On 28 Oct 2006 12:50:00 -0700, "CJB" wrote:

How is it possible to connect an analogue audio line-out port direct to
a USB port to capture the analogue audio output from say a taperecorder
with a laptop please? I have a number (actually 100s) of cassette tapes
to digitise onto CDs for archival purposes. I guess that I need some
kind of digitising s/w but don't want to use MS Media Recorder (or
whatever) because I want to be able to play the resulting CDs on a CD /
DVD player and most of these wont play WMA or WMV formats. Any advice
would be appreciated please. Many thanks - CJB.

You cannot make a direct connection, you will need a USB audio
interface. You could try Digital Village
(http://www.dv247.com/icat/USB+Audio+Interfaces/2974/), for example.

I use an Edirol UA-25, but the cheaper UA-1EX would probably be
sufficient for your purposes.

(I have no commercial connection with Digital Village except as a
satisfied customer.)

Beware that if both your laptop and your cassette recorder are
earthed, you will probably get horrible ground loop noise. If this is
a problem, the easiest solution is to run the laptop on batteries.

As for software, Audacity, which is free, will do the job.

--
Chris Isbell
Southampton, UK