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Bring old tapes to life again by converting them to digital files on your computer’s hard drive. Add them to your MP3 library or use your PC’s recordable CD drive to transfer from cassette to CD. The ION USB Cassette Deck makes it easy to preserve the memories and songs you have on cassette tape to CD. Order yours today!
Go from cassette to CD in minutes.
Brookstone’s plug-and-play deck takes your music from cassette to MP3 in just a few clicks. From there, listen and share your songs as part of your digital music collection or burn the cassette tape to CD to create a digital back-up.
Protect your collection with an ION USB Cassette Deck.
Give old songs new life when you move them from cassette tape to CD.
Relive the emotions behind your favorite mixtapes with our simple cassette to MP3 conversion system. It’s the best way to enhance your music collection and makes a perfect gift for any audiophile. Order today to take your collection from cassette to CD!
Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Duluth, GA. on 5/23/2008
This device is clever- extremely user friendly and great for the old school person who has a ton of quality cassettes and they want to archive those cassettes on the PC- then, THIS DEVICE IS FOR YOU!!! The HOOK-UP: Easy. The ION Cassette Deck does all the work!!! An amazing price and I am absolutely a friend to this machine for life!!!
from GR MI on 5/19/2008
This is a great item to own if you have tapes you want transferred to CD. The only problem I found was that the description talks about high-speed dubbing. I assumed since it didn't specify, that you could do high-speed dubbing from tape to CD. That is not the case. So although you have to sit and listen to whatever is on the tape, the process is easy to do. I've not had any problems so far after using it several times.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Seattle on 4/22/2008
I have a very, very large collection of rare books on cassettes, and almost all of them are old out of production titles, and I have desperately been looking for a cost effective way to transfer them to not only a CD, but my laptop and I-Pod. When I saw the add for this machine, I ran right out and bought one, thinking it was the answer to my prayers; which is was. I have around 8 hours of use on it so far, but will need many more to transfer my library.My first impressions upon taking the unit out of the box was that for the price, it was Unnecessarily cheap and flimsy. As soon as I took it out of the packaging, the front door to one of the cassette bays FELL OFF ! They are only held on by tinny plastic tabs. I was able to replace it, but that along with its overall flimsy, fragile construction, will warrant you handling it with kit gloves, I don't think it will stand up to much use, and certainly will not hold up like even a cheap plastic $15.00 [...] tape deck, so this is very unfortunate thing. For [$] minus tax, I expected a lot higher quality unit.Because I am transfering books on tape where I am just starting the recording from the begining and letting it run to the end, I am not plagued with the same issues the other users who are transfering music with individual tracks, where it appears you have to sit and baby sit your recoring to insert gaps and new tracks.The software has a couple of glitches in it, where it doesn't smoothly transfer what you tell it the first couple of times, but you can get in manually and re-due it the way you want.I know it sounds like I am pretty hard on this, and I am. But if you asked me if I would purchase it again, I would say yes, because it is the only thing out there short of sending it to a very expensive service to make the transfers, that will do what I have been dreaming about.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Clawson, MI on 4/18/2008
Once I learned which tape deck to put the cassette in, this worked like a charm. The instructions should have been much more clear on which deck to use, because it is not the one you would think. You need to put the cassette in the playback only deck to make this work. But when it did, oh, was it great!!!
from cambria, ca on 4/11/2008
The unit is easy to install and easy to use for basic one-sided transfers. It's great for that. However, if you need to turn the tape over or do any kind of editing, no matter how minor, you hvae to use the more complicated Audacity software. It is included in the CD installation disk, but there are no instructions of how to use the software program so it makes that part of the task difficult. A handbook of instructions would be very helpful. The minor task I refer to is the editing of one tape side to another, butting them up together if you will.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Leesburg, VA on 4/2/2008
I was able to convert tapes pretty easily. The only issue is with the software. It requires you to manually put in stops betweens songs while the tape is playing so you pretty much have to monitor it the whole time. So no, set it up and come back later, which in the long time will make converting tapes a pretty time consuming thing.
There doesn't seem to be any way to break apart the files at a later date.
