Audio Cassette Digital Transfer

Base Pricing*

We charge by program time on tape. 

  • 30 minute tape $12
  • 45 minute tape $17
  • 60 minute tape $21
  • 90 minute tape $24
  • Longer tapes: Add 26¢/minute

Before quantity discount. Flash drive additional (or provide your own). Shipping not included. Minimum order $85.

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Audio Cassettes

One of the great success stories, the audio cassette became the medium of choice starting in the late 70s until the CD took over. Audio cassette's slow speed made for some terribly poor audio at first, until they reformulated the tapes and added Dolby noise reduction. Then they rivaled LP records, and were lots more versatile than 8 tracks. Besides commercial recordings and home-made "mix tapes," cassettes were used for audio archives for everything from sermons to legal proceedings, audio lessons to the precursors of podcasts, and soundtracks and control for countless slide shows in the days before PowerPoint and VHS.

  • Standard Cassettes could be recorded in mono or stereo. To achieve hi-fi sound quality, some have different tape formulations such as Chromium Dioxide (Cr02) and Dolby noise reduction. "PortaStudio" recorders could record 4-track multitrack sync recording which musicians would use to produce demo tapes for their songs. Some machines recorded at higher speed to improve quality. Tapes were sold in lengths of 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes, referring to recording time at standard speed when both sides were recorded. We can digitize from all forms of standard cassette tapes, including mixdown of multitrack music tapes.
  • Micro and Mini Cassettes were primarily used for dictation devices as well as portable hand-held audio note takers. We can transfer from either Micro or Mini cassette. Note that audio quality from these smaller tapes is usually quite poor.

Options
(Extra cost)

Enhancements:

  • Cassette repair
  • Tape resotration (tape baking)
  • Noise reduction
  • AI Voice Enhancement
  • Multitrack mixdown
  • Track separation
  • CD authoring

Deliverables:

  • Flash Drive (standard)
  • CD/DVD ROM
    (for computer)
  • Audio CD
    (for standard CD players)

Transfer Process

Cassettes are played on our professional stereo cassette machines and digitized at CD quality (44.1KHz, 16 bit). If the cassette is mono, it is captured as a mono file at the same bitrate. "Hi-Fi" music tapes are captured at standard speed to preserve full fidelity, with Dolby noise reduction if used. "Lo-fi" voice-only tapes may be captured at double speed and digitally slowed to normal. This not only speeds throughput but also lowers tape hiss.

These source files are saved as uncompressed WAV files, and are then exported as compressed files (MP3 or other file type) for use on media players.  If the tape has discrete songs, we can split the output files into song files, or export them as tracks on a CD.

What You Get
(Future-Proofed Data)

On your flash drive you will receive two copies, the master uncompressed WAV file, which can be used for editing or transcoding to the next most popular compressed format, and an MP3 compressed version for use in media players. If you requested music track splitting, you'll get a separate MP3 file for each song.

You may also choose to receive output on optical media, either as a computer-readable ROM disc, or a set-top player compatible CD (audio only), Authoring fees apply, and discs have capacity limits.

How it works.

2. Drop Off
3. Pick Up

Turnaround Time:1

Typically within 1-2 weeks. Larger orders may take longer. Rush service available (extra cost).

We're located in NW Columbus, Ohio, very near the OSU airport.
(We accept major carrier shipments if you're not in the Columbus area. You provide the box!)

$85 minimum per order.*

Audio Cassette Q&A,

  • What do I need to provide for an accurate quote?

    You can combine media types with any order and get extra quantity discounts. In the contact form, please specify:

    • The TYPE of materials you want to transfer (Video, movie, stills, etc.) Combination orders are welcome and qualify for greater discounts
    • If a tape, the LENGTH of program on the tape. If you don't know how full the tape is, just report the number on the case, e.g. T120.
    • If a tape, the SPEED at which it was recorded, if you know. 
    • And the QUANTITY of each type of material
    • If items are damaged, describe the problem
    • Whether you want your files on a flash drive or optical drive (DVD/CD)
  • Can you transfer my tapes in stereo?

    Actually, mono tapes are best transferred in mono, while stereo tapes are transferred in stereo. If you so desire, we may be able to add stereo effects to a mono track. We can also mixdown a 4-track multitrack recording to stereo or mono. (extra cost for mixdown).

  • Can you clean up background noise in a recording?

    Yes. There are several types of noise reduction we can perform:

    • If a recording has Dolby encoding, we will decode on playback, no extra charge.
    • Tape hiss removal is included in all transfers.
    • Advanced background noise reduction can eliminate environmental noises like HVAC rumbles or machinery noises.(Applying drastic reduction for severe noise may create audible artifacts.)
    • AI enhanced speech is now an option, though it is prone to error

    If noise-to-signal ratio is too great, it may not be possible to restore a tape. Advanced noise reduction is an extra-cost option.

  • Can you transfer commercial recordings by popular artists?

    As we understand the Fair Use provisions of copyright law, you may copy purchased recordings for personal use, but the output may not be shared or distributed publicly or privately. You bear full responsibility for any copyright infringement claims.

    It is advisable to purchase your albums as a digital download from authorized sources, or purchase CDs of your albums at a retailer. For out of print titles, try a local used record store or auction site.

  • Can you transfer off-air radio staton recordings or "mix tapes"?

    This is complicated as numerous copyright owners are involved. As we understand the Fair Use provisions of copyright law, individuals may copy such recordings for personal use, but they may not be shared distributed. Client bears full responsibility for any copyright infringement claims.

  • What are my deliverable options?

    USB Flash Drive:
    Most of our customers choose delivery on a USB flash drive or portable hard drive. With so many sizes available, we can usually fit all your content on one USB drive. Most modern TV sets and all computers (Mac/PC) will play content from a flash drive. We include instructions on how to backup and safeguard your investment

    CD
    Some customers prefer delivery on CD. While we can put data on a CD-ROM disc, playable on a computer, we must "author" a CD to be playable on a common CD player.  CD has the following disadvantages:

    • Cannot reorder or rename ir reirder playlist
    • Difficult to back up
    • Players are becoming rare

    If you order delivery on CD you will also get a flash drive with source files.

  • Can I provide my own disk for output?

    Yes, we support BYOD (bring your own disk). While we normally provide output on our media (cost varies with drive size), you can instead provide a new-in-box (sealed) flash drive or portable hard disk/SSD at no extra charge. We can estimate drive size needed with your estimate, and confirm it when transfers are complete.

  • Can I make my own copies?

    Absolutely! We make no copyright claim on your content, so you are free to make copies (provided, of course, the material is not copyrighted by a 3rd party.) If you prefer for us to make your copies, they're available for only the cost of the media.

    Additional copies may be ordered from our master files with or without the source files for up to 3 months following delivery. Our masters are scheduled for deletion after 3 months unless you choose the archive option.

Take the next step.
Let us know what legacy materials you have to see how we can help.
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