The various names of the device:
ezcap
USB Cassette Capture
The SKU: D90
The barcode: 797734244366
Found on eBay, Amazon and I'm sure other places, this device, an old-fashioned cassette player, transfers the sound on the cassette to your computer.
At the time of writing this 'blog, the cost is about $20 to $30 (US Dollars).
The box contains the cassette player, a usb mini to usb "A" cable and a set of earphones, a CD which has the User Guide (pdf) which shows how to install Audacity in Windows.
It also has an Apple folder and Audacity.exe the Windows installer.
I use Linux - Ubuntu (ver. 12.04 LTS codename: Precise Pangolin).
I had it installed on my computer from some time ago. My version is: 2.0.0 (Unicode). After I read the instruction sheet, I opened (called or ran) Audacity.
Following the instructions (see scans, this 'blog) and found the words: USB Audio Device and Channels: 2 (Stereo). I then plugged the cassette into the computer and selecting:
Pause
Record
I then pushed PLAY on the cassette.
I clicked Pause again, to allow Audacity to start recording.
In a snap of the fingers, I had the first side of the tape in captured. I exported the sound in an .mp3 format. (Linux User Note: Install Lame for .mp3 export from Audacity).
The next day, I started the next tape, but WHOA!!! Problems. Audacity was not showing any sound being recorded.
After some fruitless searching about this on the 'net, I found how it will work on this computer (YMMV).
First some technical details:
Bus 001 Device 009: ID 0c76:1616 JMTek, LLC.
Device Descriptor:
bLength 18
bDescriptorType 1
bcdUSB 1.10
bDeviceClass 0 (Defined at Interface level)
bDeviceSubClass 0
bDeviceProtocol 0
bMaxPacketSize0 64
idVendor 0x0c76 JMTek, LLC.
idProduct 0x1616
bcdDevice 1.00
iManufacturer 1
iProduct 2
iSerial 0
bNumConfigurations 1
Configuration Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 2
wTotalLength 142
bNumInterfaces 3
bConfigurationValue 1
Configuration Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 2
wTotalLength 142
bNumInterfaces 3
bConfigurationValue 1
iConfiguration 0
bmAttributes 0x80
(Bus Powered)
MaxPower 100mA
Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 4
bInterfaceNumber 0
bAlternateSetting 0
bNumEndpoints 0
bInterfaceClass 1 Audio
bInterfaceSubClass 1 Control Device
bInterfaceProtocol 0
iInterface 0
AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 36
bDescriptorSubtype 1 (HEADER)
bcdADC 1.00
wTotalLength 47
bInCollection 1
baInterfaceNr( 0) 1
AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
bLength 12
bDescriptorType 36
bDescriptorSubtype 2 (INPUT_TERMINAL)
bTerminalID 2
wTerminalType 0x0205 Microphone Array
bAssocTerminal 0
bNrChannels 2
wChannelConfig 0x0003
Left Front (L)
Right Front (R)
iChannelNames 0
iTerminal 0
AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 36
bDescriptorSubtype 3 (OUTPUT_TERMINAL)
bTerminalID 18
wTerminalType 0x0101 USB Streaming
bAssocTerminal 2
bSourceID 33
iTerminal 0
AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
bLength 7
bDescriptorType 36
bDescriptorSubtype 5 (SELECTOR_UNIT)
bUnitID 33
bNrInPins 1
baSource( 0) 50
iSelector 0
AudioControl Interface Descriptor:
bLength 10
bDescriptorType 36
bDescriptorSubtype 6 (FEATURE_UNIT)
bUnitID 50
bSourceID 2
bControlSize 1
bmaControls( 0) 0x03
Mute Control
Volume Control
bmaControls( 1) 0x00
bmaControls( 2) 0x00
iFeature 0
Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 4
bInterfaceNumber 1
bAlternateSetting 0
bNumEndpoints 0
bInterfaceClass 1 Audio
bInterfaceSubClass 2 Streaming
bInterfaceProtocol 0
iInterface 0
Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 4
bInterfaceNumber 1
bAlternateSetting 1
bNumEndpoints 1
bInterfaceClass 1 Audio
bInterfaceSubClass 2 Streaming
bInterfaceProtocol 0
iInterface 0
AudioStreaming Interface Descriptor:
bLength 7
bDescriptorType 36
bDescriptorSubtype 1 (AS_GENERAL)
bTerminalLink 18
bDelay 1 frames
wFormatTag 1 PCM
AudioStreaming Interface Descriptor:
bLength 11
bDescriptorType 36
bDescriptorSubtype 2 (FORMAT_TYPE)
bFormatType 1 (FORMAT_TYPE_I)
bNrChannels 2
bSubframeSize 2
bBitResolution 16
bSamFreqType 1 Discrete
tSamFreq[ 0] 48000
Endpoint Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 5
bEndpointAddress 0x82 EP 2 IN
bmAttributes 5
Transfer Type Isochronous
Synch Type Asynchronous
Usage Type Data
wMaxPacketSize 0x00c8 1x 200 bytes
bInterval 1
bRefresh 0
bSynchAddress 0
AudioControl Endpoint Descriptor:
bLength 7
bDescriptorType 37
bDescriptorSubtype 1 (EP_GENERAL)
bmAttributes 0x01
Sampling Frequency
bLockDelayUnits 0 Undefined
wLockDelay 0 Undefined
Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 4
