Please click on a question below and the answer will expand. If you don’t immediately see the question you are looking for, use our powerful search facility (the box with “search our site…“) above. If you don’t see an answer to your question here, try our Knowledge Base, with many questions asked by our customers and our answers. If your question still isn’t answered, by all means Contact us.
Audio Transfers Questions
Pricing
Certainly. We kindly ask our visitors to use the web site. Simply select the audio format (plus CD length and any other options) and add to the shopping cart. The shopping cart will calculate everything for you (including return shipping by your preferred method). If you do not want to order, simply do not complete the ordering process. Nothing will be charged.
This question is usually asked by consumers who have not done much in-depth "comparison shopping". All the recording, restoration and remastering work is custom produced at our studios, one recording at a time, "by hand" and by highly qualified and experienced personnel. Unlike other low quality outfits, we do not have a button labeled "RESTORATION" or "REMASTERING" to push and apply uniformly to all recordings received. Just as the music is unique, each recording and each restoration job is unique. The variety of music types, recording techniques, recording sources and age, mechanical or electronic defects, are factors that combine into an infinitely large number of restoration techniques. Restoration is also a matter of taste and artistic choices. Only a highly qualified "human" can fit this job (not a piece of equipment called "restorer" or a $15 piece of software). Carefully handling the recordings (from unwrapping to re-wrapping) also needs to be done by "good quality humans" (if your recordings are important to you). It takes top (expensive) equipment and software to provide the technology to make the "Magic" possible. All these ingredients combine into a top quality product, judging from the enthusiastic feedback we have been receiving from our customers daily for the past 20 years. On a personal note, I shudder when I see on the Internet (or someone mentions on the phone) those unrealistically cheap audio and video transfer outfits. Almost every day we receive jobs that were first given to a cheap outfit and botched up. The client ends up paying twice for one transfer. The reality is: you get what you pay for! Sooner or later we all learn that.
This question is usually asked by consumers who have done a lot of in-depth comparison shopping on the Internet and in their home town and know the going market prices for our services. Our restoration service was created (before most of the thousands of companies that copied us) with a goal: to make possible and affordable for the first time ever the conversion to CD of entire record collections, at prices that the average consumer can afford. We engineered our restoration system from the ground up with a dual goal: very high quality, and very high productivity. We purchased every piece of software on the market that could help us, we wrote our own software and developed proprietary methods and techniques (that are trade secrets). We ARE genuinely dedicated to the effort of Restoring America's Heritage, one record at a time. . . Our service, for the first time ever, and after 20 years still going strong, makes that possible. We have been copied to the page and to the letter by companies that come and go. There is always someone trying to find out (covertly or overtly) "what is our secret". One secret we don't mind sharing is: total commitment to quality. The other secrets are proprietary information: our "edge" others can not copy.
Ordering
We will be able to accommodate return ship on your FedEx (or UPS) account on the following two conditions: 1) We must be able to use the same shipping box you used to ship your recordings to us (must have enough space for the new CDs or DVDs we produced); and 2) You provide the ready-prepared return shipping label. In that case, we will delete the return shipping cost as calculated by our order form. Otherwise (if we have to repack and/or prepare the return shipping label) we will not be able to return ship on your account. In that case, please select one of the offered shipping methods.
Our process is very easy:
- First, become familiar with our services by reading the Beginner's Guide and Pricing Information.
- Select the format of your recording, either on the Pricing page or the Formats page.
- Select the appropriate options and add the item to your shopping cart.
- Follow the steps on the checkout page and complete your order.
- Ship your recording(s) to us using your preferred shipping method. [view our shipping tips]
- We get the transfer done and return everything back to you (including your original recordings).
Absolutely!
- Please call: 407-292-1151 or 800-778-9043 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
- However, we prefer (and strongly encourage) that customers place orders on-line because there are many options and important information on our website that can not possibly be all relayed in a phone call. It is the customer's responsibility to read this information. All of our policies will apply the same for on-line or phone orders.
We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover), money orders and cashiers' checks. We do not accept personal checks.
It depends on the charge amount, the nature of the order and if you are a return customer.
