I record my dj mixes onto tape via my technics hi-fi. I am getting a new hi-fi or separates, but want to record my mixes to cd. I would prefer a singel cd recorder, bit of a tight budget. Your help would be grateful.

CD audio recorders are hard to come by today. Worse still, they only read audio-only CD-R, which are harder to come by and generally more expensive than data CD.

So, perhaps the best option is to use your PC as recorder.

What software would i need, cables etc.

I'm more of a Maccy type than a PC type, but I get asked this question a lot, so I have done some research. Try www.dBpoweramp.com for music conversion and CD ripping software, encoders like FLAC, LAME and Ogg, LP encoders like RipVinyl. Some are freeware, some cost... but you'll be hard pressed to spend more than £50 for the whole lot.

Take this with a large pinch of salt, though. There are people here with hands-on experience who will steer you better than I.

Regardless, you'll need a two phono to minijack lead (designed for connecting an iPod to an amp) to connect the tape outputs of your amp to the PC (or better yet a digital audio connection... check your PC and hi-fi manuals for compatibility).

thanks for the advice