I Have some old tapes that cant be replaced, but the problem is that they are getting so old that and the sound is so bad you can barly listen to it.
I was wondering of i could save them some how? Maby connect the stereo to line in on the computer and then clean the sound somehow?

Need help


Sorry for ma bad english also...

There's not much you can do, except take a "snapshot" of them now before it gets worse. Do a line-in record to ape/flac on your comp. If the sound is that bad then your screwed. Software designed to remove noise is going to cut into the music, since either the noise floor has raised or the clarity and recorded "strength" of the music has diminished over time (every playback on a tapedeck does a very subtle erase on the tape...though I've got tapes I've played 100's of times with no apparent change).

xen-uno

ok, that was bad news :S
But can't I make the sound stronger on the computer? I mean now i have to listen on max volume on the stereo to hear good.

Oh yeah, you could use WavGain then encode the resulting wav's to whatever format you like. Unfortunately, it will raise the noise floor as well. I don't do any post signal processing other than WavGaining...so I don't know what the current state of the art is. There's hope for your tapes.

xen-uno

Thanks, i will try that...
The tapes are very old, most of them are forom 1980

You can adjust the recording level in your soundcard properties (record mixer). If the level is too low, you can apply a volume correction in the audio editor you use to record. All audio editors allow it.

EDIT : tape recording thread : http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....t=ST&f=1&t=8990

Just make sure when you're bringing up the record level, you don't get so high you go to clipping
on loud peaks.. Clipping (or going past 0db on VU meters) was no big deal recording on tape, but makes
nasty noises on digital recording equipment.

Another note, if the tapes are going bad (oxides coming off tape) you might have a lot of buildup on your tape heads,
when did you clean them last? Clean your heads, this could be the cause of low playback level, but you'ld noticce it on
everything not just the old ones.

If that's the case, your tapes are shedding the oxide, you are damaging them with every play, not to mention messing
up your tapedeck.. then you NEED to make the one last play to record them.. and put them on a shelf!

If they are shedding, you might try "baking" them. Search for "baking tapes" , there's a recording site out there that talks about this.. If you heat them just enough, it can reactivate the binder that holds the oxide on the tape, and stop the "shedding".

Clean everything and demagnetize the heads, so you get the best possible master recording. If they are really valuable to you,
you might consider investing in a audio editing program to try some noise cleanup.

The audio editing program Cool Edit ($70 for the cheaper version) and the de-noising plugin (another $35) will do a good job
on LP's as well as removing basic hiss and hum on tapes. You need to fool around with settings to get the best results, between
taking too much out of the sound, and lowering the noise... It has good recording, EQ and editing features as well..

Hope it helps...

Jon

Thanks for the advice, I alredy have Cool Edit, so i will give that a try.
What do you mean by "demagnetize the heads"? And how do I do that?

You can either buy a de-magnetizing wand or take it to a higher end audio shop (preferred). The tape heads do become magnetic over time...which can.. A ) erase your tapes faster every time you play them and.. B ) reduce the heads sensitivity to the magnetic field patterns present on the tape which reduces dynamic range and introduces more tape hiss.

xen-uno

Hope that does not cost to much, im just a pour student
(Have to go to sleep now, it's 03:20 Am here )

You use a tape head demagnatizer.. little gizmo you plug in the wall and move over the heads..

They used to be around $5 in the US, of course you hardly can find tape decks nowadays.. Check and see if buying one will be cheaper than having them do it for you. Then again, if you want to make sure your deck is working best, it might be worth letting them do that
and whatever other tuning up it might need.

Ciao..

my i add.

check out the Diamond Cut DC5/live/milenium..
DC products have gained good credits..
on tape/worn vinyl recordings.

You might be able to use an expander effect on the tape to cut out some of the noise. It will attenuate the lower level signals and leave the louder ones intact. You might lose some of the music clarity, but if you are cautious and aware, it might help. There should be one included in your version of Cool Edit, and the help file ought to help you understand how to use it. If you're still lost, this article is very helpful.

I've demagnetized the heads of my different cassette decks when the sound became wrong. Sometimes after years of use. Both with a wand and an automatic cassette by TDK (with batteries).
I never noticed any audible difference before / after.

hey, I got one of those TDK suckers around here somewhere too I bet, I know I had one at some point. I can't recall if it ever made any audible difference, but I still used it once every two months or so anyways, hehe.

You can use the following product:

Terratec phonoPreAmp Studio

Performance Specification
------------------------------
Stereo input for record player
stereo output with line meter
power through the PC sound card's gameport
The gameport is looped to the phono PreAmp
For moving magnet pick up or high output moving coil systems
Not intended for Standard MC systems
Input sensitivity 5mV, 47KOhm, 1kHz
Input capacity adjustable to three levels
Output levle amplification adjustable to three levels
Filter function with highly accurate RIAA equaliser curve

Key benefits of phono PreAmp Studio
-------------------------------------------
Enables old records and audio cassettes to be edited on the PC and saved to CD
Simple connection from record player to phono PreAmp
Electricity taken from soundcard gameport
Enables the removal of unwanted noises such ase clicking an humming
Useful or archiving and restoring historic audio materials
Helps wit the removal of noise from radio and video tracks
Ideal for remastering old recordings to CD from vinyl and tape

Sounds like your're buying a phono preamp, as well as some software.

Just for tape recording, you don't need that. Plugging the tape deck into your Line In on the soundcard is all you need for tapes.

Now if you have some Vinyl to dub, and have no phono preamp, it might be a good choice.

PS, Cool Edit has a basic denoiser in the basic package, (I think?) but the plugin package that has the various filters and advanced denoisers is the one with the tape noise reduction, as well as phono decracke. Well worth getting, especially if you already have Cool Edit.

I think you get to try them for free.. limited time or limited capability? Clive's (Mr. LP to CD FAQ) Wave Repair recording/denoising/LP cleanup package is full function and free for 30 days as well..

Good luck!

Jon