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“The tapes sound beautiful. Thank you for the great job and the pleasant,
courteous service.
It was a pleasure working with you.”
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Restoration
Hidden away in attics, basements, closets
and garages are old sound recordings, videos and photos of people, places
and events that have special meaning to you. Restoration is the term
we use for converting these unique sounds and images to compact disc, DVD
or high-resolution print.
 Restoration
is a far more
sophisticated process than it may seem. Although eager amateurs may be
more than willing to attempt such conversions, there is considerable risk
involved in entrusting irreplaceable original materials to someone who
might either damage or destroy them altogether.
Savvy
clients understand the wisdom of having their priceless original acetates,
vinyl discs, audiotapes, videos and photographs handled professionally.
The process begins by creating a digital file.
Digitizing is necessary
because no one has invented a machine that allows dropping an original in
at one end and having the finished product pop out the other – like with a
photocopier. Also, transferring original materials directly to disc isn’t
practical either because of the difficulties that may arise along the way.
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For example:
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In playing a disc recording, the stylus
(needle) can skip a record groove – or become stuck in one.
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A 78 rpm disc requires a specific type of stylus for optimum sound
transfer. |
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Open-reel tapes may contain splices
that fail on playback.
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Even when properly handled, an old,
brittle tape may break and require repair. |
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There are a variety of playback speeds and head configurations to be
considered. |
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The tape in vintage audiocassettes may
have become tangled or broken. |
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An audiocassette may be missing a
pressure pad, and the tape may need to be transferred to a new shell. |
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A videotape may be tangled,
broken or detached from the take-up spool. A damaged section may need to be
removed in order to save the rest of the tape. It may include unwanted
material requiring deletion, or the addition of special effects to enhance
picture quality. |
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Vintage photos or documents may require
special handing and extensive retouching to repair damage.
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Nearly all of these matters may be addressed using
specialized methods developed in this studio since 1967. Once created, a
digital file can be manipulated with the highly skilled use of one or more
digital workstations. Digitizing is truly necessary. For example:
AUDIO
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Program Recording Level
In audio, there is a rather strict limit to the absolute recording
level acceptable by a compact disc. Beyond that limit, distortion
becomes both immediate and severe. Skilled use of the digital
workstation allows determining the overall level of original recordings
as well as the exact locations of occasional peaks. Once digitized, the
level can then be set precisely for distortion-free transfer to CD.
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Program Length
Professional CDs may contain a maximum of 80 minutes of audio. Longer
programs may require additional discs. Use of the digital workstation
in dubbing to CD allows determining the exact running time of the
program, as well as where a longer program might be appropriately
divided for transfer to two or more discs.
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Program Condition
The greatest benefit of the digital process is the capacity to repair,
restore or enhance poor-sounding recordings. Background sounds can be
reduced, voices brought further forward, unwanted music or dialogue
deleted, annoying noises corrected, speed
and pitch adjusted and monaural recordings enhanced for a pleasant
stereo effect. All of these benefits are available to you only through
the skilled, creative use of digital audio. |
Delivery
In bringing an original recording here for restoration, here are some
hints:
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Whatever it may be, don’t attempt to play it first. Without meaning to,
you may cause harm. |
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Carry open reel and cassette tapes in a clean paper or plastic bag. |
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Disc recordings may be delivered in their original sleeves or jackets.
Or, line a clean, unused corrugated cardboard pizza box with ordinary
writing paper. Separate multiple discs with additional paper, then carry
flat. |
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Delivery from out of state is easy enough. Package very carefully,
then send only by Certified U.S. Mail or United Parcel Service. |
AUDIO
Rates
Standard Process - Best Sound Quality
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Clean a disc recording |
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Free |
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Add leaders to open reel tape |
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Free |
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Create a digital sound file from your original material,
up to 60 minutes |
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$34.95 |
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Trim heads & tails to eliminate sounds of needle drop and
liftoff |
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$2.00 |
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Optimize recording levels, from |
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$5.00 |
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Create AIFF files for transfer to CD, approximately |
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$20.00 |
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Compact disc with printed label & standard jewel case |
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$5.95 |
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Compact disc with printed label & standard jewel case
(spare) |
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Free |
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Compact disc with printed label & standard jewel case
(archival copy)(retained on file for ten years) |
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Free |
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Backup on multiple external hard drives (retained for one
year) |
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Free |
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Approximate Total |
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$67.90 |
Economy Process
Extras
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Correct disc mistracking, labor charge per minute
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$ 1.00 |
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Calibrate noise reduction software to reduce
surface noise |
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$10.00 |
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Recordings longer than one hour, per minute |
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$ .60 |
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Divide material into separate tracks for easy access,
approximately |
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$20.00 |
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Splice open-reel tape, each
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$ 1.00 |
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Audiocassette repair
May include splicing, replacing internal parts or entire shell. |
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$14.95 |
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Design of full-color custom CD cover, from |
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$24.95 |
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Additional covers, printed, scored, cut & installed |
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$ 2.95 |
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Design letter-quality tray liner with song titles or other
information, from |
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$10.00 |
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Additional tray liners, printed, scored, cut & installed |
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$ 1.75 |
VIDEO
Rates
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Create digital video file from your original
material |
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$34.95 |
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Trim heads & tails to eliminate unwanted images |
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Included |
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DVD with printed label & standard jewel case |
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Included |
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DVD with printed label & standard jewel case
(spare) |
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FREE |
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DVD with printed label & standard jewel case
(archival copy) ( retained on file for ten years) |
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FREE |
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Backup on multiple external hard drives (retained
for thirty days) |
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FREE |
Extras
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VHS repair
May include splicing, replacing
internal parts or entire shell. |
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$14.95 |
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Design of full-color custom DVD cover, from |
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$24.95 |
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Additional cover, printed, scored, cut & installed |
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$ 2.95 |
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Design letter-quality tray liner with song titles
or other information, from |
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$10.00 |
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Additional tray liners, printed, scored, cut &
installed |
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$1.75 |
Photo
Rates
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Create high-resolution digital file from your
original image |
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$24.95 |
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Align and crop - remove unnecessary peripheral
material |
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Included |
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Basic retouching, one quarter-hour |
FREE |
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Detailed retouching, per quarter-hour |
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$16.25 |
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Reduce or eliminate cracks in original photo |
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Remove unwanted persons or objects |
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Reconstruct missing portions, etc. |
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Restore damaged or missing text |
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Enlarge original image |
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Change image proportions |
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CDR (jpeg) with label & case |
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High-resolution print |
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$ 5.95 |
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$ 5.95 |
*Assemble series of photos as movie on DVD - Please ask for estimate.
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Summary
Whether you have sound recordings, videos, photos or documents, skilled, creative use of digital technology
can preserve - and often improve - the quality and condition of your
original materials. The secret, of course,
is not the system but the operator. |
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