It does work well with iTunes.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Virginia on 3/28/2008
I had so many tapes that I didn't listen to anymore now that I had an IPOD. This is a great way to transfer the old music to a new source. The only negative is that you have to sit to listen to each tape to add in the spaces between tracks. You can't just hit go and do something else. If you miss a track then you have to start over. No way to pick up where you left off and correct it later. Otherwise, it is a wonderful piece of machinery.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Utica, NY on 3/16/2008
Overall this is a very useful device. It does have SOME drawbacks. You lose some bass on normal cassette playback it seems. But the conversion to MP3 is pretty simple, though MAC users have to download the MP3 conversion programs -- they don't provide you with a CD of the MAC programs ... Why is this? Come on, don't discriminate against MAC users.
That said, I like it so far. The easy version of the software is almost impossible to screw up and Audacity, while not perfect, does allow for more advanced editing and mixing techniques.
I recommend!!!!!
from Plano, TX on 3/14/2008
It's a easy set and design makes recording a breeze.
from Satmaford CT on 3/9/2008
Weak software. I had to buy Roxio audio program to really take advantage of this system...but it's the only thing like it on the market
from Pacific Palisades, CA on 3/7/2008
Finally: a product that makes conversion of cassette tapes to MP3 format easy, fast, and efficient; even the technically-challenged can master this machine easily. No complicated intermediary software; this is great.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Talladega, AL on 2/15/2008
Easily converts my old cassettes to digital format for burning to CD. Easy to use and works just as expected.
from Fairfield County, CT on 2/11/2008
Just what we wanted and needed. Wish it could be more compact and not cost as much as it did, but overall pleased.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Tuscaloosa, AL on 2/8/2008
This product is very useful if you want to put songs from your cassette tapes on your IPOD or MP3 player.
I gave this to my wife for her birthday and she loves it.
from Natick, MA on 2/6/2008
This product is very easy to use...load software, plug into USB port of computer, put in cassette tape and your off. My only disappointment is that it does not advance tracks automatically. For example, if you put in a cassette tape and hit convert it will load all the songs as track one. You have to sit at the computer, wait till the song ends and manually advance to track 2 and so on. This is very time consuming and something that I was trying to avoid when I purchased the product. If the product could do this automatically, that would be a huge improvement and save lots of time.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from NJ on 1/26/2008
Great for adding old music to Ipod
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Los Gatos, CA on 1/25/2008
Gives old cassette recordings a new lease on life by making them accessible via today's media channels.
from New York on 1/22/2008
This product is great to transfer all of those tape mixes to MP3 for an iPod (or other MP3 player). If you can use a tape deck, you can use this product. It is VERY simple! The only thing I wish it could do is to automatically flip the tape and continue recording to MP3. You do have to be physically present during the process... which isn't a big deal for a song or two; but transferring your entire tape collection can be quite tedious! Otherwise, it is a great product! I wish this company made one for VHS transfers too.
from Glendora, Ca. on 1/21/2008
To be able to use music I no longer have access to!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from San Francisco, CA on 1/20/2008
My husband had a lot tapes he wanted to put on his computer so I bought him this for Christmas. He loves it. He thinks he is a tech genius but the truth is, he is a bit clumsy and he never reads directions. Even he can use this and sits happily, making digital copies of all his old tapes.
from Orange County, CA on 1/19/2008
It looks nice and is useful for a purpose not easily achieved with other machines. Was conveniently available through Brookstone. The most glaring "con" would be that is feels rather cheap when handled, even if it doesn't look that way on first glance. Otherwise it seems like an "ok" product. Since we just got it, I cannot comment on its true durability.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Dublin, CA on 1/18/2008
Advertising stated that it worked with Mac computers. The deck itself was recognized as soon as I plugged in the USB cable. However, there was no Mac software on the CD, even though it says so on the box. Mac version of the software can be downloaded from the manufacturer website, but it is not very robust and does not give you any options for quality adjustments. Fortunately, I had other software on my Mac that would do the trick. Besides the software issue, the unit performs as advertised. Cassettes can be converted to MP3 format and exported directly into iTunes or burned to CD.
from NJ on 1/18/2008
Not bad!!
from NJ on 1/18/2008
Pretty nice
from Coatesville, PA on 1/18/2008
I found the initial setup to be very easy.
