Earlier the only way we managed to sucessfully copy audio cassettes was by playing them on the Pankaj machine (in the Nabadwip office) with the line-in of the PB5300CS plugged into the line out of the Pankaj machine.
However we later found out that yes, can record directly from a walkman, but be cautious at first about how loud you have the volume on the walkman. Too loud and perhaps something will blow in the computer?
Don't record directly into mp3 format, because if you do almost anything at the same time on the computer, it will cause a drop out of sound -- even on a fast computer (Spd Goswami Maharaj also knows this well...). Instead, record as aiff files (using SoundEdit), then convert to mp3 using SoundJam -- then there's no loss even if you do other work during either of these processes (except perhaps using _heavy_ programmes such as Photoshop 6 while making the aiff recording.).
To record, use SoundEdit. Use these settings (as also given elsewhere):
Play a cassette in only the right hand side cassette bay.
Speed?
First listen to a short part of the tape, determine
if the speed of playing the tape must be adjusted.
If so, open the cover of the Pankaj. Look inside at the printed circuit
board lying horisontally behind the cassette mechanisms. On the near right side of that board are four
silver circular adjusters with a small slot in the top. Using a watchmakers
screwdriver, rotate the near right adjuster -- ONLY
THIS one adjuster -- clockwise to make the tape
go faster, anticlockwise to go slower.
Just for info, of the right hand four adjujsters, the near left one adjusts the speed of the left side deck.
How loud?
Using SoundEdit refer to the Levels window. Increase the recording linput
level (if necessary) -- try just15 seconds or so, and ensure all is well.
Neon lights, etc.?
Turn off all neon lights in the office. They will interfere if the current
goes off and on.
Ensure the Pankaj is plugged into the UPS. But the UPS won't work with the generator on.
While recording
Record. Be alert to changes in speed, fuzziness or feintness due to dirt accumulating on the playing head. Changes in volume (if you increased the recording input level)
Take notes in a separate file
as though you were attending the lecture as stenographer -- i.e. we should
have a good idea what is on the tape or track by reading the notes you make.
Also:
Naming the tracks
Name the tracks according to
their date and whatever may be mentioned there. The method is: YearMonthDay
without any spaces.
i.e.7 May 2001 becomes: 010507
And use the A, B, C, etc to signify continuation a day's talk(s) on more
than one side of a tape. i.e.010507A then the next side of the same day
would be 010507B, etc.
Save each one as you do it. The first mission is to get the cassettes "as is" into digital. That file is converted to mp3 file and kept safe,
Convert to mp3 format (to save considerable space) using the "Converter" window in SoundJam. You can do this in the background while recording other tracks or while doing anything on the Mac -- sound drop-out won't occur. Configure it to: Best quality, 64kbs, auto kHz, mono. Incidentally we ran tests converting and reconverting back, then converting that file and reconvering back eight times without any noticable loss of quality on lecture tracks.
using the
Then the tapes (now tracks) that are selcted for cleaning will need some attention,
Definitely some feedback would be v welcome.