On 01/01/2023 15:14, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
> On Sun, 1 Jan 2023 10:26:31 -0000 (UTC), Richard Robinson
> <richard@qualmograph.org.uk> wrote:
>
>> hubops@ccanoemail.com said:
>>> I must be missing something simple here - frustrating problem -
>>>
>>> my new laptop has no microphone input - just a "combo" headset
>>> jack - which < after much web searching > doesn't work for
>>> a stand-alone microphone < nor stereo analog input >.
>>>
>>> I was hoping to make digital copies of some old music cassette tapes
>>> - played on a regular old analog stereo cassette deck.
>>>
>>> Some of the web-forums suggest a device for analog - to - USB
>>> - seems like a great idea but I can't find any such thing -
>>> it seems to me like the device would need to convert the signal -
>>> - not just the physical connector - ?
>>
>> Yes. I gurgled for 'USB sound box' and saw things like
>> https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/10026513636?iid=293746519530
>>
>> USB connection to the 'pooter, analog connections to audio devices
>> (cassette, amp, etc). You can pay a small handful of squid or several
>> hundred, depending on taste, bankaccount,[1] and your opinion of your ears.
>> Bidirectional digital/audio converter.
>>
>
>
> Thanks for the link. I might need to go for such a device -
> - after reading about the smaller & cheaper units, it seems that
> their 3.5 mm microphone input is mono ... :-(
> example here :
>
> https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=40&item_id=121319

2 of them, then?

--
Rusty Hinge
To err is human. To really foul things up requires a computer and the BOFH.

On Sun, 1 Jan 2023 16:44:32 +0000, RustyHinge
<rusty.hinge@foobar.girolle.co.uk> wrote:

>On 01/01/2023 15:14, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
>> On Sun, 1 Jan 2023 10:26:31 -0000 (UTC), Richard Robinson
>> <richard@qualmograph.org.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> hubops@ccanoemail.com said:
>>>> I must be missing something simple here - frustrating problem -
>>>>
>>>> my new laptop has no microphone input - just a "combo" headset
>>>> jack - which < after much web searching > doesn't work for
>>>> a stand-alone microphone < nor stereo analog input >.
>>>>
>>>> I was hoping to make digital copies of some old music cassette tapes
>>>> - played on a regular old analog stereo cassette deck.
>>>>
>>>> Some of the web-forums suggest a device for analog - to - USB
>>>> - seems like a great idea but I can't find any such thing -
>>>> it seems to me like the device would need to convert the signal -
>>>> - not just the physical connector - ?
>>>
>>> Yes. I gurgled for 'USB sound box' and saw things like
>>> https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/10026513636?iid=293746519530
>>>
>>> USB connection to the 'pooter, analog connections to audio devices
>>> (cassette, amp, etc). You can pay a small handful of squid or several
>>> hundred, depending on taste, bankaccount,[1] and your opinion of your ears.
>>> Bidirectional digital/audio converter.
>>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks for the link. I might need to go for such a device -
>> - after reading about the smaller & cheaper units, it seems that
>> their 3.5 mm microphone input is mono ... :-(
>> example here :
>>
>> https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=40&item_id=121319
>
>2 of them, then?

Heh.
I just ordered the Behringer unit from amazon ca
$ 26. tax & shipping incl.
Thanks all for the suggestions.
John T.

RustyHinge <rusty.hinge@foobar.girolle.co.uk> wrote in
news:tos2rb$1dqff$1@dont-email.me:

>
> What a lot of people overlook is that it doesn't matter how good,
> techie or swish the front end, the resulting sound is only as good as
> the speakers can reproduce.

Once you're over 50 the limiting factor is what the ear/brain system can
reproduce, which is generally a great deal less than modern speakers can
reproduce. The brain can compensate for a lot of lost quality but only by
filling in detail that experience suggests *ought* to be there. And by
releasing endorphines to make you feel a bit better about what you can't
hear.