For previous customers and small amounts the credit card is charged after we complete the work and right before we ship your order. For orders where the recording length was not known (or uncertain) we charge as soon as we determine the actual transfer lengths.
- At any rate, it is the client's responsibility to make sure that we can process the charge from the day the order is placed until the day work is completed and we are ready to ship. If the credit card used has stopped functioning before we have completed work on an order, it is the client's responsibility to submit correct information. If we have to defer processing or returning an order because the card was declined, an admin fee will be added to the total.
Formats
Yes, we can transfer to CD the audio only soundtrack from LaserDiscs, VHS or Beta tapes. For complete information, including pricing, please click here: Audio (soundtrack) only recorded from video sources (LaserDisc, VHS, Beta).
Please visit our formats page
Yes, we do. All of the above and more. Please visit our formats page for a complete list of formats we accept.
Yes, we can. See Cassette Tape.
- Please visit our formats page for a complete list of formats we accept.
Restoration Process
It is not possible to estimate if a record will play based on a description, a picture, or even holding the record in our hands. The only way to know if the needle will track is by playing it.
There are many records that look really bad but we are able to make them play. Other records look good but have hidden defects that make them non-playable or barely-playable.
Of course, records that look completely shot (such as warped, cracked, peeling, etc.) are probably shot.
If the record does not appear completely shot, we suggest placing an order and sending the record(s) over.
If we determine after attempting playback that the record is shot, we charge a "Recording Fee" plus return postage and return record unprocessed.
If the record somewhat plays (with difficulty), we charge a "Recording Fee" (possibly a "Restoration Unit" if more restoration work than average is needed), and process as is.
If the record plays without difficulty, we process at regular charge.
Records submitted for transfer to CD have many possible faults, including skips. Most records have multiple faults (such as thousands or millions of clicks, crackles and pops, plus hiss and hum, skips or repeats). The fact that a submitted record has a fault is the norm in our business. We do not cause these faults, on the contrary, we try to minimize their effects. The fact that a recording "has a skip in it" is not that surprising to us. If we detect the skip, we will try our best to minimize its impact. There are cases of skips that can not be improved (the needle jumps over material) or skips that we do not detect. The CDs are produced based on our best effort. If your quest for perfection is such that you prefer NOT to have a CD transfer if your original recording has faults (such as a skip), please DO NOT SUBMIT your recording for transfer. We will not be able to abort production (and waive our charges) for recordings that exhibit faults.
"Normal" turnaround time is about two to three weeks for audio transfers (at our studios). "Normal" turnaround time is an average. Like a busy Interstate, we have peak times, traffic jams and light traffic days. Just as on a highway it is not productive to get stressed out or to yell and scream when the traffic is heavy, it is not productive to get stressed out if an order is caught in traffic and is not completed in the "average" turnaround time. It is in everybody's interest that each order is processed carefully. Phone or email inquiries about the status of an order clog the system and slow down everyone's order. Our on-line Order Tracking System provides detailed information, is free and automatic. (Please note that the STUDIO PROCESSING phase is the longest, and occasionally orders spend what seems like a long time there) We kindly ask our customers to use the on-line Order Tracking System instead of calling for status updates. "Normal turnaround" too long? Use our RUSH Service for 1 week or 72 hours turnaround time.
No. The only way for processing time to be less than our "normal" is to use one of our RUSH Service options. The vast majority of our customers who chose expensive couriers to ship their recordings to us do so because of increased security or convenience. We receive dozens of packages every day from a variety of couriers. All packages are opened and Admin Processed in the order in which they have been received. Our studio operations and processing are in no way determined by the courier that brought the box to our studios. A few clients told us that the "value of their shipment" would be diminished if processing still took 2-3 weeks. True, but the premium paid to a courier does not impact our bottom line. Please select the shipping method that best suits your budget, security and convenience.
No. Listed below are some of the limitations. We want our customers to be informed. Please familiarize yourself with these limitations and write or call us if you have any questions. Read also about the Types of Noises Successfully Removed or Diminished and Our Noise Reduction Philosophy. The quality of our work is 100% guaranteed, but this guarantee does not apply to defects that are impossible to fix, such as those described below:
- Unplayable disks: Please do not send disks that are cracked, warped, or otherwise unplayable.
