Digitizing voice, Convert tape recordings to digital Options

[dodger]

I just got an Imac FP and would like to convert some recordings made with a hand-held microcassette recorder into the Mac. I interview family members using the recorder as part of genealogy research. My ultimate goal is to burn to a CD and send back to the family.

Is this possible?

[macmax]

Hi
It is possible, but you will need to invest in a firewire or USB Audio interface such as the Midiman Quattro or Digidesign mBox , or any of a host of similar devices.
You dont need anything fancy, as you dont seem to require multitrack abilities , but i would advocate getting the best quality that makes sense.
Your requirements should probably be 24bit 96Khz convertors, and stereo i/o.
(i believe midiman do a unit like this?)
I would recommend betting a decent Audio recording application, as there are various plug-in products available that will allow you to 'clean up' the tape recorded audio once its in the mac,(check out 'Raygun') making the end result cd a much more polished and presentable product.
It is difficult halfway thru a project such as this to change the production method and values, but i would have recommended using a portable DAT recorder, or at the very least a portable MiniDisc recorder, which record digitally and are far better than most portable cassette devices.
Note that the DigiDesign mBox is only designed to work with Protools!
The other products are all multi sequencer platform capable.
best regards
max

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