Digital transfer service for cassette tape - recommendation?

[Multicore]

I have a couple of cassettes I'd like to listen to so I'd like to have digital transfers made. Can you recommend from experience a service (in USA) that can do this work for me?

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

No expensive service needed. Get a used cassette deck, a stereo audio interface, and a freeware DAW program like Audacity, and you can do it yourself. I’ve transferred lots of LPs and cassettes to digital this way.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[krabapple]

There's also a good chance you'll need to adjust the playback head from tape to tape to optimize output.

I'm not sure any of the 'professional' services do this.

 

[Ported]

If they are old and dusty a service that gently cleans the tape before digitising might be worth it.. Dolby on or not can be a question too.. if the heads are misaligned that wont track well either.

 

[Multicore]

No expensive service needed. Get a used cassette deck, a stereo audio interface

Not sure that's less expensive for two tapes.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Possibly. But the OP can find bargain gear on ebay or Marketplace. The benefit is not having to hunt down a vendor, with the possible uncertainly of turning over your irreplaceable media to him and the mail service.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Multicore]

Possibly. But the OP can find bargain gear on ebay or Marketplace. The benefit is not having to hunt down a vendor, with the possible uncertainly of turning over your irreplaceable media to him and the mail service.

Pros and cons either way. Buying used from unknown supplier means I'll have to take the deck for service before I put one cassette into it. Overhaul of a 80s or 90s cassette deck is going to cost. And I don't know someone locally that I trust to do that work. So either way I have a trust and cost problem. And then I need to get rid of it.

 

[krabapple]

TEAC still makes new cassette decks

W-1200 Dual Cassette Deck

The W-1200 premium dual cassette deck is ready for the modern age. Grab your favorite mix tapes and hear them with crystal-clear precision. Shop Now.

teacusa.com

 

[Joe Smith]

Yeah, easiest way is just to check your local listings and get a working used mid range deck, or find a local audio friend who could loan a deck. Audacity is pretty easy to learn and use.

Here in the Midwest, there are regular ~$50 ads on CL or in Marketplace for decent JVC, Pioneer or Onkyo decks - nothing fancy - two well decks will play back OK and that's all you need, really.

 

[krabapple]

There is so much that can be off in a used, unrestored deck that I'm not really sure it's the smart buy if you are aiming for the best transfers.

 

[Joe Smith]

There is so much that can be off in a used, unrestored deck that I'm not really sure it's the smart buy if you are aiming for the best transfers.

It's all a question of "how good is good enough?" When it comes to cassettes, I think a basic "good enough" solution makes sense, but to each thine own...

I'm surprised by how many decks out there play perfectly well without new belts etc.