- Off-center hole: Some LP's have the center hole slightly off-center. These records will play with the pitch varying slightly at each revolution.
- Skips: If the record "skips" on your machine, it may "skip" on our machines. Even if a record does not skip on your machine it may still skip on our machine (we use professional grade turntables and needles). If the needle skips forward we will continue processing. If the record skips in place we will push the needle gently into the next groove. We will repeat this a few times until the needle will track again. Some discontinuity may be noticed. We may not detect if the needle has skipped only a few times and then continued. We do not guarantee that we will detect, avoid or fix all skips. If any of these conditions are not acceptable, please do not submit records that skip.
- Severe scratches: We routinely eliminate 50,000 to 100,000 clicks, pops and scratches per record (!!!) We have cleaned up recordings of over 400,000 imperfections with great results. Most clicks are completely eliminated, without even a trace. However, if the scratch is very severe (the underlying music is gone for a considerable amount of time) there will be a trace of a "pop" in the restored version.
- Distortion: Distortions come in many flavors and have many possible causes: over modulation at recording, defective microphones or recording equipment, faulty stamping or quality control when the record was pressed, playing the record with a worn needle or with improper tracking force. A distortion becomes part of the sound. The computer (and filtering equipment) can not decide what is distorted and what is not (sometimes even humans have trouble hearing all forms of distortion). Therefore, if your source recording is distorted, the restored copy will also be distorted (only the sound will be "cleaner").
- Trade-offs:
- Intense computer processing of very degraded signals may result in music that sounds somewhat muted. It is a much more enjoyable experience to listen to a clean sounding recording, but somewhat muted, as opposed to a recording with severe hiss, crackles and pops.
- There are cases when a recording sounds clean for the most part, and needs a less drastic approach in restoration in order to preserve the "liveliness" of the original recording. In this case it is more desirable to apply less severe processing, which may leave some occasional imperfections more audible.
- No pause between tracks: Please note that there must be few seconds of actual pause (silence) between the songs in order for us to be able to accurately assign tracks. If the original material does not contain a few seconds of silence between the songs, and timings are not provided we will try to guess where the tracks should begin, but may not exactly match the tracks of the original. This happens frequently with "live recording" albums, medleys, opera and sometimes with compilation tapes. If our "guessing" is not acceptable, please do not submit recordings without a few seconds of silence between songs.
- Inferior quality home or commercial recording: Some customers prefer to record their vinyl or shellac records onto a cassette, and send us the cassette for processing. Please be aware that if the cassette is recorded with inferior equipment (noisy turntable or cassette recorder) the resulting CD will also be of inferior quality. It is impossible to make a perfect CD out of a technically inferior recording. This also applies to inferior commercial recordings (recordings with metallic, tiny sound, recordings with bad sibilants, recordings badly mixed). We can not create frequencies that have never been recorded and can not re-mix a recording since we do not have the multi-track master. Remember, recording companies have budgets of tens of thousands of dollars for their recordings, your budget for your restoration is much less.
- Perfection is not possible and is not guaranteed: We do not promise that we will take a recording in any condition and turn it into a "perfect" recording. We do not re-engineer recordings, unless we are provided with the original master tapes of a recording and an adequate professional re-mastering budget. We guarantee the quality of our work in producing a faithful transfer with adequate noise reduction, but we do not claim or guarantee that a recording that is sent to us will become a "perfect recording" as a result of our work. Our transfer and restoration work addresses only sound elements that are audible by normal listeners under normal listening conditions. We do not deal in "esoterica".
- Results commensurate with service selected: We offer a variety of services and price levels: from "consumer services" (and prices) to "professional services" (and prices); from "transfer only" to "Individual Restoration Units". We perform the service that was purchased by the customer when the order was placed. Occasionally we encounter customers who purchase a lower level service but demand results equal with a higher levels service, without paying for it. Customers with stringent requirements (and "perfectionists") should order higher level services ("professional services"). Results are commensurate with the budget we are given to work with and the level of service purchased.
No. There are many thousands of pops and clicks on each recording. Some skips can not be detected, avoided or fixed. When we restore a record we have to decide how severe the pops and clicks are, and how much correction to apply to the music. On a recording that is otherwise good, except for a few pops, we prefer to apply less correction in order to preserve the liveliness of the music. This is explained on our Web site on our Noise Reduction Philosophy page.