from Fullerton, Ca. on 1/18/2008
The Ion deck was exactly what we were looking for to easily convert many cassette tapes to CD. We now can more safely preserve and transport the invaluable collection of music.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Charleston, SC on 1/13/2008
Easy to use once set up.
from Quakertown, Pa on 1/13/2008
easy to use, decent quality for the money
from Central Jersey on 1/13/2008
If it included software to adjust the background noise and other levels. But theres alot of software outthere that can do this to make pefect copies of your tapes.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Erie, PA on 1/12/2008
Using EZ Tape Converter Software was a snap with Windows. The Audacity software is a challenge to learn however. Unfortunately EZ Tape Converter is not written for OS X.
from clev, oh on 1/12/2008
now I can get rid of those boxes of old tapes
from mpls, MN on 1/12/2008
If I was to start over i would buy the turn table model, because it allows you to record from cassettes also. this model only allows me to convert cassettes, not albums
from Philadelphia, PA on 1/11/2008
Not difficult to use but you have to pay attention and stay with it. One slip and you have to do it again - per track - but for my collection and hundreds of personal recordings MUCH better than paying a service.
from Wilton, Ct on 1/11/2008
The description of the product talked about high speed copying. There are no instructions or reference to this in the manual.
Otherwise the product seems to work.
from minneapolis, mn on 1/11/2008
This is great for those people who have held on to their old cassettes and wish to convert them. What a great way to be able to save the music that we used to cherish!
from Los Angeles, CA on 1/11/2008
It does not offer any new features other than eliminating the use of two devices. Could have been better designed to offer more capabilities and features (like ease of use)
from NY on 1/11/2008
great for transfering those old cassettes...
from Miami, Florida on 1/11/2008
I have found a way to save all of my old tapes from the 80's!!! and it's easy to use!
from Aitkin, MN on 1/11/2008
This product is absolutely great for condensing that old pile of cassettes that I was holding onto because I didn't want to part with the old songs. Yes, you can buy software for your pc and then hook your stereo up to your pc as well, but this was much easier.
I also used this for my mom who had tons of old cassette tapes HER father had made of old family stories and relative's visits before he died. She is now able to save them all for the kids and grandkids in a format everyone can use!
[3 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
from New York, NY on 1/8/2008
Product was needed for transfering old tapes into digital for iPod use. It does accomplish this but is very large and bulky and it does not have a fast speed recording option... you can only record as fast as the tape length, and worst of all you have to listen while you record and manually click at the end of each song to separate the tracks, otherwise it just records the entire tape as one long song. Kind of a pain but I don't know of any better option to transfer old tapes.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from New York, NY on 1/8/2008
I bought this as a gift for someone who wanted to convert old mix tapes to digital format in order to play them on his MP3 player. He already has a tape deck and was looking for something slightly different... this is a double tape deck and he was hoping for just the software and connecting cables to accomplish the transfer. It does look nice and is user-friendly and does do what it is supposed to do. In terms of negatives, it doesn't have any high-speed option and you have to listen as you record and manually click to separate tracks, and this is the big turn-off (it doesn't record the songs on the tape as separate tracks on its own). Also it makes you use iTunes to store the converted files. However I don't know of any better options to convert old tapes so I guess I would recommend this product to someone who doesn't mind.
from Wilmington, Ohio on 1/5/2008
A very easy product to use. I was ripping cd's with in minutes of unpacking. Now I don't have to toss those old cassette tapes.
from Trabuco Canyon, CA on 1/5/2008
I had been searching for a few years now for a product to transfer my cassette tapes to my MP3 player. This is a great product and very affordable.
from NJ on 1/5/2008
Bought this as a gift and it went over very well.
from Seaford, NY on 1/5/2008
I can use it without to much trouble
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Annandale, VA on 1/5/2008
I'm using this product to copy old cassette tapes to my ipod. The end result is fine, but the process requires that you sit at the machine to click whenever there's a new track playing, otherwise the whole tape gets recorded as one track. This makes it pretty tedious. It's possible that there's another way to do this, but I haven't been able to figure it out and there's nothing in the instruction manual that addresses this.
from Reading, PA on 1/5/2008
I bought it for my audiophile boyfriend for christmas. He was wanting one, and never expected I would get it for him. He's put it to a lot of use so far. He loves being able to burn cd mixes of his favorite songs from his tapes so he can play them in his car.
