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Reel-to-reel tape
transfer frequently ask questions |
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What kind of reel to reel tapes do you transfer?
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Will I be charged if there is nothing on my tapes?
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I don't know what's on my tapes and I have no way of
playing them. What can you do to help?
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Is there any reason at all that you may not be able to transfer my tapes?
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How many tapes fit onto one CD?
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Will you put my audio on a DVD if I request it?
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What type of CDs do you use?
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What is Sticky Shed Syndrome and could my tapes have it?
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Can you bake a tape? (What is tape baking?)
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What is Dry Tape Syndrome?
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Do you sell reel to reel decks?
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Will my finished CD have tracks?
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What will be printed on the finished CD?
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I don't know anything about reel to reel tapes. Where
should I start?
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How much audio can a reel to reel hold?
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Do you offer a bulk discount?
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How long does it take?
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Do you make audio CDs? Or data CDs? What's the difference?
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What is meant by tape speed?
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Can my tapes audio be transferred to MP3 or .wav instead
of audio?
Ask a question
1. What kind of reel to reel tapes do you transfer?
All 1/4" tapes. We have the equipment and experience to
transfer any 1/4" reel-to-reel tape to CD as audio or data. 1/4" reel-to-reel
tape is the most common type of reel-to-reel tape used by the average
consumer. Any other reel-to-reel tape was found almost exclusively in
professional recording studios or home "project studios".
To determine what your reel-to-reel is, measure the width
of the tape as shown in the photo below.
We do all speeds and head configurations. Mono, stereo, 4 track
mono etc. Tape has sticky shed? We bake. Tape has Dry Tape, we have a fix. Smell
like vinegar? We will try.
We have been doing this for many years so when we say we never
met a tape we couldn't transfer...we mean it.
2. Will I be charged if there is nothing on my tapes?
Absolutely not.
3. I don't know what's on my tapes and I have no way of
playing them. What can you do to help?
That's okay. Send your reels along, or bring them in, and we can
look them over and give you a report
back as to what you have and how much it is going to cost to transfer to CD.
Many of or clients find reel-to-reel tapes after loved ones pass away and have no idea what type they are or if there is
anything recorded on them.
We will create an MP3 sample that allows you to hear 3-5
minutes from each reel-to-reel tape along with a short description of each
reel-to-reel tape so you can determine if you want them transferred or not. We
also send an estimate via email the day we receive your reel-to-reel
tapes plus an updated estimate after you hear your samples.
Your samples will come to you as an email
with a link to a web page. So be sure to include your correct email address and
ad info@reel2reel2cd.com to your address book so it is not bounced as spam.
4. Is there any reason at all that you may not be able to transfer my
t reel-to-reel tapes?
It is very rare that we run into a
reel-to-reel tape that cannot be transferred. There are rare issues that
tapes can have such as Sticky Shed that will cause an extra charge.
[We no longer charge for tape baking.] But other than that we foresee no reason why we cannot transfer your
reel-to-reel tapes to CD. We have been doing this since early 1999 and
have learned very much about these reel-to-reel tapes and the
obstacles involved in transferring them to CD. One serious problem is
vinegar syndrome. This is very rare but it is the only obstacle that
has beat us. When reel-to-reel tape starts to decay they put off a
strong vinegar like smell. That is why it is referred to as vinegar
syndrome. If the decay has advance too far there may be nothing we can
do. Smell your reel-to-reel tapes, if they smell like vinegar get them
too us right away. If they don't we should have no problem
transferring them.
5. How many reel-to-reel
tapes fit onto one CD?
First, a CD can only hold 80
minutes of audio. So as long as a reel-to-reel tape is under 80
minutes it will fit on one CD. In many cases, a reel-to-reel
tape is longer than 80 minutes. This depends on the size of the reel,
how much tape is on the reel, the speed the tape was recorded at, the
thickness of the tape, and, how the reel-to-reel tape was recorded.