- The budget for the restoration, at the consumer price level, is about $15 (see our published prices, for the current "transfer only" and "sound restoration" prices). "Hand removal" of pops and clicks is not possible at this price level. Fixing skips is not possible at this price level. If you know that certain songs/tracks require extra restoration work, please select additional "Individual Restoration Units".
- We also offer professional restoration services. Please contact us with details about your project.
Please do not ask us to make that determination. It is a personal and subjective decision which is up to you based upon your requirements and your taste. We do not offer advice (this type of advice is time consuming, not included in the cost of the transfer and may be perceived as a conflict of interest if we recommend Restoration). Also, we do not want to assume responsibility that we have made the wrong recommendation. That is exactly why we are offering an option for ordering BOTH versions (Transfer Only AND Transfer with Sound Restoration). When in doubt, order BOTH versions.
MP3 CDs
The main reason is QUALITY. We perform MP3 compression with professional algorithms that are not available in consumer software. Professional MP3 compression provides superior quality. Another reason would be CONVENIENCE.
Yes. You will see an option called "MP3 CD" on each format page. Simply add that option to the order and you will get a CD with the MP3 version of your recording.
We offer High Quality MP3s (approx. 9:1 compression). We perform MP3 compression with professional algorithms that are not available in consumer software. Professional MP3 compression provides superior quality.
We are a professional studio and as such we perform all work on UNCOMPRESSED audio files of the highest quality. The output of our high quality audio work is an Audio CD. This CD preserves the full quality of your audio recording. The MP3 conversion is offered as a convenience, in addition to your full quality Audio CD. The MP3 format is convenient because of the smaller file sizes. While small file sizes are nice, some of the information contained in the original recording is discarded and forever lost. That's why you also receive the Audio CD's, that preserve the full quality of the original recording.
Yes. If you order multiple audio transfers and select the MP3 option for all transfers, all MP3s will be put (in different folders) onto one CD (or DVD, up to the maximum capacity of a DVD).
At this time we do not offer a stand-alone "conversion to MP3 service". We only convert to MP3 CD's our transfer/restoration projects.
Rush Services
Yes. Please select one of our RUSH Services:
- STANDARD Rush Service - 1 week check-in to check-out (Example: check-in at our studio on Tuesday, check-out the following week Tuesday)
- EXPEDITED Rush Service - 72 hours check-in to check-out weekdays (Example: check-in at our studio Tuesday at 4:00 PM, check-out at 4:00 PM Friday)
- EXTREME Rush Service (Saturday included) - 72 hours check-in to check-out including Saturdays (Example: check-in at our studio Wednesday at 10:00 AM, check-out at 10:00 AM Saturday)
- IMPORTANT:
- If you are ordering a rush service and you have a hard deadline we urge you to contact us before you ship your recordings to us in order to get our OK.
- A good idea would be to mark RUSH on your box so we'll see it right away and given it high priority once we receive it.
When you get to "Your Cart", if rush services are available, you will see the link "Want to add Rush processing to your order? Click here". Click and you will see all prices and options. RUSH Services have a limited availability (if the above mentioned link is not there, RUSH processing is temporarily unavailable).
We offer RUSH Services only when we know we can fulfill rush orders.
We do not offer rush services at times when we are over-committed and we cannot be sure that we will be able to honor our promise.
We are able to guarantee our in studio processing time (from check-in to check-out) to be of the length specified by the RUSH Service you selected.
Shipping time to our studio and from our studio back to the client is outside our control and outside any guarantee we may offer.
There are other conditions and limitations, clearly spelled out in our Rush Service policy.
Please read our Rush Service policy before ordering, and order only if you agree with our policy.
No, unless you obtain our OK. We ask our customers to only order a "quantity of 1" for any Rush Service selected. If too many people select Rush Services for large orders at the same time we will not be able to deliver. If your order is larger, you MUST obtain our OK before selecting a quantity larger than 1 for any of the Rush Services selected.