from Greenville, SC on 1/5/2008
I have used the tape converter and found it to be efficient and useful. It is easy to use and works well. I am slowly perserving all my tapes by converting them to CD's. It is well worth the money I spent for it.
from Carle Place, NY on 1/5/2008
Transfered all my favorite songs from my tapes into my computer and listen to them over and over again without fear of breaking the tapes.
from Gorham, Maine on 1/5/2008
I really like how easy this was to connect to my computer and get it up and running so quickly. Now I will be able to turn all my old tapes into MP3 format. Great product if you want to convert your tapes.
from Carle Place, NY on 1/4/2008
If you want to organize your stack of tapes this product is for you. The only thing that I don't like about operating this machine is that you have to sit by the computer to manually separate tracks. Other than that, I love the product. I transfered all my favorite songs from my old tapes into my computer with no problem. It is very easy to use.
from Clinton Township, Mi on 1/4/2008
transfer old tapes to mp3
from Northfield, VT on 1/4/2008
I needed to get some out of print tapes onto a CD for classes. This product absolutely works.
from Inverness, FL on 1/4/2008
My cassettes are almost worn out from playing too much, but this is a way to preserve your memories. We absolutely love it. Considering the LP one. Thanks
from Bristol, CT on 1/4/2008
I am converting my old cassette tapes onto cd's. This product was easy to use the first time I tried it.
from Taos, NM on 1/4/2008
Having to download iTunes on a dial up connection took forever. An iTunes software disc included if possible would facilitate set-up.
from Yucaipa, CA on 1/4/2008
Finally, a cassette player that actually helps you! I have tried a dozen different ways to get my hundreds of cassette tapes "into" my computer and the ION does it easily. My only frustration is that it does not intuitively make individual tracks.
from Oak Forest, IL on 1/2/2008
I had a bunch of old cassette tapes and this machine easily converts those over to MP 3 files.
from Altoona, PA on 12/23/2007
Very easy to digitize tapes while I'm performing other tasks.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Newburyport, MA on 12/22/2007
Converted valuable family memories from cassette to CD's. Sound is good. Inconsistent at times. Could only record a few songs at a time before loud buzzing would happen and a song would have to be re-recorded.
from Milford, NH on 12/21/2007
I bought it for my husband for his birthday. He is the user and loves it! He is putting all his cassettes on to his IPOD, said it was a thoughtful and best gift ever!
from Dallas, TX on 12/20/2007
Very simple to use - Copy - then clean out those old cassets you have wonderd what to do with since the 80's - don't want them but can't let them go - now you can!
from Boston, MA on 12/20/2007
I'm trying to reduce my cassette clutter. The Tape2PC works, but will not clean up sound as much as you like. Not that it is noisy itself, but the digital clarity shows up the imperfections in your old cassettes. As long as you will forgive that, in favor of archiving your beloved music this will be a good tool. Comes with barely usable 'kiddy' software, or much more practicle Audacity software (will install iTunes software).
from Ft Lauderdale, Fla on 12/19/2007
IF you have a pile of cassettes and want to listen to them on your new ipod or media device this product delivers. The software is easy to use and tracks are a breeze to capture. The EZ software can be used all alone but for cleaner breaks and better audio files you will want to use the audacity software or a similar software for tweaking.
from Quincy, Ma on 12/19/2007
To transfer favorite classic tapes to digital use.
Love to listen to this music as i drive.
from atlanta, ga on 12/19/2007
Great product. Works as advertised. Controls could have been a bit better
from Blytheville, AR on 12/19/2007
I have been able to easily convert my fragile collection of rare cassette recordings into mp3 format.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from Coconut Creek, FL on 12/11/2007
This comes with the install disc containing two programs. One is the EZ Tape Converter" and the other is "ITunes + Quicktime". The EZ Tape Converter program was installed without any problems but the "ITunes" portion is a nightmare. I get messages saying that the "ITunes + Quicktime has an invalid signature and it will NOT be installed". I tried to manually install the program but get the message "ITunes + Quicktime has an invalid signature and has been deleted". I've tried to contact the company and get no response from them. I Will try to reach them one more time and if I don't hear from them, back goes the unit [...].