When was the last time you played an audio or video tape? Many weren't even born when VCRs or Sony's iconic Walkman were all the rage. In fact, you can find tutorials online that teach you how to play a hilarious, if a little sad tape.
Since those bits of nostalgia aren't coming back anytime soon, you might want to digitize those memories. If you have audio tapes or VHS tapes gathering dust, here's how you can bring them to life.
Audio cassettes consist of a tape of analog music whose length gives the total playing time. If your cassette has been pulled off one of the spools, you need to straighten it and carefully reassemble it by slowly turning the hubs. As long as the tape is not broken and both ends are available, the audio tape can be restored.
After inserting the audio cassette and connecting the USB audio capture device to your laptop or PC, you will be prompted to install pre-installed software, Audacity.
If it is not available, you can easily download the software for Windows, Mac or Linux. Open it and use "Main sound capture driver" under "Windows Direct Sound" to record the audio tape length.
You should adjust the input volume in Audacity so that your final output is not too loud. Bring it to line level first so you can check the "waveform" while the audio tape is playing.
Increase the recording volume until what you hear is pleasant. While you're at it, use Audacity to remove any echoes or bad audio tape segments.
Audacity has another feature called "Label Tracks" which is accessible from the Edit menu. This would allow you to divide your tapes into individual songs or sections.
Press the Save button (red dot) and your audio tape file will be saved. Once the audio cassette has been recorded, you can export the file in MP3, WAV or OGG format.
To digitize a VHS tape, you need to make sure the tape is not misplaced. Dust it off and make sure it can be played on a VHS player. If you don't have one, you can find an LG VCR player online for less than $50.
You will also need a VHS to DVD video capture device. Diamond VC 500 is a very popular option available for around $35. It comes with a cable and pre-installed software which is used to perform the conversion. The USB end of the cable goes to your laptop or PC and the other end to designated locations on your VCR.
The same company, Diamond Multimedia also has a VHS to Digital Converter for Macbook users.
The procedure is similar to Windows. The USB end goes to your Macbook and the other end goes to the VCR or Camcorder. Here you capture VCR movies using Empia software which is included in an installation CD. iMovie can be used for video editing.
Finally, you will need Cyberlink PowerDirector software which is pre-installed with the purchase above. Start playing the videotape on your VCR and review the visuals on your laptop or PC for further edits. You can remove unwanted parts.
Once your correct video portions are available, hit the save button and it will save the entire video file. You can also burn it to DVD or upload it directly to YouTube.
If you are a twentieth century person, audio and video tapes would have been an intrinsic experience of your life long ago. The ability to digitize old tapes can help you save your old memories for a perpetual future.
Have you used any tools and devices to digitize your audio and video tapes? Please let us know in the comments.