No. Our 1 week Rush Service will process your transfer in 1 week from the time your recording was received at our studio and checked into our system until the time we check the order out of our system. You must add the time you take to ship the order, the transit time to our studio, the time until the next available courier pickup and the transit time from our studio back to you.
International Orders
Certainly! Currently we have customers from all continents (except Africa and Antarctica). Our ordering system will accept orders from any country that has a postal service (or is serviced by FedEx or UPS). Select the delivery option you prefer. For payment, use one of the major Credit Cards we accept.
Additional Restoration Versions
- You've ordered a Transfer Only from us within the last 60 days and now you realize that you should have ordered a Transfer with Sound Restoration.
- Or you've ordered a Restoration (within the last 60 days), but you would like another version with less (or more, or different) noise reduction.
- You DO NOT need to send back the original recording. We will use the master sound files (which are kept on our computers for exactly 60 days).
- Shipping of your Additional Restoration Version CD is free!
▶ You’ve done this job for me about one year ago. Can I order an Additional Restoration Version now?
We keep all the production files on our computers for 60 days after ship date. On day 61 the files are deleted. Jobs that are 61 days or older from ship date must be re-submitted as a new project.
With the availability of Additional Restoration Versions, you become more like the Producer of your own recording (we are the Studio, Engineer and Technicians). Studio and personnel time are expensive. In an ideal world, a Producer would have the run of the studio for an unlimited amount of time, until that very last note is perfect. In the real world, the clock keeps ticking and when the paid for studio time is up, the next job rolls in. For more "perfection", the producer must book another session. We operate on the same principle.
No, no guarantees are offered. The new version will be DIFFERENT than the previous version, as close as we can execute your instructions. In fact, your instructions may cause distortions and artifacts in the new version. There is always a good reason why we don't push the noise reduction parameters to the maximum. The Restoration Versions are offered as an accommodation, not as a source of arguments, disputes and requests for free rework. Versions produced are final, and not subject to disputes, arguments and requests for free rework. Ordering Restoration Versions assumes full understanding of, acceptance and compliance with our terms and conditions.
No, it is not a rip-off. The difference between versions may be subtle. People who are not audio professionals (or who do not have sensitive ears or sensitive playback equipment) may not hear much of a change (although the change is there, is evident for trained ears and is effective). As audio professionals, we are trained to hear things that most other people can not hear (but which ultimately make the difference between GOOD audio and BAD audio). Once again, the Restoration Versions are offered as an accommodation, not as a source of arguments, disputes and requests for free rework. Only individuals who understand and agree with our terms and conditions should order.
Compilation CDs
To keep your cost down please follow this procedure:
- Create a compilation cassette tape.
- Be sure to leave a few seconds of silence between the songs so we can assign tracks to each song.
- Request "Transfer Only" if you do not require sound restoration for the tape. ("Sound Restoration" is recommended only if all the recordings on the tape show similar characteristics.)
Yes, it can be done from a set of 45rpm records, a set of 78rpm records, a set of home-made-records, a set of 16-inch Transcriptions and a few other Record Formats.
- We do not offer a compilation service from several LP records or from several cassettes. To create a compilation from these formats, please use the method suggested above.
- The prices for these compilations are calculated in advance. Please see Prices.
Order Tracking
Even though it appears that an order doesn't move in the "Studio Processing" phase, it doesn't mean that no work is being done on your order.
It doesn't mean that there is a problem with your order, either.
In fact, it is in the best interest of your recording NOT to be rushed through the "Studio Processing" phase.
- "Studio Processing" is where most of the work takes place. Here is what happens to your recording in the "Studio Processing" phase:
- Your recording, now digitally recorded onto a computer, is analyzed by an experienced sound engineer. Since this critical phase of the restoration process requires a great deal of experience, it is at this time performed by Cristian Coban, Ph.D. On an average day Dr. Coban listens to and makes restoration decisions for dozens of recordings. The recordings are queued up and listened to in the order in which they were received. Typically a recording will be in the listening queue for several days. Each recording is restored individually, considering many factors, such as the physical condition of the record, the sound of the record, the type of material that is recorded, and many other elements.
- Your recording is then processed by powerful computers. Even with powerful computers the software is so complex that processing takes longer than the actual recording. All recordings are queued up for computer time in the order in which they have arrived at the computing stations.
