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Convert cassette tapes for easier listening
There are several record decks now that allow vinyl to be transferred to a computer but there are rather fewer devices that do the same for cassette tapes.
The Tape Express is styled like one of the original Sony Walkmans and runs on two AA batteries. With a set of headphones plugged in it even works as a standard retro-jogging accessory.
It will do a lot more than that, though, thanks to the USB socket on its side. Connect this to a PC and you can export tracks using either of two applications supplied on a CD. The simpler one takes tracks, sides or complete cassettes and passes them over to iTunes (it has to be iTunes AAC-format files).
It doesn’t break the audio files into individual tracks, though: you have to transfer them track by track or split them by hand. The other program is the freeware sound editor Audacity, which is a lot more sophisticated but takes more learning too.
Performance was good: tracks produced sounded fine, but you could get similar or better results with an audio cassette deck connected to the PC’s sound card.
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Our verdict
If you no longer have a cassette player for transferring old tapes this works well
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Not that hot!
What should be a fun piece of kit is let down by poor componentry and 'plasticy' feel. 'Plug and Play' it is, but the lack of simple instruction is poor: what way round should the tape be?; where do I put the batteries?. Prices vary, but £40 - £60 is too much for this product. £15- £20 is more like it!
Posted by Gary Duncan, 08 Jan 2010
Not impressed.
Cheap and nasty design, but not cheap. Just purchased it from Maplin, disappointed when the box was opened. It is flimsy in construction and certainly not worth Maplin's 'offer' price of £40. As the previous reviewer says, not worth half that. Have not got it to work yet, motor runs but Linux can't yet see it. Software is Windows & MAC only !
Posted by Ron Lebar, 28 Jun 2010
Waste of Money
Like the other commentators say cheap and poorly supported. Does not do high quality cassette tapes any justice, WOW & Flutter very bad. Buy a second hand cassette deck and use the audio input of your sound card to capture those old tapes until something better comes along.
Posted by John Johnston, 10 Oct 2010
On the Low End, for sure
Ya, not for any serious projects, for sure. Very cheap, feels like it would break right easy. I installed it on my Acer laptop with Windows 7 and it was quick and easy, straightforward. I got it for free and not for anything important otherwise I would have returned it for something with a little more quality to it. I don't like that it automatically sends the track to iTunes; maybe there's a way to avoid that, I dunno. The tape player will pick up noise, like if you tap the player during operation, it will transmit to the digital version. I get the feeling from listening to it that the playback head alignment is loosey-goosey so you may get that 'wavy' sound if everything is not tight or if you move the player around while sending to yer computer. Plus - if you switch direction on the tape player, the 'REW' & 'FF' buttons become reversed but they don't tell you that. Minor inconvenience but pretty slack. A counter would be nice too. iTunes has to be running when you export the tune, otherwise you have to start all over again. BOTTOM LINE: Meh. It works but it is on the very, very low end of the scale. Do all your tapes as soon as you can cuz it will prolly break in short order. I think that's about it.
Posted by dantzig, 24 Dec 2011