Mastering Services

Analog Transfers and Restoration

Remastering starts with obtaining the best possible analog source. Sometimes exhaustive detective work goes into searching for the best sounding tape. Analog magnetic tapes manufactured from 1975-1985 often suffer from "binder breakdown" where the adhesive chemicals in the tape begin to dissipate because of moisture absorption. The remedy for this is to bake the tape at low temperature in a convection oven for several hours. We do this very carefully with no resulting harm to the tape, thus insuring smooth playback!

Baking the Tape The warning signs are squeaky, sticky playback with accumulation of oxide or a gummy residue on heads and guides. We "bake" your tape before we make the transfer. Even after baking, the tape will eventually revert to its previous condition, so this transfer is an essential process.	Setting Up the Transfer We rewind the tape carefully and then calibrate it according to the tones provided. If no tones exist, we calibrate according to a standard MRL calibration tape. We optimize the azimuth to make sure that high frequency detail and phase are correct. If any splices have dried out we re-splice carefully to ensure smooth playback.	Optimizing the Sound Oftentimes an analog master will exhibit deficiencies, such as loss of high end and clarity from years of storage. For this we use a discriminate amount of analog equalization Analog EQ is most appropriate for the analog tape medium and will restore the proper spectral balance to the recording.	Converting to Digital Once the analog signal path is set, we make the transfer through a 24 bit Analog to Digital Converter. We make sure the digital levels are optimal (full volume) without incuring any overs or distortion. The audio is then stored on a hard drive within our SoundBlade system