(Mono, stereo, 4 track mono, both directions .) These factors all play
into the over all length and quality of your tapes final transfer.
Remember you can send us your
tapes with no obligation and we can give you an invoice after we
evaluate the reel-to-reel tape and know how much audio is
really on it.
Of course you do have the option of having your
reel-to-reel tapes
transferred to CD or DVD as data. In that case a CD will hold 700MB
and a DVD 4GB's. The size of the audio file taken from your
reel-to-reel tape
would depend on if it was compressed, such as an MP3, or uncompressed,
such as a .WAV or .AIF. Having your tapes transferred to MP3
format would allow for many reel-to-reel tapes to be placed on one CD
or even more reel-to-reel tapes placed on one DVD.
6. Will you put my audio on a DVD if I request it?
Sure. Please specify this on the order form and
specify what type of data you want. MP3, WAV, AIF or any other is
fine. Just let us know up front.
7. What type of CDs do you use?
White printable CD-Rs by
Taiyo Yuden. Taiyo Yuden is recognized as a leader in the manufacture
of reliable, accurate media for CD and DVD recording. They also
invented the CD-Recordable.
9. What is Sticky Shed Syndrome and could my tapes have it?
Sticky Shed Syndrome is a condition higher quality
tapes from the 70's and 80's can have. Usually, if your
reel-to-reel tapes where not
recorded in a professional studio, you don't have to worry about
sticky shed. If they were, and if they do have Sticky Shed, we offer
tape baking for just $25.00 per batch of tapes being baked.
[Tape baking is now free] After the
baking process the tapes will be as good as new. If you think your
tape might have sticky shed, do not try to play them! Playing tapes
with Sticky Shed without baking them will ruin them. Tapes by the
brand "Ampex" commonly have Sticky Shed.
10. Can you bake a tape? (What is tape baking?)
Yes we offer tape baking for just
$25.00 per baking
session. [Tape baking is now free] We have a specially designed oven created just for baking
tapes. It cannot get hotter than 150 degrees and can hold up to 25
tapes at once. Each session is 4 hours long. Tapes are then cooled for
4 hours or more before being played. We have been dealing with sticky shed for
the past 10 years and have not met a tape we couldn't fix. If you think
your tapes might have Sticky Shed, do not try to play them.
Tape baking refers to a process of baking tapes
in an oven for 4 hours at about 130 degrees to remedy a problem
certain tapes can have called Sticky Shed Syndrome. The tapes with
this problem are usually Ampex (not always) and usually come from a
professional background. Cheap tape does not usually have this
problem. Also just because a tape is very old does not mean it will
have this problem. The opposite is true.
11. What is Dry Tape Syndrome?
Dry Tape Syndrome is a term used to describe very old
reel-to-reel tapes that have be stored in a very dry environment and
the lubrication in the tapes have dried up. This causes such inflicted
tapes to squeal when being played back. The squeal is audible as
distortion in the tapes recorded audio. (Due to the tape vibrating
over the heads.) These tapes can also ruin your machines heads and
damage other parts. So, if you feel you have tapes with "Dry Tape"
please do not attempt to play them.
We have been dealing with problems like this for many
years and learned tricks to over come Dry Tape Syndrome. We do not
charge any extra for dealing with Dry Tape.
12. Do you sell reel to reel decks?
Sorry, no. Try
Ebay.com .
13. Will my finished CD have tracks?
Yes. Track placement is determined
by the technician who edits your audio.
NOTE > If you are
have classical music or opera transferred your track markers may not
be correct. We do not charge for nor guarantee track placement. Just
audio transfer quality. When playing your CD from start to finish you
will not know where tracks are. (No space or gap between tracks.)
14. What will be printed on the finished CD?
We will print any information we
can find on the tape, such as year, names etc, also a small clip art
within the theme of your tapes audio. If more that one disc is needed
Disc 1 of 2 and 2 of 2 will be printed accordingly. If you have a
small title you would like to see printed on your CD please include it
on your order form. We can also print a photo if you would like to
send one along with the tapes or email it to us.
