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Question

I need cheap device to take audio input and create wav file

by Mar 24, 2014 7:15PM PDT

In our church we record services to cassette tape from the sound system, for use by absent parishioners. Today though most people have CD players rather than tape players. So we need to put the mono analogue audio signal into a simple, cheap device which will record it, convert it to digital (like wav file) and store on memorystick. This can then be taken home to a PC to burn CDs for circulation.
I know Tascam do dictaphones which will do this but at £100 with lots of unwanted features.
Do you know of such a device?

Discussion is locked

5 Posts
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Answer
Re: device
by Forum moderator Mar 24, 2014 7:59PM PDT

A PC or laptop with an audio in port (all have) is more expensive than a dictaphone, but since it's already used in the process it can be considered free also.

The process:
1. Connect cassette recorder output to audio in of PC.
2. Record with Audacity (free) while playing.
3. Burn the resulting wav-file on CD or save it as mp3 and put on the churches website for download for those absent parishioners that have Internet.

Kees

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device
by andyjames Mar 24, 2014 11:50PM PDT

Thanks but yes I knew this.
However I do not want to put PC in church, where non PC literate people are operating the sound system sometimes, and have to bootup, open Audacity and operate it in the midst of running sound desk, projector etc. Like the existing tape deck, just want to insert memory stick and press record!
Is there a device out there?

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Re: device
by Kees_B Forum moderator Mar 25, 2014 12:20AM PDT

All you would have to do is to take the recording (and possibly the recorder) with you and do the conversion at home (or where-ever your PC is). For a one-hour service this would take one hour extra before you can start burning the discs or making the mp3 for the website (compared with having the wav-file already on the USB-stick).

Since burning and distributing the disks takes some time anyway this might not be a severe objection, maybe even less severe than spending 100 GBP (150 USD). Anyway, it's free and you can start with it next Sunday, while pondering over a local device to do the digitising.

Kees

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device
by andyjames Mar 25, 2014 1:46AM PDT

My time is more precious than that.
I'm hoping that the CNET fraternity will find me something soon!
andy

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Here's the thing, we can't...
by Oldartq Mar 30, 2014 3:03AM PDT

have it both ways. If we are moving to a newer technology ..then it will cost, anyway you look at it. Have you price the dvd recorders? You should be able to do the same as your tape recorder and converting a dvd to whatever other formats that you may want (not in real time) should be a lot faster than the using tape.

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