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Topic: Possible to Connect Cassette Player's Headphone Jack to USB Port? (Read 1753 times) previous topic - next topic
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Possible to Connect Cassette Player's Headphone Jack to USB Port?

This has to be one of those, "This has been asked before" things, but nothing came up in a search I did:

Many years ago I digitized cassette tapes by using a 3.5mm adapter cable that went from a portable cassette player's headphone jack to the line in of a Gateway Performance 1000 computer's sound card.

I recently acquired a cassette tape that I would like to digitize but now I am using a Dell Inspiron 15 3000 laptop that only has USB ports (at least one of those ports is USB 3.0).

Is there a USB adapter that will allow the use my old 3.5mm adapter cable to connect the cassette player's headphone jack to the laptop's USB port so that a program such as Audacity can record the audio?

If it can be done, any ideas of specific adapters to use?

Unless I am misunderstanding what I am reading, the below type adapters appear to be the reverse of what I am wanting. Meaning the signal is going out of the USB port and not into it.

https://www.amazon.com/DuKabel-ProSeries-Mic-Supported-Headphone-External/dp/B07RS11M1T

https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-External-Headset-Headphone-Desktops/dp/B0D8KFDH7H/ref=asc_df_B0D8KFDH7H

The attached graphic has the 3.5mm adapter cable used in the past.

Re: Possible to Connect Cassette Player's Headphone Jack to USB Port?

Reply #1 –
You need an external soundcard (DAC/ADC) with analogue inputs
Random digital audio nerd girl
A potato

Re: Possible to Connect Cassette Player's Headphone Jack to USB Port?

Reply #2 –
The adapters you linked to have mono mic-in and headphone-out (like most laptops).  That's WRONG.   You need line-in which will work with a line-output or headphone output.   These signals are about 100 times stronger than a microphone signal.

The Behringer UCA202 or UCA222 s popular and relatively inexpensive.   (You can find a few cheaper audio interfaces and lots of higher-end ones.)  The Behringer has RCA connectors so you'll need a appropriate adapter/cable.

Re: Possible to Connect Cassette Player's Headphone Jack to USB Port?

Reply #3 –
I've had good luck in the past with these converters that are a little cheaper and smaller than the Behringer.

However, the Behringer looks to be higher quality and also does playback. I would spend another $10 and go for one of those instead.

Re: Possible to Connect Cassette Player's Headphone Jack to USB Port?

Reply #4 –
Thank you all for the replies.

I think @bryant  that the converter you posted is exactly what I was envisioning. It already has a built-in 3.5mm adapter to plug into the cassette player's headphone jack. I'm still using a twenty year old Curtis Mathes portable cassette player.

Quote from: bryant on
I've had good luck in the past with these converters that are a little cheaper and smaller than the Behringer.

The Behringer's look promising and are not very expensive, except I know myself and I would spend hours sweating over trying to figure out the correct cable to purchase. But I will definitely keep the Behringer's in mind.

Re: Possible to Connect Cassette Player's Headphone Jack to USB Port?

Reply #5 –
Quote
I would spend hours sweating over trying to figure out the correct cable to purchase.
Like this

Re: Possible to Connect Cassette Player's Headphone Jack to USB Port?

Reply #6 –
Quote from: cwb on
plug into the cassette player's headphone jack.

Unless your cassette player only has a headphone out, I'd use the regular line out.
The headphone out is an amplified signal for a low impedance device.
the line out is exactly designed to plug into a line in (standard voltage for high impedance loads)

If the headphone out is the only option, just take care to set the output level of the headphone out optimal, to avoid both distortion or too low level.

Re: Possible to Connect Cassette Player's Headphone Jack to USB Port?

Reply #7 –
When I'm taking output from a headphone socket, I use a resistor divider network to (a) reduce the voltage to line level, and (b) give the output a headphone-like impedance to drive.  The latter is necessary for mobile devices, as some shut down their ports to save power, if no headphone is detected.
It's your privilege to disagree, but that doesn't make you right and me wrong.

Re: Possible to Connect Cassette Player's Headphone Jack to USB Port?

Reply #8 –
To bring my original post in this thread to a conclusion:

I ultimately decided on getting the Behringer UCA222 (as recommended in an above post) and this cable, and with those two items the digitization of the cassette went smoothly.

I went with the Behringer because I didn't want any weak links between the cassette player and the USB port. And even though I do not anticipate digitizing any more cassettes; if I ever do, I know I have some quality connectors on hand to use.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I was definitely at a loss on locating what was needed.

** Not that it matters to anyone else but me; I attached a sample from the digitized (and cleaned up) cassette.

Re: Possible to Connect Cassette Player's Headphone Jack to USB Port?

Reply #9 –
Glad that worked out for you!

After posting here I also bought one of the Behringers, and it is higher quality than the cheap converters.

And it even makes a decent DAC + headphone amp.