Transfer audio to digital help

[charvelguy]

Alright.. I've read thru some of NEWC's advice.. which is great and all but as simple as it may seem to record present ideas and post them I'd like to first transfer some of my old analog tapes to digial and multiplayer files which can be viewed by other members here as a great deal of my present material for the past ten years is still getting put onto cassettes. Soo..
Objective:
I want to take a VHS recording, old live cassettes and transfer them into the harddrive. I think the easiest way to do that is to buy a DVD RW-VCR combo..but.. I have not taken the plunge.
I'm sure I have most everything here to post I just need help navigating the process and hookup.



Hardware.
If you are interested in the system.. its a Dell GX260, pent 4, 2.66 mhz, two gig ram, 20 gig partitioned main drive with an added Hd 80 gig for files. I'm running one OS: Windows XP pro sp2.

I have a typical 4 head VCR.
Input devices going into the computer..
the system I'm using is a MOTO 2408 MK2 with the PCI 324 card.
There's also a M-audio Midisport 2x2 for midi devices.

I have various recording software. Motu came with its own recording console as well as the PCI 324 recording console.
Also installed:
..the typical Nero 5.5 and Nero express that comes with Dell products.
Cakewalk pro audio 9.0 installed and Ableton lite 4.0 live.

I am a very newbee to this equipment and software. I'm wanting to record the VCR into cpu.. can I do it with this?

Know what, I can figure this out..but if you have any useful suggestions, feel free.

[slash]

If you just want the audio you can hook up your VCR/Cassete to your line in and record it as a wave file then convert it to a MP3. I have done this in the past and it's quick and easy. If you want to transfer the video you will need a capture card which can be had for as cheap as $15-$20.
I hope this helps if not maybe someone can offer a better way to do this.

[Newc]

Don't skimp on the video capture device if the VHS performance is as important as the audio on it. VHS transfers to a "WalMart" capture card will look like a typical celphone video, or the majority of those YouTube clips.

Spring for an external capture box like the Canopus ADVC-55 http://www.canopus.com/products/ADVC55/index.php

I've got one and it makes a world of difference over my old ATI All-In-Wonder card from WalMart.

Since the VHS is lower quality by nature, transferring it via a cheap card like the A.I.W. will make it look worse, but the ADVC makes it look the same as it does in it's original format. It won't make it look better, but it won't make it look worse.

The ADVC-55 also has stereo Audio inputs, and it connects via FireWire, which your Dell should have. If not, WalMart has a $20 add-in 3-port FireWire card which is easy to install as long as you have one free PCI slot.

It sounds like you've got all the software you need to run the capture box, though I haven't used those myself. I use Pinnacle Studio 10. I started with Studio 8 LE a few years ago that came with the All-In-Wonder, and liked it enough to go for the upgraded full versions.

Anyhoo, the connections are simple - VCR Composite cable (Red, White, Yellow) to Canopus inputs (match the colors), then FireWire port of Canopus to FireWire port of PC.

However, FireWire ports come in 2 varieties - the "general USB-sized" and the "mini" sized. The one that is the size of most USB devices (jump drives, etc - same size as the one on the ADVC-55 unit itself) will provide power to the Canopus, but the smaller port size (looks like a very small "Alien" inner set of teeth) cannot provide power. The ADVC-55 does not come with the power supply (for $200+, it should, but I rarely ever need it - usually only when dumping to my laptop, which has a Celeron, which is slow, so I rarely use it).
The power supply is $30 IIRC, and they even tell you which one you need on the Canopus page.

I bought mine directly from Canopus a couple of years ago, but it appears they have stopped doing that. You might find one on Ebay, though.

Here are some videos I filmed with a JVC SuperVHS (GR-SXM250U) at Summer NAMM 04 and dumped to my PC ATI All-In-Wonder (9550 I think was the particular model):
http://autumn-frost.com/jcf/NAMM04/Videos/

Notice how they seem a bit jumpy? I used the same camera and brand of tape (Maxell) and same speed settings (highest) to film some training videos for my employer and dumped them to the same PC using the same card (self-built Intel-based system - P3 2.5GHz with 1GB of RAM, 180GB HD for video/audio, XP Home), and got the same jumpy results. Then I got the ADVC-55 and dumped them again from the original tapes, and they are a lot smoother (they're also too big to put on my site )

I need to re-dump the NAMM vids with the Canopus for a better side-by side comparison.

If you can live with the jumpiness, go with the ATI. Just remember, if the person running the camera is a loserhead like me who can't hold the camera steady (sober or not), the jumpiness gets nauseating quickly. I didn't realise I wobbled that much till I played back those vids on the PC

Note that you'll also lose some framerate when converting from the original format the PC records in (AVI for Pinnacle Studio), as well as some video quality. Since you can't control the quality going into the PC (meaning it's on the tape already and can't be re-shot on better tape), the cleaner it is going into the PC (such as through the ADVC-55 or a better box) the better it will look when it's web-sized.

[charvelguy]

Slash..I appreciate your input, thank you.
I had been wondering eariler that I should attempt cass conversion before doing the video. I found this approach on C-net for the vids
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10163_7-5705957-1.html

All the movie box seems to be is a video card in a outboard case.


Newc .. I thought those vids turned out really well for an old JVC VHS.
I didn't think they were that bad. Must've been a little bulky carrying that around NAMM but it took still took good shots/audio. I picked up an older lightly used Sharp HQ VHS w/carrying kit at a pawn shop this summer for 20.00..came with AC as well as a backup battery and it still holds a charge!
This will get me by until I have sprung for a higher quality digital vid recorder.
Rob Marcello side shots on the technique was really nice-the guy has it down.

I appreciate your input and suggestions on the Canopus, thank you. Those units are fairly pricey new so I'll have to opt for used.

I have three firewire inputs on the Motu PCI-324 card so it should interface ok with the Dell and the hookup is simple. I see they make quite a few units.. not sure how much difference is between them but the ADVC 55 seems like the smaller model and I noticed there are older ones on eBay. If you know of any units of theirs that I should avoid...let me know. I'll be researching their stuff a little further as well. Overall this seems like the way to go altho I did not want to spend another 150 bucks to get vids onto the 'net.

[Newc]

Hippietim pointed me to the Canopus stuff, so he might know which models to avoid.

And the JVC isn't really heavy, I just never did have a steady hand (plus i was using the zoom, which means minor movement is amplified as the zoom rate increases.