How do you record from the computer to a microcassette?
July 28, 2017 6:08 PM Subscribe
I need to record audio from my computer to microcassette, but can't seem to find any microcassette recorders that have a line-in capability; usually it's only line-out. Does anyone have a solution for this? Thanks!
The Sony BM-575 microcassette recorder (out of production but on ebay) has a line-in for external microphone. In theory couldn't you go from the headphone out via 3.5mm stereo cable to the microphone in? I don't know this for sure-- just an idea.
posted by bluecore at 6:25 PM on July 28, 2017
posted by bluecore at 6:25 PM on July 28, 2017
Response by poster: thanks @bluecore -- i've tried that, but a microphone input has a low-level mono signal so it tends to sound a bit distorted. line in has higher level stereo which is what i'm aiming for! :)
posted by colorproof at 6:48 PM on July 28, 2017
posted by colorproof at 6:48 PM on July 28, 2017
Best answer: You might need to stack a few adapters, but you could use an attenuator (like this one) to reduce the level of your computer's output so it doesn't clip when you record to a mic-in jack.
posted by aaronbeekay at 8:59 PM on July 28, 2017
posted by aaronbeekay at 8:59 PM on July 28, 2017
It's hard because no one would ever do this under any business use case, so no onone ever thought about it as a design issue. Microcassette is an almost-dead format that was designed in a predigital era only for primary recording of a live spoken word source (dictation) for transcription. It has inherently poor audio quality out the gate. Even with adapters that microphone input will be of the lowest possible quality.
Are you sure you need to do this?
posted by spitbull at 4:49 AM on July 29, 2017
Are you sure you need to do this?
posted by spitbull at 4:49 AM on July 29, 2017
Best answer: Indeed you would probably be better off playing the audio back on good speakers and using the microcasette's built in mic to make a live ambient recording, as long as you can get background noise down.
Sanyo makes (made?) a component style microcasette deck called the RD-XM1 that has (had?) line in jacks. They show up on eBay sometimes.
posted by spitbull at 4:52 AM on July 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
Sanyo makes (made?) a component style microcasette deck called the RD-XM1 that has (had?) line in jacks. They show up on eBay sometimes.
posted by spitbull at 4:52 AM on July 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
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posted by empath at 6:20 PM on July 28, 2017