Transferring Analog Tape to Digital

Greeting all

I figured I would post my experiences here, as I am sure that there are some analog folks still kicking around. I recently found the original 2" tape from the very first studio session my band had. It was a project that was never released on CD, only cassette, and was recorded 20 years ago this November. Still in the same band, and what better way to celebrate than a re-release of our first recording!

Then I tried calling around to some studios, and go no where with that. They are mostly all digital at this point, or didn't want to take on a smal project like this. Bummer.

Lo and behold, I found a vendor (website below), that does nothing but tape resorations and digital transfers. The work is outstanding, and the turnaround time was great as well. And the cost was about 25% of the lowest price I had gotten from a studio. They perform all types of restoration, reverse angineering, and the like.

I have no affiliation with this company, other than being an extremely happy customer. There is nothing better than transporting yourself back 20 years, and being able to correct recording mistakes, tempo issues, mix problems, whatever.

If anyone else has need for these types of services, I recommend reaching out to these guys.

http://sonicraft.com/

Yeah, I'm familiar with those guys.......I recently decided it was time to transfer a stack of 1/2" 8-trk masters recorded from
the late 80's to the late 90's and took a look at this option. I finally ended up buying a Tascam 38 which is the machine
these tapes were recorded on in the first place. Did my transfers and turned around and re-sold the machine on eBay
......for a nice little profit!

It's been a blast re-mixing and mastering these old tracks in the digital domain.
There's just so much more you can do.....like track automation. I remember mixing sessions back in the day with three
or four guys working the faders......like a game of Twister!

Ahh the good old days. This project is certainly bringing me back to my youth. I also had another kicker to it. Right when we went into the studio to do this, we were picked up by a small label, so I quit my job to go out on the road. At the same time, I took my last paystub, and put it under one of the pickups in my Jazz Bass time capsule style, and totally forgot about it.

FF 20 years. I get the digitized tracks back, and decided to change the pickups in the Jazz, and guess what I find? Needless to say, it has been a very nostalgic month for me.

Here's to the good old days.

decided to change the pickups in the Jazz, and guess what I find

HAHAHA!! LOVE IT!!

We were clubmates with the Smithereens back in the day and when they popped there was a bit of a feeding frenzy. We came very close to being signed by Columbia.....but they couldn't figure out what to do with us....we were told if we made all our songs sound like "that one" and got out the aquanet, makeup and spandex they'd sign us....in hindsight perhaps we should have played ball. In any case shortly thereafter Grunge came along and killed it all dead.....but not before our other local homies Monster Magnet reached escape velocity!

Played with monster magnet beck in the day. I guess we were at the beginning of the grunge movement back in the day.

What was the name of your band. Curious to see if we ever crossed paths.

We were called OMS LAW. Our home base was the Court Tavern in New Brunswick.
What was your band called?

Day of Reckoning out of Philly. So I guess you know the Wrens? Or the Voice UK as they once were? We were kincking around the first half of the 90's.

Hrmn....not sure about the Wrens...sounds familiar tho. We played the Khyber Pass a few times. We were around from about 84-89.
Some of our contemporaries were Frozen Concentrate, Crossfire Choir, Spiral Jetty, Genocide, Tiny Lights, The Wooden Soldiers &
The Grip Weeds...who are still at it! After we broke up my rhythm section formed Buzzkill and were signed by Jello Biafra. I left the east
coast in 90 and toured nationally as a solo acoustic performer for a few years and settled in Carbondale, IL where I built a commercial studio and retail store and played in a bunch of bands......but now I'm back in the NY groove!