--
Peter
-----

Yes get yourself a USB sound device. The one I can never spell works well in
a powered hub. Something like Behringer or some. Four phono sockets and
sometimes a pick up input, which I've never had to use.
Goldwave or Audacity on the machine and off you go. You may find if they
are Dolby made on another machine that the azimuth and Dolby levels are out,
the former is normally just mechanical, but the latter would be best played
without it on, or you get pumping and suck out effects. I wonder if anyone
does a software Dolby which can have its level changed. Yamaha used to do a
deck with that, I thought it suffered from tape scrape.
Yes it annoys me also why they could not simply put two sockets on a laptop
instead of a four or five ringed non standard headset socket that usually
works very badly.
Brian

--

--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
<hubops@ccanoemail.com> wrote in message
news:k531rh1mcr0i61ucmrbclh9u6ina1n33o1@4ax.com...
>I must be missing something simple here - frustrating problem -
>
> my new laptop has no microphone input - just a "combo" headset
> jack - which < after much web searching > doesn't work for
> a stand-alone microphone < nor stereo analog input >.
>
> I was hoping to make digital copies of some old music cassette tapes
> - played on a regular old analog stereo cassette deck.
>
> Some of the web-forums suggest a device for analog - to - USB
> - seems like a great idea but I can't find any such thing -
> it seems to me like the device would need to convert the signal -
> - not just the physical connector - ?
> Several of the inexpensive converters seem to require
> digital audio IN for the USB OUT. - ?
>
> Any helpful suggestions appreciated.
>
> ps : I tried my old laptop but it has a static-y microphone input.
> pps : Software shouldn't be a problem - Audacity or sound
> recorder should be OK.
>
> John T.

On Sun, 1 Jan 2023 19:56:22 -0000, "Brian Gaff" <brian1gaff@gmail.com>
wrote:

>Yes get yourself a USB sound device. The one I can never spell works well in
>a powered hub. Something like Behringer or some. Four phono sockets and
>sometimes a pick up input, which I've never had to use.
> Goldwave or Audacity on the machine and off you go. You may find if they
>are Dolby made on another machine that the azimuth and Dolby levels are out,
>the former is normally just mechanical, but the latter would be best played
>without it on, or you get pumping and suck out effects. I wonder if anyone
>does a software Dolby which can have its level changed. Yamaha used to do a
>deck with that, I thought it suffered from tape scrape.
> Yes it annoys me also why they could not simply put two sockets on a laptop
>instead of a four or five ringed non standard headset socket that usually
>works very badly.
> Brian

.... so far, my new improved laptop has forced me to
go out and buy :
1. an external usb CD/DVD drive
2. an external usb sound card

.. one step forward and two steps back ?
John T.

On 01/01/2023 20:21, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
> On Sun, 1 Jan 2023 19:56:22 -0000, "Brian Gaff" <brian1gaff@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Yes get yourself a USB sound device. The one I can never spell works well in
>> a powered hub. Something like Behringer or some. Four phono sockets and
>> sometimes a pick up input, which I've never had to use.
>> Goldwave or Audacity on the machine and off you go. You may find if they
>> are Dolby made on another machine that the azimuth and Dolby levels are out,
>> the former is normally just mechanical, but the latter would be best played
>> without it on, or you get pumping and suck out effects. I wonder if anyone
>> does a software Dolby which can have its level changed. Yamaha used to do a
>> deck with that, I thought it suffered from tape scrape.
>> Yes it annoys me also why they could not simply put two sockets on a laptop
>> instead of a four or five ringed non standard headset socket that usually
>> works very badly.
>> Brian
>
>
> .... so far, my new improved laptop has forced me to
> go out and buy :
> 1. an external usb CD/DVD drive
> 2. an external usb sound card
>
> .. one step forward and two steps back ?

This is why I'm intending to get a pre-loved HP Inspire (Compaq legacy)
to replace this HP Inspire, so I can unmantle it and replace both USB
sockets, both of which are borked.

--
Rusty Hinge
To err is human. To really foul things up requires a computer and the BOFH.

On 01/01/2023 16:42, RustyHinge wrote:
> On 01/01/2023 15:09, Richard Robinson wrote:
>
>> What does many a Markle make, then ?
>
> Logically, a Myrkle

A Mirkle, shirley? Mickle -> Muckle therefore aeIoU and by analogy AeIou
therefore Mirkle. Maybe I'm overthinking this.

On 01/01/2023 17:14, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
> I just ordered the Behringer unit from amazon ca
> $ 26. tax & shipping incl.
> Thanks all for the suggestions.

The UFO202 or UCA222? Should be OK for you, phono ins and outs so life
is simple.

Mike Fleming said:
> On 01/01/2023 16:42, RustyHinge wrote:
>> On 01/01/2023 15:09, Richard Robinson wrote:
>>
>>> What does many a Markle make, then ?
>>
>> Logically, a Myrkle
>
> A Mirkle, shirley? Mickle -> Muckle therefore aeIoU and by analogy AeIou
> therefore Mirkle. Maybe I'm overthinking this.

Bio-logically, presumably, a tiny little county.