- After computer processing, your restored recording is inspected by a sound engineer. He/she listens for how effective the restoration process has been. If the restoration process has been ineffective or unsatisfactory your recording is returned to the sound engineer for another restoration, using a different approach. Sometimes this process is repeated 2-3-4-5 times.
- While your recording is processed by computers the CD label is printed and the cover art is scanned (if you ordered the CD cover).
- When your recording finally passes inspection, it must be mastered for CD. Recordings are queued up and processed in the order in which they arrive at the mastering stations. This process is done entirely "by hand" by a highly qualified audio technician. It involves deciding where each track should begin and end. A typical workday involves listening to hundreds of tracks and editing many of these by hand.
- The CD master of your recording then goes on to the CD-R recording stations. Again, recordings are queued up and made into CD's in the order in which they arrive at the CD recording stations. Your CD is created and labeled. If your order includes a color CD cover, the color cover is added to the jewel-case.
- Now your CD goes in for the final quality check. If something doesn't sound right on your CD, the job is routed back to where the problem originated. We DO NOT compromise quality, so if the CD has a sound problem the job will be returned to the beginning of the "Studio Processing" cycle.
- If your CD passes inspection, it is ready for the next phase, "Prepare to Ship".
- All this is happening while you see that your recording has not moved at all from Studio Processing.
The check-in phase is very important (we must log-in every item of every package) and very laborious. There may be a few hours delay between the time when we receive a package and the time when the Order Tracking System is updated. A package received late in the day may not post until the next day. Some days we get more orders at the same time than we can thoroughly check-in in one day. We Admin Process the orders in the order in which we received them. As soon as your package can be thoroughly inventoried it will be entered in the Order Tracking System.
You do not need a number. When you place your order please make sure to select the option to "create an account" (if you select not to create an account you will not be able to use our Order Tracking System). Starting at the TRACK YOUR ORDER link (visible on every page of the site), enter your user name and password. You will be presented with a list of all your orders. Select the pending order and track it.
Concerns
It depends on how the recording was made and engineered. If there are clear and "minimum unambiguous pauses" between poems, we will be happy to cut into tracks. However, if the recording contains multiple pauses, some for emphasis, some starting new poems, and the pauses are "ambiguous", or if the reader segues from one poem into another, rather than cut into incorrect tracks, as per our standard, we will cut into one cut per side as the pauses do not meet our standard.
We cut into tracks following how the original recording is cut into tracks. As indicated on our web site: "Music recordings: each song gets 1 track (minimum unambiguous pause required). " If the original recording is not cut into tracks (such as LPs that do not have individual "bands"), we do not cut into tracks. In order to be able to cut into tracks, we need to see (and hear) a "minimum unambiguous pause". If the division into tracks is very clear (say 5-second breaks between tracks, 5 such breaks per side), we clearly see where a track needs to be cut. If there are many breaks into a recording (say 40 2-second breaks per side) we have no idea which of the break is a new track. In such cases, as we would not know where a new track begins, we will not cut into tracks. There are situations where there is a 3-second break, followed shortly by another 3-second break. One of them is a "rest" or a "pause for emphasis", one starts a new track. This is an "ambiguous pause". We could try making a best estimate where the "real" track begins, be wrong, and have to re-do a job because the customer is not happy because we cut the track in the wrong place. This has happened and is not a situation we want to repeat. Therefore our standard is that we only cut into tracks if the original recording has bands that clearly reflect into pauses we can see and hear and if the original recording has a "minimum unambiguous pause" between each track.
