I have a bunch of reel to reel tapes with stuff on 'em that I'd like to get on CD's (nothing to do with magic...it's pro wrestling interviews with Gordon Solie from back in the day/early 70's).

Wondering if anybody here has any experience with doing this and the best, easiest, way to do it or what kind of audio/video "transfer" place should I try to find!!??

This would be the "best of" from several different tapes so I'm thinking I'd have to make a edited "master" of this put together and then have that copied onto CD's (???).

There's a market for these among old school wrestling fans!!

If it's just audio, you can use your computer to do it. You'll need to get an audio to USB connector cable. Then hook it up to the microphone in connection on your computer. You can download (FREE) a program called Audacity and capture the sound that way. Audacity records to the computer any sound that comes across the sound card, which would be what happens when you hook the reel to reel to the computer via the USB cable.

If you have video, then it's a whole different discussion with similar stuff. You'd need a transfer cable from your video player to the computer (Firewire works best as video data is HUGE). Then you can use Windows Movie Maker (comes loaded with Windows based computers) to capture the video / audio into the computer as an AVI file. You can then burn that file to a DVD using any number of programs. I use a program called DVD Flick to burn mine.

If you want to find someone else to do it (won't be cheap), look in the yellow pages under Video for businesses that offer transfer services.

Hope this helps.

Mark.

You can also google how to do it. It is a little different if it is a MAC or PC as far as the software used. But Mark has layed out the basic method.

Richard

For video buy the Pinnacle Dazzler, it will come with video editing software to transfer to DVD, using the hardware in the box. You will be able to transfer VHS video tape if you have a VHS VCR machine to your computer then to DVD.

You said video then said CD, video is on DVD-R disc, not CD.

Audio is on cd. You can use the above for audio as well.

Now again you say Reel to Reel, if you are talking the reel to reel before the cassette tapes and video tapes. Then you have to have the player they were made on, usually only television stations had that equipment in the 1970's.

Another method is to purchase a Hauppauge Television with recorder, install it in your computer or use the USB model. Then attach it to a VHS VCR Tape recorder and the Hauppauge. This will get it in your computer. Then you can use any of the Windows DVD Maker that is downloaded with the Windows Live programs. This you can edit and convert to burn to a DVD-R disc with the Window 7 standard software supplied with the operating system.

The new VHS VCRs are junk, I have gone through 5 so far, they usually break after inserting a VHS cassette video tape. So don't skip on price and make sure you by an extra warranty, as you will need it by sending back every machine after playing one tape, that is if you get that far. Some would not even play.

Note: Microsoft Windows Movie Maker have been replaced with Microsoft Windows DVD Maker!

2 basic steps. Transfer audio from reel to reel to your PC. Then from PC to cd.
Audio out on reel to reel into audio in on PC.

Frank,
I have done exactly what you are attempting to do.

Mark has given you the best advice so far.

One of the posts is full of misinformation.
Video can be transferred to both CDs and to DVDs.
DVDs are typically used for video because it will hold more data.
I have a few 1 hour video CDs .
Audio can be written to DVDs as well. You can fit about 6 times more on a DVD than on a CD.
You can use not only CDs and DVD-R but also DVD+R and DVD+-RW

But since you are not transferring video, that's irrevelant. I just wanted to clear up any misconceptions.

I own a reel to reel recorder/player which I had since the late 60s and I was not a television station.
Many audio enthusiasts owned reel to reel recorders because of their superior quality.
Also, you do not need video editing software to digitize audio.
Also, it is not necessary to buy a VHS VCR to transfer from a reel to reel to a computer as was suggested above.

I am currently making CDs from some of my old LP albums. I clean them up with audio editing software, not video editing software.
I use professional software but Mark's suggestion (Audacity) is a good one.

Good luck in your project.
PM me if you need any help.
Regards,

Since the OP was not clear if he was wishing to convert Video or Audio only, I went with video. Ihop if you want very low quality video you can put video on CD, but it is not very good and can only play on a computer. You are also wrong about the using + disc. They do not play on ALL newer none computer audio systems, where as - does.

I did have an Akai reel to reel audio tape player I purchased from Japan when in serving in Vietnam.

If you are converting only audio you can use these easier FREE programs to use:
Nero SoundTrax and Nero WaveEditor

http://www.nero.com/enu/downloads/

Bill,
I beg to differ.
Since the OP said it was reel to reel, that was an indication that it WAS audio.
You said, and I quote,"video is on DVD-R disc and not CD"
Whether it is low quality or high quality is not the point, is it?
I was just correcting your misinformation.
All that aside, the OP was talking about audio, not video.
Also, what was the VHS advice about?
Again, he was discussing reel to reel.

Regards,

Ihop wrote:



This is not as clear as you seem to think. Years ago a friend recorded my juggling act on a real to reel VIDEO recorder that he borrowed from the school he worked at.

Like you, I would have thought the OP was talking about audio but Bill didn't read it that way and he gave good information. If I was advising a newbie I would tell them that DVD is for video and CD is for audio. That is good advice for someone who doesn't have a lot of experience at this.

I understand what you are saying and I agree with you.
Bill was talking in such an absolute way, that I was just saying that it is not all necessarily correct.
But yes, DVDs are usually for videos and CDS are generally for audio but it that doesn't mean they can't be interchanged.
I guess I just got hung up on Bill's authoritative statements and wanted to set the record straight.