Audio Split

[Biggin587]

Hi, I recently was put in charge or copying tapes to CD at my church. The church is very small and cant afford to purchase a cd burner to record the audio to right now..so I decided to just take my laptop and use Adobe Audition and put it on my hard drive then burn it that way. Ok after all that the problem I am having is I want to take the two RCA Cables that they have going into the tape deck and split them so they can go to my Laptop and then back into the tape deck as well. I know I need a 1/8 cable for my laptop. My friend mentioned an Distribution Amplifier but they only have RCA outs that I could see. I am on kind of a tight budget any help would be great! Thanks!! (Let me know if I wasn't clear on anything)

-Biggin587

 

[markw]

For a two way analog split to two analog inputs you most likely won't need an amplifier. Is that what you wanted to know?

 

[Pyrrho]

Hi, I recently was put in charge or copying tapes to CD at my church. The church is very small and cant afford to purchase a cd burner to record the audio to right now..so I decided to just take my laptop and use Adobe Audition and put it on my hard drive then burn it that way. Ok after all that the problem I am having is I want to take the two RCA Cables that they have going into the tape deck and split them so they can go to my Laptop and then back into the tape deck as well. I know I need a 1/8 cable for my laptop. My friend mentioned an Distribution Amplifier but they only have RCA outs that I could see. I am on kind of a tight budget any help would be great! Thanks!! (Let me know if I wasn't clear on anything)

-Biggin587

Like markw, I am a little unclear on what you are wanting to do. Are you looking for something like:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=240-135

Perhaps also with two of:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=240-127

When you say, "I want to take the two RCA Cables that they have going into the tape deck and split them so they can go to my Laptop and then back into the tape deck as well", do you mean that you want the signal to go to both the tape deck and the computer simultaneously, or do you mean that you want the signal to go through the computer and then out to the tape deck, or do you mean something else?

And what other equipment is being used? Does the thing to which the tape deck is hooked up have another set of outputs (for another tape deck, etc.) that you could use for the computer? If so, you might just need one of the adapter wires at the first link I provided.

And if you just want to copy tapes onto your computer, you can use one of the adapter wires at the first link to hook up the output of the tape deck to the input on your computer and then, when you are finished, you hook up the output of the tape deck to whatever it is now hooked up to.

 

[Biggin587]

Sorry for my confusion..lol. I want to have the signal going to both simultaneously. I am not real audio literate yet cause I am still learning...but they have an amp for the speakers, a mixer, and a tape deck. Its a real small church so nothing fancy. I want to take the two RCA's (left and right) and split off of those to go to my laptop but also go back into the tape deck so I can use that as an archive in case something goes wrong with my laptop or something..Is that a little more clear?

-Biggin587

 

[TLS Guy]

Sorry for my confusion..lol. I want to have the signal going to both simultaneously. I am not real audio literate yet cause I am still learning...but they have an amp for the speakers, a mixer, and a tape deck. Its a real small church so nothing fancy. I want to take the two RCA's (left and right) and split off of those to go to my laptop but also go back into the tape deck so I can use that as an archive in case something goes wrong with my laptop or something..Is that a little more clear?

-Biggin587

This is still making no sense. What are you archiving? You still have the original tapes after you have recorded them to your laptop. All you need is one cable splitter from the tape outs. I see no reason why you need to connect anything to the tape in. What are we missing here?

 

[Biggin587]

ok they have two RCA cables going into the the tape deck I want to take those out and split those some how...that was my question...then after I split them I want to take one to my laptop via a 1/8" stereo connection and the other back to the tape deck so I can record onto the tapes via the tape deck..all I want to do is to "tap" into the existing setup somehow and still be able to record to the tapes if need be. I just want to know what the best way to do that is...thanks

-Biggin587

 

[TLS Guy]

ok they have two RCA cables going into the the tape deck I want to take those out and split those some how...that was my question...then after I split them I want to take one to my laptop via a 1/8" stereo connection and the other back to the tape deck so I can record onto the tapes via the tape deck..all I want to do is to "tap" into the existing setup somehow and still be able to record to the tapes if need be. I just want to know what the best way to do that is...thanks

-Biggin587

You don't need to split anything. You just need two sets of the adapter cables, Pyrrho steered you towards. If you want the amp to play at the same time, you can add a Y splitter to the tape out cable. Life would be easiest if you look for one of the old Radio Shack tape control centers. They come up quite often on eBay as they were popular in the hey day of tape. There is not one for sale at the moment. They usually go for $30. That device would be very useful for what you want to do.

