Windows Media Player Plus! Questions

We are looking to convert music from vinyl and cassette to digital, then burn the results to CD to play in the car.

From what I read about Windows Media Player Plus Digital Media, if we spend the $15, we get the analog ripper and a converter to convert the resulting files into MP3 format. We need them in .wma, so Windows Media Player (10) will convert them to .cda files during the burn process.

Anyone have any experience with this, or do you have other suggestions?

Right now, we could also buy RIP Vinyl, when rips in .wav format, then convert from .wav to .mp3 with Switch!, then download yet another converter to go from .mp3 to .wma. Seems like a lot of software if this Plus! will take care of it.

Any feedback, experiences, suggestions, etc. greatly welcome.

Thanks!

~Val in balmy IL

 

I have used the free open source Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ to get my music off of my records and tapes. Then save them as a wav. Put the wav. files on a CD-R and it played in my car CD player as the player does not do mp3 files.

 

I use Roxio Easy Media creator suite 8. It has several components that do all that you want. You can record 'what you hear' in .wav, .wma, .mp3 or several other formats, and convert between them. You can also edit/clean up the recordings (e.g. remove clicks), manipulate transition effects between tracks edit track information, etc, burn to an audio CD, and create the label and case inserts if you wish.

Of course you get a lot of other components in such a suite, including video creation and editing, which you may not want, so it may not be worth the additional cost for you.

 

May I ask what equipment you need to get music from your stereo to the computer. I have seperate units. i.e., casette deck, turntable, cd player which connect to a radio\stereo receiver. My speakers are the kind that are attached by a ***** to the receiver, not plugs. With this setup is it possible for me to do what you did?

 

On your radio\stereo receiver do you have extra outputs? On mine I bought a cable that had two RCA plugs on one end and a 1/8" mini stereo plug on the other end. The RCA plugs go into the receiver sound outputs. The 1/8" stereo plug, plugs into the input on your sound card. Set Audacity to record from your sound card. Get the media you want to record ready. Start Audacity. Then start your tape or record. Being that you said that your speakers don't use RCA jacks you may need to make your own cable with a RCA jacks and wire. Then take your speakers off and hook up the cables you made. You will still need the RCA to 1/8" cable to hook the receiver to your sound cards. Also check that your input on your sound card is 1/8 ".

 

Hi Russ,

Thanks for all the information. It seems that I will need some help from a friend, regarding the wire for the speakers. It sounds exciting to get my music on CD's.

Once again, thanks for your help.