Transferring cassette tape to OSX

[monk64]

I have some old family cassette tapes of spoken voice, etc. I'd like to transfer them to digital files.

The only tape player I have left in 2016 is a portable boombox with a headphone ("mini male") out. I do have a mini-male to mini-male cable...but there doesn't seem to be any microphone in port on either my 2015 iMac or my Macbook Pro. There's a headphone jack, but I'm hoping to plug this in, hit play, and hit record in GarageBand or some sort of app like that. I don't care about stereo vs mono - these were all recorded mono.

Advice?

 

[Slydude]

As you guessed there isn't a microphone or line in port on the 2015 iMacs. Not to worry though there are alternatives. I currently have the iMic. I've used it to plug in things like cassette players in the past and it has worked fine. I have one attached to my iMac now and it is recognized as an input device if you go into Garageband's preferences so it should work for what you want to do.

I used one of these things for just this kind of project several years ago so it should work.

BTW Check the price carefully. I've seen them online for anywhere from $30.00 to about $140.00

 

[pigoo3]

Sounds like Slydude has the perfect solution for this project (had the same project recently).

Just in case…here's another solution. Yes…newer Apple computers only have a single jack for this sort of thing (no separate headphone & microphone jacks). But in reality…both are there in that single jack…you just need the proper cable. You need the cable with 3-rings on it…looks like this (below). The cable you need is similar to the one on the left (3 rings). The 3rd ring provides the microphone ability (audio in).

This is the same way a combination headphone & microphone device works with newer Mac's (with a single cable).

HTH,

- Nick

 

[Slydude]

Sounds like Slydude has the perfect solution for this project (had the same project recently).


- Nick

If more than a decade ago counts as recently then yes;D I am getting old.

Your suggestion is great and I didn't even think of that. Pretty sure it is cheaper than the Mic.

@monk64 There are devices similar to the Mic out there that may be cheaper. If you look at some of these check to make sure that they either do not need driver software or have drivers for your version of OS X. Don't worry if the other software is Windows only you won't need that.

 

[pigoo3]

If more than a decade ago counts as recently then yes;D

Oooo…that is a while! Time sure flies!

- Nick