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If you still have a functional tape player with line-out or headphone-out, you can do this for virtually no cost with free software (Audacity + Lame) and a $1 cable (and you may already own a cable).

Still waiting for Reel to Reel tape deck to mp3 ...

Or wax cylinder to MP3, #2?

Or maybe you meant "reel to reel" - I heard those sound better...

Like #1 said. I use an old Teac dual cassette and Audacity. Now if this magically cut the file into separate tracks.

8 track compatable?

#5 you hit the nail on the head. Not a problem I one wants a Side A and a Side B but if one wants individual tracks plan on spending some time adding the track breaks.

#7, it is not hard or time consuming to split a long track into individual songs.

USB 1.1 connection. Sweet! Let's see... USB 2.0 came out about 60 pounds ago. At 10 pounds/year this thing is at least 6 years old. A bargain at twice the price!

If you're converting tapes (or vinyl), the software I used is AudioTools. Senses "quiet" periods between tracks (adjustable) and breaks and renames into separate files. VERY handy for cassettes and unattended conversions. Also kills hiss and pops (also adjustable), and produces a pro-quality MP3, IMO.
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Audio/Other-AUDIbaconools/Audiotools.shtml

So is it illegal to torrent the albums if you already own the tape?

#5 the software this comes with does automatically break the songs into different MP3's. It waits for the blank between the songs to do so. You have the option of turning it off.

I got this to transfer some old audio cassettes containing mostly speeches that I wanted to preserve. It works really well with Audacity to trim the excess pauses and stops to reduce the time of the speeches. The quality of the MP3's is really good. However remember your source still sucks compared to a DVD, so if you think your music cassettes from the 80's are going to sound better with this you're mistaken.

Good question #11

Is AudioTools a freeware? The question is directed to smartadze but anybody could ansower.

It has:
Chrome Tape: 40Hz - 15kHz (±3dB)
Normal Tape: 40Hz - 14kHz (±3dB)

My old Pioneer cassette deck from 1985 could beat the crap out of these specs.

I would assume this has a much better audio interface then the microphone/line-in of your sound card. I can't record anything of quality with any of my computers using the built in sound card.

#11, apparently the laws changed and now it IS illegal to download music from a website, regardless of whether or not you own it on another format. Apparently the only thing you can legally do is make a back-up copy of the cassette (by using this machine or something similar.)

Did you hear about the guy who made a copy of mario brothers wii before launch date and put it on the internet? He got pwned for 1.5 million dollar judgment.

can this thing dub tapes at double speed like my double cassette deck?

The software would be of interest to me then. I might have to give Audiotools a shot.I remember cassettes that detected the next track by the dead spot for skipping to the next track. Sometimes they would find a quiet spot in the middle of a song.

A friend of my mother heard I'd converted cassettes to CD and dropped off a bag of tapes and cake of CD's (couldn't say no to the elderly lady). I've been putting it off dreading having to sit through endless hours of country music.