Tape Transfers

We offer archival-quality tape transfers at affordable prices. We can transfer every major analog audio tape format and most digital audio tape formats, and we can decode every common noise reduction. Please contact us if you would like to ensure we can transfer your project.

Most mono and stereo tapes are $50. Most multitrack tapes are $100.

Turnaround times are typically 2-4 weeks from when we receive tapes. We also offer rush service that usually provides delivery within 4-7 days.

 

Professional Equipment and Diligence

We do all transfers on our meticulously-maintained studio tape machines, among the finest ever made, and capture to digital with our studio analog-digital (AD) converters, which are the best-spec’ed we could find.

We calibrate our machines for each and every tape we transfer. This is a substantial time and work commitment, but it means you get the most accurate, highest-quality transfer possible, without unnecessary tape noise or distortion. Your transferred audio will be as close as possible to the original source material.

We scan or photo any documentation that accompanies tapes, and meticulously log technical details about the transfers, as well as any issues we encountered and how we resolved them.

 

In 2025 we opened our transfer suite, allowing a dedicated space for tape transfers so that we could offer faster turnaround times and better workflow.

Our tape oven can hold a number of tapes and has very good airflow and temperature uniformity inside. It also allows longer bake times, important as many tapes we are encountering require 48 hours or longer in the oven before they can be played.

Baking And Restoration

Tape baking is $50 per batch. Most older tapes and tapes of certain formulas need to be dehydrated, or “baked” at a low temperature in a convection oven before they can be transferred or played back. Bake time will usually determine the time table for most transfers, and varies by project. Please contact us for more info.

Many tapes we have received in the last few years need to be manually cleaned because the lubricant in the coatings has broken down and started to leech out onto the surface of the tape, leaving a waxy residue that must be removed before transfer. We are able to identify and clear this residue to allow for a smooth transfer.

Additionally, we can perform digital restoration of the transferred audio to remove some artifacts caused by tape degradation or recording errors (such as clicks and pops, pitch bends from tape stretching, or dropouts), or to otherwise improve the sound of the transfer, with editing and digital processing upon request. Please contact us for more information.

 

Noise Reduction

We can “decode” most noise reduction formats. Decoding noise reduction on a transfer is critically important- if a tape that was recorded with noise reduction is not decoded, the audio will sound “wrong” to even casual listeners. If you aren’t sure if your tape was recorded with noise reduction, or there isn’t clear documentation indicating this, we can usually tell, and will check the various formats.

We can also execute SMPTE-synchronized transfers of any of the formats below (where multiple tapes were recorded in tandem using synchronization).

Noise reduction formats we can decode:

Dolby SR

Dolby A

dbx Type I

dbx Type II

Dolby B and C