We have many redundant levels of checks throughout all processing phases to make sure that 100% of what leaves our studio was processed 100% correctly, in accordance with our published criteria. The possibility of "human" or "machine" error is there, but it is EXTREMELY unlikely that a CD or DVD we shipped contains a processing error. We receive an extremely small number of "not happy" inquiries. Most (if not all) of these inquiries turn out to be not a mistake on our part, but a misunderstanding on the part of the client, which is quickly and professionally cleared out. Should a client feel "not happy", we welcome an email of inquiry. We take such inquiries VERY seriously, check to see if we made a mistake and promptly respond. Unfortunately, our society is increasingly populated by rude or power hungry individuals, who forgot what their parents and teachers taught them. Their "not happy' inquiries are rude, vile and permeated with threats. Nobody working at our company has signed on to being verbally abused, insulted or threatened by people with no breeding. Our policy for dealing with such abuse is "zero tolerance" for abusive or threatening language or behavior. We will send one polite email reply, review the facts and address the issue. We will invite any further contact to be conducted in a civilized manner. Should the abuse continue, we will stop any further support or contact and refer such individuals to appropriate professional, legal or law enforcement authorities. This is a condition of the sale and of after-sale support. Persons not agreeing to this policy are asked to please NOT order from us. This includes those who have a notion that they may place an order with us and can subsequently "enhance" their order or "not pay" for our work though various forms of abuse or intimidation.
Extremely safe. Your records are handled with utmost care while at our studios by fully qualified personnel. We clean each record carefully, and use only the finest quality cartridges. We use the minimum amount of forces that will ensure optimum playback and preserve the disk. The record is played only one time. Although we can not control how the records are handled while in transit, we have not had any negative reports. Play safe: get a professional to pack your recordings.
Absolutely. We deal every day with very unique recordings. Many recordings that come through our studios are beyond "rare and hard to find". They exist in only one copy, that can never be replaced. We take good care of all recordings we receive, and we'll take good care of your records. Please also read: How safe are my records above.
Special care is taken in order NOT to degrade the audio quality. That is why each recording is individually analyzed, and only the corrections that act on the noise (not on the music) are applied. Even mint quality recordings sound better after small clicks and "vinyl noise" are eliminated. If you are concerned about preserving the high frequency content of you recording, write "Maximum High Frequency Preservation" in the Additional Information box of the Checkout page. If your LP has absolutely no noise of any kind, use the "Transfer Only" service.
Your original recordings will not be erased.You will receive back your original recordings, along with the new CD's.Our processing does not alter in any way the original recording. In fact, you will receive back a record that is cleaner than when you sent it to us. Your recording is played only one time.See the answer to Will you take good care of my records? above.
"Harshness" is caused by cheap or improperly designed converters (analog to digital at recording, and digital to analog in your playback unit). We use analog to digital converters of the highest quality, specially designed for audiophile-grade work. Our CD's sound as warm as the source LP's, with no added harshness or coloration (minus the vinyl noise, crackles and pops). The quality of the converters in your playback unit is also important.
We do not accept any unauthorized returns. Just as with any "special order": "all sales are final". This statement is meant to protect us from the very few, but harmful individuals who occasionally try to abuse the system and get free transfers/restorations from us. If a problem is detected please let us know. We will look into the problem and if we find that we have made a mistake we will be very embarrassed, apologize profusely and immediately fix any mistake we have made at no cost to the client. Our determination of "what is a mistake" is final (this is also meant to protect us from the same). If a recording is sent back to us with a perceived problem for us to fix, but after analyzing the problem we do not find that we made a mistake, we will charge a "Setup Fee" plus return shipping. Since "all sales are final" and since we always fix our mistakes there should be no credit card disputes. Unfortunately we live in a litigious society. Some individuals attempt to get free work out of us by working the credit card as a tool for getting free services. We conduct our business in a fair, competent and professional matter. Because of that we have NEVER lost a dispute yet. Credit Card disputes introduced in spite of our terms and conditions will incur a non-disputable $60 fee per dispute dismissed by the credit card company (and ruled in our favor). This $60 fee will be charged when the credit card company rules in our favor, and is non-disputable. If the matter is escalated and requires arbitration, arbitration ruled in our favor by the Credit Card company will incur a $400 non-disputable fee per incident. This $400 fee will be charged when arbitration is ruled in our favor or when arbitration was requested, but subsequently forfeited by customer, and is non-disputable.
We understand that some customers would like to know exact specifics about the equipment we use. As we all know, for many technical people "talking equipment" is akin to talking "religion" or "politics": not a way to make friends. In addition, many competing services (who copy anything they can copy from other successful businesses) would like very much to copy our success. In that respect, we do not like to share... There is ample information on our web site about our process (see How We Perform Magic). As to exact equipment list and studio configuration, it has been our company policy for over 20 years to keep them as proprietary information. This has always worked very well for us. Our thousands of customers (many of which are repeat customers) find that the quality of our services fits very well their needs.
