Services

We specialize in transferring old records and tapes to CD, and remastering existing digital or analog recordings The time consuming and detailed process of restoration requires a deep knowledge of the type, time period, and quality of a recording, and the best possible method to restore it to its original form. Not only can clicks, pops, surface hiss, and other noise be removed, it is also possible to enhance a recording by adding impact and dynamic range to create a fuller, richer sound quality. We provide state of the art analog to digital conversion while ensuring the best possible audio quality from any source recording. Send us your old records and tapes, we'll not only convert it, but restore it and send it back to you in the format of your choice (CD/DVD/MD...)
Standard CD printing, labelling, and cover art are provided. Full colour, customized, cardstock cover art and Disc labelling are subject to additional fees.

The Process
1. Determining the type of recording medium, age and physical state.
2. Cleaning dust, dirt, fingerprints, sticky shed,
3. Evaluting the source to determine the optimal method of conversion.
4. Digitizing to Hard Disk using a combination of hardware and software.
5. Applying noise reduction, effects, and filters as necessary.
6. Recording to digital medium i.e. CDR, DVD, MD, SHN, MP3...

We use professional equipment designed for the best possible playback and digital capture in order to
maintain the original nature of the analog source and enhance the audio when necessary.

· Audio Restoration is designed to "clean up" a recording, much like digital restoration of old photographs or recreations of famous works of art. The goal is to separate the sound from the medium that carries it, in order to hear the music without unwanted clicks, pops, scratches and hiss that often detract from the original recordings. In some cases, certain types of noise frequencies must be unaltered in order to maintain certain frequencies of the original source recording.

· Source recordings can vary greatly in quality depending on Recording Equipment, Recording Conditions, and the recorded source.

· Old phonograph recordings or tape recordings that have deteriorated with age and repeated playing often require restoration.

· There is no single solution to restoring an audio recording. For example restoring an old, dusty and scratchy spoken word record would require a different method than restoring a live concert cassette tape.

· Recordings that are damaged beyond repair are not always worth the time and energy required to attempt restoration.

· There are technological limits to what can be done to a recording.

· The quality of a restored recording is in the eye of the beholder.

· Audio restoration is time consuming, detailed work. Professional equipment, experience and time are required for successful restoration and remastering.

· The people involved in the restoration process have important decisions to make on the path towards clear audio. Over-processing can cause "warbly or robotic" sounds which are quite undesirable, and low level "thumps" caused by friction need to be carefully processed.

· Sometimes it's a balancing act to decide whether the artifact is more desirable than the noise being eliminated! Computers play a big part allowing us to do things that couldn't be done only a few short years ago, but professional and expensive hardware is also required. For the most part, we think that your ears will approve!