Thread: Will getting a soundcard vastly improve ripping old tapes?

I have quite a few old tape packs, and as an experiment I ripped DJ Zinc & MC Det @ Accelerated Culture 12th May 2001. Now, to me it sounds ok, but do you purists feel that you need a soundcard to get the full benefit of ripping tapes? I can upload the set if anyone is interested in hearing it to pass judgement? Cheers guys!

Ive only ripped tapes with my on board sound card so i cant really help. But idont think spending cash on a sound card will help the quility of the tape rips (someone will prove me wrong haha) i think you have more chance cleaning a rip using, say sony sound forge.

Some tapes sound better than others depending on age

Originally Posted by malgossno1

Ive only ripped tapes with my on board sound card so i cant really help. But idont think spending cash on a sound card will help the quility of the tape rips (someone will prove me wrong haha) i think you have more chance cleaning a rip using, say sony sound forge.

Some tapes sound better than others depending on age

I used soundforge to record it and to me it sounds as good as any other ripped set I have downloaded of the net without "cleaning" it (whatever that may mean!). I have a decent tape deck so the sound quality coming from that sounds good, just not sure what to do with the mp3 now. As I say, I think it sounds ok, but someone else may listen to it and tell me it sounds shit so I'm not sure!

right i have been ripping tape for years, i would buy a sound card m8. here 1 i would go for 7.1Ch USB 2.0 External Optical Sound Card Audio Adapter on eBay (end time 11-Jan-11 08:52:38 GMT)
that it gd i got it but no matter what u buy u need to make it better, i would use sony sound forge m8 as u can edit after u ripped it be4 u save it just use wave hammer on sony sound forge, when u open wave hammer just click the arrow and go down to master 16bit click ok after, u will see it get louder. as u dont want to record the tape loud as it goes up and down on the volume, plus the mc like to shout alot lol. but after u done your first wave hammer on the tape click on the biggest bit u see on the tape click play and u will see the channels on the right go up. u want that under 0.0 but as close as u can to 0.0 if it goes over it clips and sound bad just keep doin wave hammer till u think it ok. also on wave hammer u will see 3 bits u can pull up and down i only ever use the right hand end 1 just knock that down to - 1.00% after u fell it ok with the first lot of wave hammer will make sure it dont clip then. if u want to check for clip go to tools then detect clipping then click the arrow so the list comes down and pick detect all 0dB clipping then run that. (that just check the hole lot to see if it goin over 0.0) gd little tool that. after that just save the tape i would save 192kbps or higher no less as it start to get bad when u have saved it. also save in mp3. best 1 to save as so easy to work with and not big on it file size. just incase here how u get to wave hammer. effect then wave hammer at the bottom hope that help u out

Originally Posted by deanhtid

right i have been ripping tape for years, i would buy a sound card m8. here 1 i would go for 7.1Ch USB 2.0 External Optical Sound Card Audio Adapter on eBay (end time 11-Jan-11 08:52:38 GMT)
that it gd i got it but no matter what u buy u need to make it better, i would use sony sound forge m8 as u can edit after u ripped it be4 u save it just use wave hammer on sony sound forge, when u open wave hammer just click the arrow and go down to master 16bit click ok after, u will see it get louder. as u dont want to record the tape loud as it goes up and down on the volume, plus the mc like to shout alot lol. but after u done your first wave hammer on the tape click on the biggest bit u see on the tape click play and u will see the channels on the right go up. u want that under 0.0 but as close as u can to 0.0 if it goes over it clips and sound bad just keep doin wave hammer till u think it ok. also on wave hammer u will see 3 bits u can pull up and down i only ever use the right hand end 1 just knock that down to - 1.00% after u fell it ok with the first lot of wave hammer will make sure it dont clip then. if u want to check for clip go to tools then detect clipping then click the arrow so the list comes down and pick detect all 0dB clipping then run that. (that just check the hole lot to see if it goin over 0.0) gd little tool that. after that just save the tape i would save 192kbps or higher no less as it start to get bad when u have saved it. also save in mp3. best 1 to save as so easy to work with and not big on it file size. just incase here how u get to wave hammer. effect then wave hammer at the bottom hope that help u out

You're a legend mate, will have to wait till payday to get myself a soundcard, but I appreciate you taking the time to write that for me! Looks like good advice to me!

always happy to help m8

also some tape r better then other if the tape bad u cant do a lot to it but that sony sound forge does wonder m8 ps if u get stuck with it pm me on here will give u my addy for msn and help u that why