First, of course, you’re going to need a turntable and/or a cassette player. You’ll be using a computer to convert your old music to digital format, so a cable that connects the turntable or cassette player to the PC (or Mac) is also in order. Apparently cables that have the old audio jacks at one end and a UBS connector at the other are relatively common and can be found in electronic emporiums such as Radio Shack.


Your computer will need to have a sound card – sound cards have been standard issue for PCs for some time. You may also need to incorporate an amplifier of some sort into the mix, as the turntable or the cassette player alone may not generate enough sound. That shouldn’t be too difficult however – the amplifier that drives your current sound system still has “audio in” and “audio out” jacks, no matter when it was built.


The final element in the process is the appropriate software. While you can purchase software for this purpose, there is also freeware available: one example is an open source recording and editing program called Audacity, found at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. Adobe has a program called Encore that is available for a 30 day free trial, and for Mac users there’s GarageBand, which is part of a Mac software package that is sold through retail outlets.


That’s the package. Once you’re in upload mode with your old school hardware, you’ll have to stop after each song in order to make it a discrete recording. There’s a fair amount of oversight to all this, especially if you’ve got a lot of records. It’s one tune at a time, unless you want to upload the entire album as a single MP3 file. So the sentiment that’s attached to those old tunes is going to come into play, as this can turn into a labor of love.


There’s a streamlining tool on the market from Audio Technica which is a turntable with all the right cabling, amplification and software. A similar product can be found at www.firebox.com which is called a USB Turntable. The cost on these conversion spinners is $100 – $130 dollars.


There are also some online services available that will make the conversion for you – but most of them appear to be pricey. One service, http://avconvert.com/audio/price_list_cassette.html, will not only convert your LP or cassette tape but will remove any audio flaws and reproduce the cover art as well. You send them the recording and they do the rest – but the prices are twenty dollars or more, depending on the medium and the level of service you desire.

First, stay away from inexpensive equipment being sold at stores marketed as media conversion tools to transfer your cassette tapes or records to CDs. Generally, these products don’t perform any editing or noise reduction to improve the sound of your media. They also are not high quality products as far as sound reproduction.  If you have decided to transfer your old media you might as well do it right and be satisfied with the results since this is something you will most likely only do once.

The first step would be to have an excellent player to produce the best sound possible. You can find a studio quality cassette player for about $200.00 and a decent turntable for about $400.00. You will also need a USB audio interface like the American Audio Versaport unit Guitar Center carries for about $120.00. You will also need a good audio editing program so that you can capture the sound, perform any necessary editing and burn the results onto a CD. Audacity is a free one you can get from www.download.com.

This is pretty much all you need as far as equipment and software, but as you can see, it will cost you about $700.00. This does not include quality blank CDs (not all CDs are created equal) and all the time you will need to setup and learn how to use all of this on your own.

Your other alternative depending on how many records or cassettes you actually want to transfer is to utilize a professional service like www.mediacure.net to do this for you. Sure, you might save some money by doing it on your own assuming you have hundreds of tapes or records, but that does not take into account the learning curve or how time consuming this process can be. This service offers several packages and options including transferring all of your media to MP3 files if all you want to do is load it into your MP3 player or computer to then burn on your own. The choice is yours.

Maybe you still maintain a turntable, cassette deck or VCR, which you use to listen to your tunes and watch movies just as you have for decades. But it’s more likely that you’ve been staring at those piles of records and tapes and wondering if there’s some easy way to transfer them to the latest technology. You have imagined on more than one occassion how nice it would be to have your music collection or VHS tapes in a format that can play in your car, home stereo, MP3 player, iPod*, portable CD player, computer or DVD player — without having to buy them all over again.

The consumer electronics audio industry has responded with a plethora of affordable transfer devices. BUT, with all of the choices which one is the best for your situation? Well do not fear, Price Delight’s Technical Support Department has provided the following list to help you determine the solution that is right for you.

OPTION 1: RECORD VINYL AND CASSETTE TAPES DIRECTLY TO CD
Lasonic ANQ-800R Entertainment System with Built-In CD Recorder
With this unit you can convert all of your vinyl records and cassette tapes to CD in minutes with just a few simple steps. It records those records and tapes into a digital audio format for high quality sound on a smaller, more modern compact disc. This unit does not require a computer, a stereo or any technical expertise. And the ANQ-800R does not retire to a closet somewhere when you are done recording. It is a complete audio entertainment system in a nostalgic style that includes a 3-speed record player, a cassette tape player and an AM/FM radio.

OPTION 2: RECORD VINYL DIRECTLY TO CD
With any of the following units you can convert all of your vinyl records to CD in minutes with just a few simple steps. They record those records into a digital audio format for high quality sound on a smaller, more modern compact disc. These units do not require a computer, a stereo or any technical expertise. And these models do not retire to a closet somewhere when you are done recording either. Each one includes a 3-speed record player and an AM/FM radio in a modern black finish design.

Victoria GDI- C2CDRW 3-IN-1 Entertainment System with Built-In CD Burner
The Retrowriter offers classic 50’s styling in a compact design.