--
Richard Robinson
"The whole plan hinged upon the natural curiosity of potatoes" - S. Lem

My email address is at http://qualmograph.org.uk/contact.html

On Mon, 2 Jan 2023 01:11:32 +0000, Mike Fleming <mike@tauzero.co.uk>
wrote:

>On 01/01/2023 17:14, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
>> I just ordered the Behringer unit from amazon ca
>> $ 26. tax & shipping incl.
>> Thanks all for the suggestions.
>
>The UFO202 or UCA222? Should be OK for you, phono ins and outs so life
>is simple.

202 it was listed at $ 32. but when I went to check out
there was some sort of $ 15 promo discount.
John T.

On 02/01/2023 01:03, Mike Fleming wrote:
> On 01/01/2023 16:42, RustyHinge wrote:
>> On 01/01/2023 15:09, Richard Robinson wrote:
>>
>>> What does many a Markle make, then ?
>>
>> Logically, a Myrkle
>
> A Mirkle, shirley? Mickle -> Muckle therefore aeIoU and by analogy AeIou
> therefore Mirkle. Maybe I'm overthinking this.

Mony a mickle maks a muckle.

Next vowel in that succession is 'y'

--
Rusty Hinge
To err is human. To really foul things up requires a computer and the BOFH.

RustyHinge said:
> On 02/01/2023 01:03, Mike Fleming wrote:
>> On 01/01/2023 16:42, RustyHinge wrote:
>>> On 01/01/2023 15:09, Richard Robinson wrote:
>>>
>>>> What does many a Markle make, then ?
>>>
>>> Logically, a Myrkle
>>
>> A Mirkle, shirley? Mickle -> Muckle therefore aeIoU and by analogy AeIou
>> therefore Mirkle. Maybe I'm overthinking this.
>
> Mony a mickle maks a muckle.
>
> Next vowel in that succession is 'y'

o a i a a u

--
Richard Robinson
"The whole plan hinged upon the natural curiosity of potatoes" - S. Lem

My email address is at http://qualmograph.org.uk/contact.html

On 03/01/2023 17:44, RustyHinge wrote:
> On 02/01/2023 01:03, Mike Fleming wrote:
>> On 01/01/2023 16:42, RustyHinge wrote:
>>> On 01/01/2023 15:09, Richard Robinson wrote:
>>>
>>>> What does many a Markle make, then ?
>>>
>>> Logically, a Myrkle
>>
>> A Mirkle, shirley? Mickle -> Muckle therefore aeIoU and by analogy
>> AeIou therefore Mirkle. Maybe I'm overthinking this.
>
> Mony a mickle maks a muckle.
>
> Next vowel in that succession is 'y'

I operate on the AEIUO sequence of vowels. But I'm not sure how you make
Y be the next in the sequence I U ?.

On 02/01/2023 01:42, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
> On Mon, 2 Jan 2023 01:11:32 +0000, Mike Fleming <mike@tauzero.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>> On 01/01/2023 17:14, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
>>> I just ordered the Behringer unit from amazon ca
>>> $ 26. tax & shipping incl.
>>> Thanks all for the suggestions.
>>
>> The UFO202 or UCA222? Should be OK for you, phono ins and outs so life
>> is simple.
>
>
> 202 it was listed at $ 32. but when I went to check out
> there was some sort of $ 15 promo discount.

I've got the UMC204HD, which I'll be using for similar purposes - it
acts as my sound card to run into the hi-fi and also can be used for
recording instruments and microphones.

On Wed, 4 Jan 2023 16:37:22 +0000, Mike Fleming <mike@tauzero.co.uk>
wrote:

>On 02/01/2023 01:42, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
>> On Mon, 2 Jan 2023 01:11:32 +0000, Mike Fleming <mike@tauzero.co.uk>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On 01/01/2023 17:14, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
>>>> I just ordered the Behringer unit from amazon ca
>>>> $ 26. tax & shipping incl.
>>>> Thanks all for the suggestions.
>>>
>>> The UFO202 or UCA222? Should be OK for you, phono ins and outs so life
>>> is simple.
>>
>>
>> 202 it was listed at $ 32. but when I went to check out
>> there was some sort of $ 15 promo discount.
>
>I've got the UMC204HD, which I'll be using for similar purposes - it
>acts as my sound card to run into the hi-fi and also can be used for
>recording instruments and microphones.
>

I ordered it Sunday Jan. 1 - delivered yesterday Jan 3 < ! >
and I used it to rip ~ 6 kids story-book cassette tapes
using Audacity - pretty slick. I just need to remember to check
the levels before hitting record - the 30 year old cassette
tapes have some variations < to say the least > in volume and
in quality. Also discovered a couple that had random ramblings
of my then little kids - likely recorded on their Fischer-Price
unit. :-)
The much-longer kids music tapes will be more time-consuming
as I experiment over whether to make & save long copies -
or break them into tracks - as I go ..
.. or afterwards in Audacity ..
John T.