bInterfaceNumber 2
bAlternateSetting 0
bNumEndpoints 1
bInterfaceClass 3 Human Interface Device
bInterfaceSubClass 0 No Subclass
bInterfaceProtocol 0 None
iInterface 0
HID Device Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 33
bcdHID 1.00
bCountryCode 0 Not supported
bNumDescriptors 1
bDescriptorType 34 Report
wDescriptorLength 62
Report Descriptors:
** UNAVAILABLE **
Endpoint Descriptor:
bLength 7
bDescriptorType 5
bEndpointAddress 0x83 EP 3 IN
bmAttributes 3
Transfer Type Interrupt
Synch Type None
Usage Type Data
wMaxPacketSize 0x0004 1x 4 bytes
bInterval 32
Searching for JMTek and Linux shows very few posts. That is why I'm making a 'blog about this device.
What I did to solve the problem was this
I uninstalled and purged Audacity. I then re-installed Audacity and Lame. I warmbooted (re-booted) with the cassette player's USB cable plugged into the computer's USB port. (I'm actually plugged into a Siig USB 4 port hub).
Next, Plug in the ezcap "Super USB Cassette Capture" player. This is important, Audacity will not find the right port, if it is started before the "Super USB Cassette Capture" is plugged into a USB port.
Next, Plug in the ezcap "Super USB Cassette Capture" player. This is important, Audacity will not find the right port, if it is started before the "Super USB Cassette Capture" is plugged into a USB port.
Next I:
Open Audacity
Open Edit
Select Preferences
Select Recording
see:
Devices
Under Recording
Device:
select:
USB PnP Audio Device: USB Audio (hw:2,0):Line:0
USB PnP Audio Device: USB Audio (hw:2,0):Line:0
Chanels: 2 (Stereo)
Click the OK radio button.
It should work.
I do not use Software Playthrough: Listen while recording or monitoring new track. (uncheck when recording "stereo mix").
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| Back of Box |
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| Front of Box |
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| Mini CD with Audacity |
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Hi, I would appreciate if anyone can render valuable advice for this problem I face in using ezcap USB cassette capture:
ReplyDeleteI'm currently converting audio cassette tapes into .aiff files via Audacity 2.1.0 on Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 (MacBook Pro, Early 2011). I get too much random static that overlaps with the voice. When I stop the cassette, rewind it approximately to the point the static began, and play the cassette again, the static is either gone or the static reappears at different places. Occasionally, the static is soft. Sometimes it is repeated and loud. I believe this is a problem with Ezcap USB cassette capture, not the cassette. I have tried using different USB cables and even 2 male 3.5mm audio cable; the static is still produced. I have attempted to clean the tape heads with cotton buds, but the static still remains.
Previously, I had serious problems with 120 minute tapes such that 3-4 tapes were slightly damaged. I guess the motor of Ezcap USB Cassette Capture is not strong enough for such tapes, thus now I only dare to convert 60min or 90 min tapes. What would happen is that the 120min tapes will be played to a point where the amount of tape is somewhat equal on both reels and it gets a bit tight in the cassette. The ezcap device will then automatically change the direction in which the tape plays and play the audio recorded on the other side of the tape. In response, I would press and hold the "DIR" down to ensure the direction does not change on its own. This resulted in the tape coiling excessively on the tape head because the take-up reel refused to turn, or turned less than it should. The play button would then jump up on its own (and the tape would stop playing). I wonder whether this has damaged the device, creating the frequent static. Before facing this problem with 120 minute tapes, I did successfully convert 90min tapes with fewer occurrences of static (at that point in time, I thought the static was due to poor cassette quality).
1. would like to hear if people have been successful in converting 120min tapes using EZCAP USB Cassette Capture.
2. How should I clean/repair the EZCAP USB Cassette Capture device such that the static is not produced?
3. If you do not think the problem lies with the device, how then do you recommend that the static be removed? Note that this static cannot be removed by the "Noise Removal" function in Audacity because it overlaps with the voice. I have tried. Also, the static is not heard whatsoever from the cassette when I play it on another radio cassette-corder.
Thank you to all in advance.