reel to reel

[hallj1]

What is the best way of transfering music etc. from old 1/4" magnetic reel to reel tape to computer? I've thrown the old machine out years ago .

[Postdog]

You can't - you have got to have something to play the tape on, and from there just use leads to transfer it, making it into an MP3 or something.

[Buenchico]

Even though you may have thrown your R2R tape recorder out, you can't avoid using one to transfer the tapes. Any commercial company would charge 'an arm and a leg' to do the transfer so you'll have to buy or borrow another R2R machine to do it yourself.

A browse through your local 'Loot', 'Free-Ads' or equivalent publication might help you find a cheap machine. There are still plenty around. A professional machine, like a Revox, can still cost a fortune but, unless the original recordings were made on such a high-quality tape recorder, there's no point in using one anyway. You should be able to get hold of a working domestic R2R machine for a tenner at the very most. (I've got several of them which I've picked up at auction for either �1 or �2 each).

Once you've got your R2R machine, you'll need a suitable cable to go between the tape recorder and your PC's sound card. The type needed will obviously depend upon the types of socket provided on each machine. Most domestic tape recorders accept some sort of DIN plug, whereas your PC's sound card probably uses a mini-jack. The best place to try for a suitable lead has to be your local branch of Maplin Electronics.

All you'll need then, is some suitable recording software. Here, the ever-popular Audacity suggests itself:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Chris

[hallj1]

Thanks for that--the search is on for a cheap machine!