On 04/01/2023 16:34, Mike Fleming wrote:
> On 03/01/2023 17:44, RustyHinge wrote:
>> On 02/01/2023 01:03, Mike Fleming wrote:
>>> On 01/01/2023 16:42, RustyHinge wrote:
>>>> On 01/01/2023 15:09, Richard Robinson wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> What does many a Markle make, then ?
>>>>
>>>> Logically, a Myrkle
>>>
>>> A Mirkle, shirley? Mickle -> Muckle therefore aeIoU and by analogy
>>> AeIou therefore Mirkle. Maybe I'm overthinking this.
>>
>> Mony a mickle maks a muckle.
>>
>> Next vowel in that succession is 'y'
>
> I operate on the AEIUO sequence of vowels. But I'm not sure how you make
> Y be the next in the sequence I U ?.

a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes, y

CBA to search back, but we had a Murkle, so the 'sometimes y' comes into
play.

HTH & HANN (or HANT)

--
Rusty Hinge
To err is human. To really foul things up requires a computer and the BOFH.

hubops@ccanoemail.com said:
>
> I ordered it Sunday Jan. 1 - delivered yesterday Jan 3 < ! >
> and I used it to rip ~ 6 kids story-book cassette tapes
> using Audacity - pretty slick. I just need to remember to check
> the levels before hitting record - the 30 year old cassette
> tapes have some variations < to say the least > in volume and
> in quality. Also discovered a couple that had random ramblings
> of my then little kids - likely recorded on their Fischer-Price
> unit. :-)

Blackmail potential ?

> The much-longer kids music tapes will be more time-consuming
> as I experiment over whether to make & save long copies -
> or break them into tracks - as I go ..
> .. or afterwards in Audacity ..

I use Transcribe! for this - https://www.seventhstring.com/ Load the
whole file, put markers between the tracks, push a button and
heypresto!, 1 file per track. (Disclaimer - my brother wrote it. There
are probably plenty of others by now).

And then Audacity to reduce the surrounding silences to little fadeins &
outs.

As you do more, you'll probably get annoyed by differing volumes between
the different recordings. Look into replay gain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReplayGain - adds tagging to make a note
of relative amplificationm factors such that playback software can
adjust the volume to have it all come out at similiar levels. Like
"normalization" but non-destructive, it doesn't change the actual audio
info.

--
Richard Robinson
"The whole plan hinged upon the natural curiosity of potatoes" - S. Lem

My email address is at http://qualmograph.org.uk/contact.html

On Thu, 5 Jan 2023 12:37:55 -0000 (UTC), Richard Robinson
<richard@qualmograph.org.uk> wrote:

>hubops@ccanoemail.com said:
>>
>> I ordered it Sunday Jan. 1 - delivered yesterday Jan 3 < ! >
>> and I used it to rip ~ 6 kids story-book cassette tapes
>> using Audacity - pretty slick. I just need to remember to check
>> the levels before hitting record - the 30 year old cassette
>> tapes have some variations < to say the least > in volume and
>> in quality. Also discovered a couple that had random ramblings
>> of my then little kids - likely recorded on their Fischer-Price
>> unit. :-)
>
>Blackmail potential ?
>
>> The much-longer kids music tapes will be more time-consuming
>> as I experiment over whether to make & save long copies -
>> or break them into tracks - as I go ..
>> .. or afterwards in Audacity ..
>
>I use Transcribe! for this - https://www.seventhstring.com/ Load the
>whole file, put markers between the tracks, push a button and
>heypresto!, 1 file per track. (Disclaimer - my brother wrote it. There
>are probably plenty of others by now).
>
>And then Audacity to reduce the surrounding silences to little fadeins &
>outs.
>
>As you do more, you'll probably get annoyed by differing volumes between
>the different recordings. Look into replay gain
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReplayGain - adds tagging to make a note
>of relative amplificationm factors such that playback software can
>adjust the volume to have it all come out at similiar levels. Like
>"normalization" but non-destructive, it doesn't change the actual audio
>info.

Thanks for the tips - I doubt that I'll spend much time on the
quality details but the program to break down the long mp3 into
individual tracks might be a useful.
I plan to load up a few usb memory sticks - one for each set of
grandkids - but it's entirely possible that they will never get
used.
John T.