Xitel INport Deluxe [Record from Your Stereo to Your Computer]

See my revision below for why I changed my review from 4 to 5 stars.... the problems I had were NOT the fault of Xitel They responded and gave support. While I had already solved my problem, they DID respond.### OLD REVIEW ###First, this device does EXACTLY what it claims - it connects stereo components (I only tested cassette, but claims to do any, and I don't see why it wouldn't) to a PC and allows audio data (typically music, but could be anything) to be transferred from the component to the computer. BUT, there are a couple of twists. I'll describe what worked for me in the hope it will help others.First, on my Windows 7 system the device installed without issue. Windows recognized it and installed the necessary drivers. All good.But, the included software is useless. It might be great, but I don't know, because the registration keys were not included. And forget customer service. There was a handwritten contact in the back of the manual, but the number was no longer in service. Sent an email, no reply. Looked up the SW manufacturer's website and they state that the SW on the CD is from 2007, is no longer supported, but you can buy an upgrade. Whatever. DON'T PANIC. Just download a freeware recording package, like Audacity. Google it. It is used by thousands of recording musicians, and is very easy to use. It does everything the included software does and more... and better. It is VERY powerful, and it is FREE. There are many other freeware, open source products out there, I just happen to find Audacity easy to use.To get Audacity to recognize INport, you need to go into your Control Panel to Manage Audio Devices (varies with the OS), and select INport under 'Recording'. You might have to disable other items to force the system to go to the INport. Again, no biggie. Once you have set up the input device, it should automatically be detected by Audacity. If not, you should be able to select it from the main screen. On MY system it is 'Microphone (INport)' and NOT 'Line (INport)'. Go figure. Hit record first, then start your stereo component, and Audacity should start recording your material, which you will see by the wave file appearing on the screen. You may or may not be able to hear the file during recording; it depends on your system. I cannot, but it is not important to me; I just wanted the files transferred. Once you are finished recording, you can 'Export' to a .WAV format (or MP3, or whatever works for you) in Audacity, and you are done. Or, you can edit the file, just like any other audio file. Just be sure to export as a file in a format your player can use, not the default Audacity format.On my system the INport device affects playback, and the music plays out through my monitor speakers (very tinny), and not my amped computer speakers, which threw me at first. Once I disconnected the INport, I was able to re-enable my standard speaker set-up and everything was fine. Quality of recordings is excellent.So, the INport will transfer your audio files to digitally save on your PC. From there, you can do whatever you want with the files. For that reason I gave the product 4 stars, taking one off for the lack of functional software and non-existent customer support. Hope this helps some people.Oh, one other thing. ON THE BOX it states that a turntable must be hooked up to a receiver/amp and the LINE OUT from the rec/amp used as the input for the INport. The INport does not have a pre-amp, which a turntable requires.### REVISED 09 July 2014 ###:I need to point out that this post has gone up against a different seller. I DID NOT buy mine from Xitel. I bought mine from MYeHUT Inc. I heard back from Xitel support last night, and they wrote that others have been selling used INPorts on Amazon without registration numbers. Since there were written notes in my manual, I have to figure that was the case for me, even though it was sold as 'New'. Never expected that on Amazon. Anyway, they sent me a link to a website to download and included a registration number in the email. All three software packages installed and worked. They are simple, but they do what they are supposed to do - record, rip, remove clicks and pops. So, I revised my score to 5 stars - product worked, software works, customer support works. Problem was with the other seller. THANKS, Xitel.

***** UPDATED, JUNE 15, 2016 ******I had tried to find out if this device and the software would work with Microsoft Operating System Windows 10 (TEN). I had used it originally with Windows Vista, then Windows 7 64-bit edition. There was absolutely NO information about whether or not it would work with Windows 10 anywhere I looked.With the deadline for the free upgrade to Win 10 fast approaching, and because the whole miserable process of continuing to get Updates in Windows 7 is so TORTURED, I decided to trust the Windows on-board assessment tool that told me all my software (including the Xitel INport software) would be compatible with Windows 10 also. Many people have had trouble using software on their computers which the Windows 10 assessment tool said should work OK. Nevertheless, I decided to trust it this time, and so far the Xitel software has worked exactly as before.I really do like the Xitel INport and I recommend it to people who are willing to invest some time and diligence in making digital copies from vinyl records and cassette tapes. That said, it would probably be a really GOOD idea if the company would offer advice about which Operating Systems are compatible with the product.****************************************************************************I use the method of taking my vinyl record audio right out of the headphone jack of my amplifier, into the INport Deluxe converter, and feeding into my laptop computer via USB cable. You get total control of the volume being recorded by the software that way, and it means that you can take audio from ANY source that comes through your amplifier and make a copy of it. So, I can feed audio output from my AR turntable, and also my cassette deck, too.Although the instruction manual is written better than most, it still lacks all the detail and clarity it should have! It really hasn't been updated since Microsoft Vista, and there are a some slight differences you need to know about for Windows 7. You'll have to browse those up on the internet because they aren't included in the owner's manual. I compared my kit with that a friend of mine got a few years ago, before the release of Windows 7, and everything was identical except that my instruction manual is about one inch larger (same text).Pay very close attention to how you name your files in "Music", and how you route files for recording, and, editing. The various sections of software are separate, and although they are compatible, they don't "talk" to each other. You've got to be certain that each part of the software knows exactly which file-set you want to work with, and WHERE it's going to go when you've modified/edited/cleaned it. The "source" and "target" software doesn't change automatically, so you have to monitor that very closely. What I'm saying is, don't take anything regarding files or file names for granted!I'm not trying to say anything bad about the software, which works very, very well -- but you are going to have a bit of a learning curve that will be made more frustrating if you don't pay close attention to where you put files, and what you use them for, and where you send a "finished" file.Example: When I made a copy of my "Beggars Banquet" album, I piped it into a file I called Beggars Banquet, raw. When I modified it, cleaned it up, and divided up the tracks, I "targeted" that to a totally different folder I called Beggars Banquet, finished. The "de-clicker", "de-popper" works exceptionally well, and even provides different intensities of "cleaning". Result: my 40-year old records sounded almost totally brand new! And, no, it's not a "filter". It's more sophisticated than that, and it is effortless and automatic to use, once you know what you're doing.To make my CD copies, I used Nero 9, but you can use many different "burning" softwares. It is very easy and doesn't need any "ripping" because everything is created by the INport Deluxe software initially as WMA files, and those get picked up immediately by Nero 9 and burned right onto blank CD's with no extra modification at all.Manage your files, learn to "ride" this "bicycle" with a little patience, and you'll master it soon enough. Oh, and arrange your work area so that it is EASY to handle the records, the turntable, the computer, the cabling, etc. I hooked everything up in a corner where I can reach everything from my chair and that makes life a lot easier.Hey, it's a very good product, and it works consistently well -- and, the price is very reasonable, too. Good luck!

Simple device with basic simple software for transferring audio to computer. Click and noise removal software also works reasonably well without excessive loss of sound quality to produce enjoyable recordings.