ADS Tech RDX-150-EF Instant Music

• Convert from any audio source: cassettes, LPs, records, CDs & more.
• Create music for your iPod and any portable music player
• Burn professional quality CDs or transfer to your favorite audio device.
• Now Shipping with SPIN IT AGAIN 2.1 from ACOUSTICA
• Includes Mac software

The directions on how to connect the box are simple and straightforward, and using it is easy. Within a couple of minutes I was able to connect it to the headphone outlet of an old boombox and copy a cassette to my hard drive, reduce the hiss and "rumble" from the recording and then record it to a cd. I tested it immediately after recording and it played fine on my pc, but the big test was if it would play on my car's cd player, which tends to be kind of finicky, and sometimes refuses to recognize cds that have been copied. It passed the test and played fine. The sound is as good as "commercial" cd's. And, if you didn't happen to like the order of the tracks as they originally appeared on the cassette or record, you can move them around, the same as if you were using any other music software on your computer.

I would strongly recommend this to everyone. However, I do have 2 pieces of advice once it's connected and you begin using it 1)If you can't hear your cassette playing through the speakers of your pc, you might have a conflict with your existing music software, and have to temporarily remove it. 2)Go through all of your volume settings, and make sure your microphone is not muted, since that's what's used for input.

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ADS is marketing this devise (Instant Music) as an inexpensive way to convert analog audio source (LPs, cassettes) to digital format (MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC). But what surprises me is this device also includes some high-end features, such as digital I/O interface (SPDIF or Toslink). SPDIF is a standard for transmitting high-quality digital audio withought going through analog conversion process. I have a quite few collections of field recordings on DAT tapes (recorded with the portable Sony DAT TCD-D8). I've tried to use Instant Music to transfer music from DAT to my iMac G4 using GarageBand (part of Apple's iLife suite). I followed the instructions (can be downloaded from ADS website) and successefully transmitted my music to the Mac and burned onto a CD using iTunes. For more advanced users, M-Audio's Transit may be a better choice as it can capture 24-bit/96kHz (as opposed to 16-bit/48kHz for Instant Music). Transit also allows AC-3 and DTS pass-through. But for me, Instant Music just suits my needs. The package includes USB cable, RCA cable, and a CD with Nero software for the PC (Nero Mix, Nero SoundTrax, and Nero Wave Editor2). Did I mention it also works with Mac (OS 10.X)? A bargain for anyone who wants to convert/transmit analog/digital music to the PC/Mac. Highly recommended.

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Product works but only after a lot of trial and error. Some issues include:

* You can not plug a turntable directly into the unit. The VU meters will indicate a signal but you can not adjust the input or record volume and the recording will be inaudible. I had to run the turn table through an old receiver and use the tape out.

* The software included will prompt you that it will replace your old Nero 5 with the Nero 6 "Suite". What it doesn't tell you is that deletes all old Nero software and only installs the one program: Soundtrax. My Nero CD burning software was erased.

* The instructions are nearly worthless as is the tech support. I only got this to work after reading reviews on Amazon.com.. I would buy something else.

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This product provides an interface between a stereo system (e.g., taking the output signal from the RCA connector of a tape deck, phonograph, receiver, etc.)and a computer (via the USB port) so that the audio signal from the stereo system can be converted into a wave file. The package comes with software to then convert the audio into MP3 and other formats and has editing software (for noise reduction and various effects). It was very easy to use and install and I have already created a bunch of files for my MP3 player from old LPs. There is very little in the way of documentation so it helps if you have some familiarity with (and patience at experimenting with) the software.

Nothing warns you that if you have a stand alone turn table that you will ALSO need a pre-amp. I tried my old receivers but they didn't have the needed RCA plugs, so I had to spend another $40 to buy a pre-amp.