Professional Open Reel transfer to digital under the highest quality.

Wire recordings; Silvertone, Chicago Webster, Armour, Minifon…
Open Reels; 3”, 5”, 7” , 10.5”.
Width; 1/4″, 1/2″, 1/8 ” Nagra SN.
Speed; 1 7/8ips, 3 3/4 ips, 7 1/2 ips, 15 ips and 30 ips.
Equ; NAB, IEC, DIN.
Reciprocal noise reduction; Dbx, Dolby A and Dolby SR, Nagramaster.
GALlery Videos

We transfer more than 12 different open reel audio formats

¿Did you know that one of the most selling reel to reel decks is the Revox B77? what you maybe don’t is that there are more than 36 different configurations on this very same machine using the same external look: different speed configuration, track width and type conf., playback Equ conf., reciprocal noise reduction (Dolby A), etc.

We only use State of the art reel to reel players to cover the whole variety of open reel tapes configuration; Studer, Otari, Nagra, Revox, Sony… as well as wire recorders; Chicago Webster, Silvertone, Armour, Protona.

Open reel tapes attend to a huge range of typologies (just to considering; Revox B77, one of the most best selling reel to reel players, has itself just been sold in 56 different configurations):

RELEASE YEAR AND COMPOSITION: acetate/cellulose acetate (1935-72/73)paper(1947-53)pvc/Luviterm/Polyvynil Clorhidre(1944-72)pet/pen/polyester/Mylar/Tenzar(1953-90…)
BINDER AND BASE WIDTH; Standard38 μm1,5 mils52 μm, 2.05mils total, Long play25,4μm1.0mils35 μm 1.38mils total, Doble play12,7μm 0.5mil 26 μm 1,02 mil total, Triple play12.7 μm 0.5 mil para a base18 μm 0.71 mils total
SPEED: 15/16 IPS 2.38 cm/s, 1⅞ IPS 4.76 cm/s, 3¾ IPS 9.52 cm/s, 7½ IPS 19.05 cm/s, 15 IPS 38.1 cm/s, 30 IPS 76.2 cm/s
PLAYBACK COMPENSATION EQ: NAB 50 μs, CCIR 100μs (3/3/4ips), 35μs (15 30 ips)….AME, DIN, NAGRAMASTER
TAPE WIDTH: 1/8″, 1/4″, 1/2″(we don’t work with 1″ y 2″ multitrack)
RECORDING HEAD; Full track, half track, quarter track, etc.- Butterfly 0.75mm- Butterfly 2.00 mm- Nab 2.00 mm- Nab 0.75mm- Din
RECIPROCAL NOISE REDUCTION SYSTEM: DOLBY A / SR, DBX, TELCOM C4
We recommend an archival copy; WAV 96Khzs/24 bits, 192 Khzs /24 bits or 88,2 Khzs /24 bits.
We recommend an access copy; CD audio Wav 44,1Khzs /16 bits edited and noise restored plus a Mp3 2 channel copy (192kbps or 320kbps)

common affections

Most of the affections related to open reel tapes can be treated straight forward, but some of them require to take precise action; Lab precision ovens and vertical laminar flow booth can help us to go through this and keep safe the reel information.

– Sticky Shed Syndrome (SSS) due to high temperature storage and humidity, the binder becomes gummy, and after a few seconds of playback, the heads becomes muddy. No mid and high frequencies are audible.

– Loss of Lubrication (LOL) The tape binder gets dry over the years, and when played back squeals affecting the recording. A re-lubricating process returns the original sound back.

– Broken parts or broken tape; this is a very common issue; sometimes it is the plastic reel which needs to be replaced, and sometimes the tape itself (specially acetate base tapes)

– Vinegar Syndrome; affects to acetate base tapes and it is one of the most severe harmful deseases. Priority transfer must be apply. When it happens, it can be set to dormant but never reversed.

– Inadequate winded tapes (edge frills, pack slip, spokes…); most of the cases are minor issues (depending on, some could bring Print Through problems. It requires to be properly handed before use to avoid also wow, flutter, breaks, etc.

– Mold; it needs definitely specialised hands over under laminar flow to avoid contamination spread, and manipulator health damage.

Don’t miss these 2 websites where you can find very interesting information about what we are here talking about;

– www.richardhess.com

– www.soundfan.it

common noises

Professional software and hardware like Cedar Audio (c) allows us to remove the unwanted noises with no footprint into the recording.

– Hiss noise (maybe the most common noise in magnetic recordings)

– buzz, Hum (normally because of AC interferences)

– Print Through; based on storage issues; pre and post echoes could come up in the recording.

– Explosive noises; most of them linked to tape breaks, bends, folds…

– Wow and flutter (some times related to badly calibrated or lack of manteineance devices, which produces inestable capstan working)

– Others

Open reels we can transfer to digital

DOMESTIC OPEN REELS;

– Open reel transfer to digital under any track width configuration QUARTER TRACK, HALF TRACK, FULL TRACK.

– Domestic open reel transfer to digital under any speed configuration; 15/16 ips, 1 7/8 ips, 3 3/4 ips, 7 1/2 ips, 15 ips, 30 ips.

– Domestic open reel transfer to digital under any equalization configuration DIN, IEC, CCIR, NAB, NAGRA

– Open reel transfer to digital under any reciprocal noise reduction system; Dolby A, Dolby SR, DBX II, Dbx I, C4 Telcom, NAGRA

– Domestic open reel transfer to digital under any reel diameter; 2″, 3″, 4″, 5″, 5,3/4″, 6″, 7″…

– Open reel transfer to digital under any hub; CINE, AEG, NAB.

PROFESSIONAL OPEN REELS

– Open Reel Master recordings 10,5″ open reel transfer to digital under any speed 7 1/2 ips, 15 ips, 30 ips

– Open Reel Master recordings transfer to digital under any track standard; Studer, Otari, Revox, Telefunken, Ampex.

– Open Reel Master Recording transfer to digital under any equalization; NAB, IEC/CCIR, NAGRAMASTER

– Open Reel Master recording transfer to digital under any reciprocal noise reduction system; Dolby A, Dolby SR, Dbx I and II, Telefunken C4 High Com.

– Open Reel Master recording transfer to digital under any Hub; AEG, CINE, NAB.

WIRE RECORDINGS

– Chicago Webster wire recordings transfer to digital.

– Silvertone wire recordings transfer to digital.

– Armour wire recordings transfer to digital.

– Minifon Protona wire recordings transfer to digital.

EXECUTARY MAGNABELT

– Executary Magnabelt (IBM) transfer to digital.