15. I don't know anything about reel to reel tapes. Where
should I start?
Read over the information at
www.reel2reel2cd.com
Fill out our
order form being sure to select "yes
please create a preview sample page for me"
Pack the reel-to-reel tapes up safely
using a box, not an envelope. We like the Priority Boxes the USPS
supplies you with for free when using Priority Mail. Just pop in your
local post office and ask for some "Priority Boxes".
Mail your reel-to-reel tapes
to us with no money or payment information. Just contact information.
We will see that you checked MP3 sample, and create small, 3-5 minute
MP3 files for you to download and listen to from your home PC or MAC.
We will email you these samples with short descriptions. If there is
any other problems associated with your reel-to-reel tapes that would
also be communicated to you then.
Then you can decide if
you want to have the reel-to-reel tapes transferred or not.. No surprises. If you
decide not to have them transferred we only ask you pay for return
shipping. If you don't want the reel-to-reel tapes back we will take care of them
for you and you pay nothing.
16. How much audio can a reel to reel hold?
That is not so easy to answer.
Reel-to-reel tape did not have just one speed it played at like
cassettes. They played from 1-3/8 inches per second, 3/34 inches per
second 7 1/2 inches per second and more. Then, if that's not enough,
there was many different sized reels. From 3" to 10.5". Each holding
more tape. But wait, one more thing, thickness of tape. Some companies
made very very thin reel-to-reel tape and bragged about how much more
for your money you could get. And some made thicker tape and bragged
about quality. Oh but wait, there was many different ways a tape could
have been record: Mono, stereo or four track mono or a combination of
stereo and four track mono.
See, tapes had sides. Side 1 and
Side 2. Then they have tracks. Left and Right Side 1 and Left
and Right Side 2. A person could have recorded on left and right
together for stereo recordings. Or use left and right separately for
four track mono.
So to sum this up, it is really impossible to predict
how much audio is on your reel-to-reel tapes. That is why we started the MP3
preview sample service. So clients could think about there transfer
needs after they knew what they were dealing with. 7" reels recorded at
1-3/8 IPS 4 track mono is the worst we see and that produces 6 hours
of audio. A CD holds 80 minutes. So if you are trying to determine
worst case scenario that gives you something to go on. But
remember that is a rare scenario. On average most tapes take 1 or 2
CDs to transfer.
17. Do you offer a bulk discount?
Yes, 10% after15 tapes. 15% after 30 tapes.
18. How long does it take?
First I would like to say we are always willing to work with your
deadline. So if you have a special need please call us and let us know
and we will work with you. We enjoy helping people make an occasion
special for a loved one.
Now the standard answer: 1-5 reel-to-reel
tapes, 1 week. More than 5 reel-to-reel tapes 14 days. More than 20
tapes please call 1-800-617-8273 for more information.
19. Do you make audio CDs? Or data CDs? What's the difference?
By default we make audio CDs. We can make data CDs if
you request that. There is no extra charge for data disc.
An audio CD is similar to one you might buy in a record store. It
plays in any CD player such as the one in your car or home audio system.
A data CD is for your home computer. It could
contain audio in the form or MP3 files, .wav files or other computer
files. This option would be helpful if you wanted to edit your audio on
your home computer, or, wanted your reel-to-reel tapes to be transferred
into MP3s so you could listen to them on a personal listing device.
20. What is meant by tape speed?
Reel-to-reel tape speed is measured in IPS or "inches per second".
It is the speed tape went from the source reel to the take-up reel.
The options were 1 3/8s IPS, 3 3/4 IPS, 7 1/2 IPS and 15 IPS. The faster
the speed the better the quality but the less audio you could get on a
tape.
21. Can my tapes audio be transferred to MP3 or .wav instead
of audio?
Sure. We can
transfer your audio to CD as audio or as data. We can also transfer your
reel-to-reel tapes to DVD as data.
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