From Waves to Digits

Converting Lps & Tapes

Hardware Needs

PC or Mac with an audio in jack--almost all computers have these
Stereo system with tape out
Special wires to connect the above two--You need Stereo to Phono Stereo y-cable--available at Radio Shack or online
Plenty of hard drive space--audio files are not as big as video files, but if you're planning to do a few LPs, you'll need some space to work with.
CD burner if you want to create a CD of your LP

Software Needs

An audio recording/editing program--we use Sound Forge XP--there's a newer version Sound Forge 7.0
- Audacity for Mac, Windows and Linux is free and open source and gets good reviews (available for download at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)
CD burning software--many Windows machines come with a light version of Roxio or some other CD burning software
Macs have iTunes which can be used to burn CDs
Toast Titanium is another good option

The Basic Steps

Prepare your LP--clean it to reduce noise.
Connect your stereo to your computer and launch your recording software.
Place the needle on the record and begin recording.
Depending on the program you use, you may have to stop between tracks or mark them in the editing process.
Clean up the files by removing white noise, scratches and pops. Most software automates this process.
Save your files as WAV (pc) files or AIFF (mac) if burning them to CD or MP3 for playing on your iPod.
Launch your CD recording software and record. (Some software includes recording software) The same process can be used for recording from cassette tape.

Some places to get more help:

TechTVs tip sheet (http://www.techtv.com/callforhelp/howto/story/0,24330,3333231,00.html)
MacWorld's info--a bit old but still useful (http://www.macworld.com/2002/05/bc/31analog/)
Advice from a faculty member at Concordia College with pictures (http://www.cord.edu/faculty/sprunger/cdr/)

Converting Video (VHS or Analog Camcorder)

Hardware Needs

video camera or vhs deck
PC or Mac with firewire input (very important--do not try to use USB for video)
analog to digital converter box or a digital video camera
- there are lots--here's a page that lists several options (http://www.synchrotech.com/support/analog2dv-conversions.html)

Software Needs

video editing software (iMovie comes with OS X or Pinnacle Studio is a good PC option)
DVD burning software if you want to make a DVD

The Basic Steps

Connect the source material to your dv converter box using RCA plugs and connect the converter to your computer via firewire.
Launch your video editing software.
Click on import or capture (same terminology on most software programs).
When you're done, stop recording.
Edit, if desired.
Burn to DVD.

Another option is to buy a standalone DVD recorder. This will set you back about $400 but you can record from VHS or from your TV. Most DVD recorders will not record from tapes protected with Macrovision.