Make an MP3 from your home
cassette tapes, TV, VCR, DVD, or stereo
by running a Y cable from your stereo to your
computer's sound card |
- Run the
Y-cable from your home equipment to your
computer
Plug
the Y-cable's single end, sometimes
called "3.5-mm end," into your
computer sound card's light-blue Line-In
input. Plug the Y-cable's red and white
double ends, sometimes called "RCA
ends," into the audio output of your
home equipment. Exactly where to plug the
double ends may need a little trial and
error: on my stereo receiver, for
example, only plugging the double ends
into the "Video 1" outputs,
under "Audio" worked.
- Set
Audacity input to Line-In.
Set Audacity's recording input to
"Line-In" (selecting
"line-In" from the drop-down
list by the microphone icon). Set stereo
receiver to play the sound source you
want computer to record (to play cassette
tapes for recording, for example, you'd
select "Tape Monitor").
Be sure you're recording in stereo: in
Audacity's "Audio Input/Output"
tab, set the recording channels to
"2 (Stereo)." (The "Audio
I/O tab is under "Edit,"
"Preferences," "Audio
I/O": if you don't see the
"Audio I/O" tab, click on the
little arrowhead to expose the rest of
the tabs, and you'll find "Audio
I/O" all the way on the left.)
- Record
away!
Play tape, click on Audacity's
"Record" button.
- Save as an
MP3.
If you're done, export the file as an MP3
("File," "Export as
MP3.") Or mix your file.
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