 

[MDS]

Like everyone else I don't understand the reason for going both to and from the computer.

- If you want to record the tape you just need one cable, a 3.5 mm to 2 RCA, from the tape outs to line-in on the laptop. Use Audition to record it and now you have a WAV file on the laptop.

- If you want to dub tape to tape and the tape deck is a dual well then you don't need anything other than the tape deck.

- If you want to dub from a digital audio file on the laptop to a tape, then you just need the opposite of the recording connection - line-out of the sound card to the tape deck inputs and play the song on the computer using any media player, even Audition.

You can't simultaneously record the playing tape to digital and also send that back out to the same tape deck to make a duplicate tape at the same time without a mixer.

 

[Brett A]

Do you simply want to send the signal to the tapedeck and your computer at the same time?

What's feeding the signal to the tapedeck now? An RCA cord like this from the back of a PA mixer something like this?
If so, you just need two of these and a second set of RCA cables.

 

[markw]

You're really making this more difficult than it needs to be.

First, get two of those MFF "Y" adapters that Pyrro's second picture shows and one of the cable in the first.

1) Unplug the male RCA plug from the tape recorder's input.

2) Plug in the only male RCA plug from one of the "Y" adapters into the tape recorder's input that you just opened up.

3) Plug the interconnect you just unplugged from the tape recorder's input in step 1 into either one of the two female RCA jacks in the "Y" adapter.

This will bring you back to where you were before you did anything, but you now have another output with a female RCA jack.

4) Repeat for both channels.

5) Now, get that cable in the first picture that Pyrro showed you.

6) Plug a male RCA into the open female jack in the "Y" connector.

7) Plug that 1/8" stereo mini-plug on the other side of that interconnect into whatever jack you need to in your computer.

you should be good to go.

 

[Biggin587]

Thanks MarkW that helped alot...Just what I needed..Do you think I will get any signal strength loss with that option? Also, does it matter which one I plug into the right channel and the left channel? Will it matter if they are swapped? I assume that your saying take the cable the other member suggested and plug the red into one of the Y adapters and the white into the other Y adapter? Right? Thanks again!

-Biggin587

 

[markw]

Thanks MarkW that helped alot...Just what I needed..Do you think I will get any signal strength loss with that option?

Probably, but it will be inconsequential.

Also, does it matter which one I plug into the right channel and the left channel? Will it matter if they are swapped?

No, but you can assure that the right.left scenario is maintained by reading the back of the tape recirder and, firthe interconnect, red is right, white is left.

I assume that your saying take the cable the other member suggested and plug the red into one of the Y adapters and the white into the other Y adapter? Right? Thanks again!

Yes. Remember red is right, white is left. Remember which channel you plugged each "Y" connector into, or you can mark them with colored electrical tape. That's what I do.

 

[Audioholics]

I'd recommend simply splitting the OUTPUT - ie the thing that is sending to the tape deck (likely 1/4-inch stereo). Split it there and send another line to the 1/8-inch input of the PC.

You don't need to be going from the output side of the cable and splitting RCAs.

 

[Brett A]

I'd recommend simply splitting the OUTPUT

I agree and tried to explain this in post #9.

 

[markw]

One man's ceiling is another man's floor.

I'd recommend simply splitting the OUTPUT - ie the thing that is sending to the tape deck (likely 1/4-inch stereo). Split it there and send another line to the 1/8-inch input of the PC.

You don't need to be going from the output side of the cable and splitting RCAs.

A lot of smaller churches use more consumer gear more than pro gear.

I think we're saying the same thing, just from opposite ends of the interconnect. Since he brought up RCA connections I stuck with that.

Of course, he can tap into the signal from either end of that amp out/tape in interconnect, but I found it easier to explain my way. Both produce the same results, though.

Brett's gold FFM connector would work just as well as the "Y" connectors. though. Functionally, they are identical. And, iunlessthe 'puter has dual RCA audio inputs, he'll still need that 1/8" stereo mini plug to dual RCA interconnect.

 

[Biggin587]

Okay I believe that I am going to go with MarkW's way..due to their setup that would be easier I think...Thanks for all your help guys!

-Biggin587