It Was Made to Sound so Simple!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I was surprised to learn, while researching how to go about recording some of my old tapes to CD, that it is just a simple case of hooking up a Stereo "Y" adapter from the "output" on the amp to the "input" of the computer's soundcard.

Couldn't be simpler than that. HA! I bet it would have been simple had I transferred ALL of the stereo components to the "studio" that is my kitchen/computer room.

I thought I'll make this easy on myself and only transport the amp and cassette deck from the stereo component cabinet. So I did just that and attempted to hook up the "output" cables to the "input" jack on the computer. No luck. I couldn't even determine which jack was the "input"! It's dark and scary back there! I tried to use a mirror to reflect light on the back of the computer so I could determine which jack I needed, but no luck, my head kept blocking the light!

So, then I tried taking a digital picture of the back of the computer. I know, I'm a genius! Nope, didn't work...the flash reflected off the silver plate on the back of the computer and made it unreadble. Ugh.

Then I Googled for a diagram of the back of my Gateway. Google does it again! I don't know what I'd do without Google!

So, to make a long story short, I went to Walmart and purchased the "Y" adapter I'd need. Had to transfer every single bit of the stereo components to make this deal work. I had to try about four-hundred different set-ups, and then about three hours after I started the project the kitchen is a mess with electronics all over the place.

Finally I got the set up to work! So, now I am sitting here recording my old cassettes. I started with the cassette I have of the University of Akron Jazz Ensemble when we went on a road trip to Notre Dame and Aquinas College in 1987. Our Notre Dame performance was so-so, but Aquinas kicked! Woohooo! I still feel the excitement of that set!

Only musicians can understand that feeling when everything just sets into a "groove". Every note, every pitch, every nuance, the rhythm, it all just fits perfectly and the whole band feels it. Solists start really taking chances and it all flies! There is nothing like it and it is moments like that a musician will say, "THAT'S why I'm a musician!" Of the hundreds of gigs I've played, I can think back to three or four that I still remember, because it was those performances that made those musical markers in my life...it's almost like an out of body experience!

Well, I'm going back to have fun transferring all these files to CD. The hard part, setting up the stereo to the computer, is over and the fun has started!