Teac LP-R400 Stereo System and Turntable with Built-In CD Recorder
Teac’s Entry Level Recorder System

Teac GF-350 Turntable/CD Recorder System with Amplifier
Teac’s Mid-Level Recording System

Teac GF-650 Stereo System and Professional Turntable with Built-In CD Recorder
Teac’s Professional Grade Recording System

OPTION 3: CONVERT VINYLTO MP3 FORMAT
All of the following models are the fastest and easiest way to convert your vinyl records to an MP3 format and transfer them to your computer’s hard drive. From there you can transfer tem to any MP3 player or burn them to a CD using any free MP3 conversion software available on the internet and your computer’s CD burner. Each unit includes software that allows you to clean up the sound of your records. It’s like magic! Before you know it, you’ll be listening to songs you haven’t heard in years in your car, on your iPod* or your MP3 player.

Ion LP2CD USB Turntable with Direct-to-CD Recording
Ion’s flagship unit offers the best of both worlds. A turntable with a built-in CD Burner that can also connect to your computer.

Grace Digital GDI-VW00 VinylWriter Pico Turntable for USB to PC
The perfect compact solution to quickly record your vinyl albums to your PC or MAC.

Grace Digital GDI-VW03 VinylWriter Boca Turntable for USB to PC
The turntable to use as a stand alone record player or to record your vinyl albums to your PC or MAC.

Grace Digital Vinylwriter AVPUSB01S Digital USB to PC Recordable Turntable
Record all your vinyl as MP3 files and import them into your computer music library

ION Audio iPTUSB Portable Digital USB to PC Recordable Turntable with Built-in Speaker
Turn your records into MP3s anywhere.

Ion iTTUSB Digital USB to PC Recordable Turntable
As seen on the History Channel’s Modern Marvels

Ion iTTUSB05 Digital USB to PC Recordable Turntable with Dust Cover
Ion’s entry-level USB turntable, compete with dust cover.

Audio Technica LP-To-Digital Recording System With USB
Audio-Technica makes it easier than ever to transfer your albums to digital files.

Numark TTXUSB Professional Record Turntable with USB
A modern classic with computer connectivity.

TEAC LP-U200 USB Recorder and CD Player with AM/FM Radio
Teac’s USB turntable.

OPTION 4: TRANSFER VINYL DIRECTLY TO IPOD*
Ion LP DOCK USB Turntable with Universal Dock for iPod* Transfer
A Revolutionary new USB turntable that transfers your vinyl collection to your iPod*.
You can also use the included recording software to archive your records to CD or MP3. LP DOCK also has a line-level output for connecting to any home stereo with an AUX input. You can now digitally archive your collection in just a few mouse clicks.

OPTION 5: CONVERT CASSETTE TAPES TO MP3 FORMAT
Ion Tape2PC Audio USB to PC Cassette Tape Archiver
The fastest and easiest way to convert your cassette tapes to an MP3 format and transfer them to your computer’s hard drive. From there you can transfer tem to any MP3 player or burn them to a CD using any free MP3 conversion software available on the internet and your computer’s CD burner. It includes software that allows you to clean up the sound of your tapes. And when you’re finished archiving your cassettes to your computer, TAPE 2 PC can connect to your stereo system using standard RCA cables for convenient cassette listening in your living room, garage, or wherever your stereo system resides.

OPTION 6: TRANSFER VINYL TO AN SD CARD OR A MEMORY STICK
Victoria Classic Retro 1950′s Styling Recorder With AM/FM Radio
Record and play all your records to USB flash drive or SD Card. Listen to the radio, vinyl records, or CD’s through two full-range speakers.

OPTION 7 CONNECT ANY AUDIO DEVICE TO A PC AND COVERT TO MP3
Ion U Record Music Archive System
Connect your turntable or any audio source to your computer to digitize your music. The U Record USB music archive system lets you easily convert your favorite records and tapes to MP3 format using your turntable or tape player and computer. From there you can transfer tem to any MP3 player or burn them to a CD using any free MP3 conversion software available on the internet and your computer’s CD burner. The software automatically imports the music directly to your iTunes library. Included Audacity software reduces clicks, pops, hiss and other noises from worn recordings to restore the full quality of your vinyl or tapes.

OPTION 8: TRANSFER VHS TAPES TO ANY COMPUTER
Ion VCR 2 PC USB to PC VHS Video to Computer Converter
Rediscover your movies and other videos then watch them anywhere. VCR 2 PC is an innovative new VHS player with single-cable USB output. With VCR 2 PC you can save all of your favorite home movies and videos straight to your PC. Once you save your precious memories to your computer, they will be saved forever in pristine digital format. The included EZ VHS Converter software lets you burn your videos to DVD, watch on your PSP, iPod* or laptop computer. Exported MPEG4 video is compatible with select mobile phones and portable multimedia devices. Connect your VHS, VHS-C, or 8MM camcorder to the front panel jacks to backup your camcorder videos. When you’re finished archiving your videos to your computer, VCR 2 PC is the perfect VHS player for any room in the house.

All of these products and much more are now available at www.pricedelight.com

* iPod and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries