longer worry about copying tapes to CD. Anything else I need done (need not want), will go to wilbyhillbilly.

~Susan