Legal
Yes, most definitely. Making a copy of a copyrighted sound recording is legal as long both of the following two conditions are met:
- You own the original LP or recording and
- You will keep the CD transfer for your own use.
- If you are the copyright holder or the work is in the public domain there are no restrictions.
- It is our policy to perform restorations and transfers in one copy only. For multiple copies we require that the work be in public domain or proof of copyright.
- Please also notice that these prices are ONLY for consumers and the CD's ordered on the LP2CD site are to be used only for personal and non-commercial use.
- The copyright laws allow the person that has purchased a musical recording to make a copy of the music they purchased on a different medium. Example: you buy the CD, then record it on a cassette to listen in the car. That is legal. It would not be legal if you then give (or sell) the cassette tape to aunt Becky. That would be illegal.
- Also, the copyright laws allow a person to make a copy of the recording for safekeeping (or archiving). Frequently you see that on copyrighted software. Some companies even tell you to make a copy for safekeeping, in case your original copy gets damaged.
- What we do, is we make a copy from the original medium to CD, and return BOTH recordings to the client. If we also perform a sound restoration, we charge a few extra $ to cover our labor and equipment costs (kind'of like a restoration artist that restores a painting, or an old silent movie).
- As you probably noticed, we make it very clear throughout the site that we will work STRICTLY within these parameters.
Finding a Song
We are not the people to ask. There are other Web sites much better equipped to answer this type of question. Running search engine searches for your song title would be a good idea.
Buying a CD
- No. We are not allowed to make copies of the music we restore and sell. Doing that would be bootlegging. We want to keep and grow our business. Selling unlicensed copies would be illegal.
- Having our customers send us a the actual recording is for us "proof of purchase". We can then legally restore and return to you both your original and the CD.
- Our suggestion: use the Internet to locate a copy (in any format, even if it is in poor shape) and send it to us for processing. Running a Search Engine search for the desired title will be a good idea.
Additional Copies
- If the recording has a copyright owner other than yourself, then copying or distribution by any means is strictly prohibited. If you are the copyright owner or the recording has no copyright, then you may be able to make additional copies. However, this is a complicated technical issue which depends upon your hardware, software and media.
- In addition, the technology for copying audio CDs is NOT entirely the same as for copying data CDs. When copying data CDs, data integrity is guaranteed (the CD will either copy perfectly, or will not copy at all). With audio CDs, data integrity is NOT guaranteed. It is very common for audio CDs to copy with errors. The user is not alerted that errors are being copied and it is possible to end up with an audio CD copy that sounds much worse than the master CD.
- That's why it is best to order additional CD copies from us at the time you place the order. The copies we produce are IDENTICAL to the master (because they are created from the master digital file, not from another audio CD).
We do not put any copy protection on the CD's, so in theory you should be able to make copies OK. The difference is that we run the "extra copies" directly from the computer files (in fact, they are "masters", not "copies"). At home, you will indeed make "copies", using the CD as a master. Any imperfections caused by the copying process will be present in your CD copies. Additionally, we "slow burn" the audio CD's and use equipment optimized for producing audio CD's (for maximum compatibility and quality).
If the recording has a copyright owner other than yourself, then the copying or distribution by any means is prohibited.If you are the copyright owner or the recording has no copyright, then YES you may order additional CD copies. One Extra CD Copy can be ordered as an option directly on the format ordering page. For more copies, please see CD Duplication (Extra CDs With or Without Cover).
Yes. We can produce up to 1,000 Extra CDs if you are the copyright owner, work is in public domain or it is a personal recording. The Extra CD Copy prices are on a sliding scale, with prices getting lower with quantity. More copies = lower price. Plus our generous Quantity Discounts! Double savings! Please see CD Duplication (Extra CDs With or Without Cover).
Appraisal or Reference info
We are not the right people to answer this question. There are other web sites that buy/sell/trade old records. Those sites are much better equipped to answer your question. Please run a search on your favorite search engine using the key words on your record.
We are not the right people to answer this question. There are other Web sites much better equipped to answer this type of question. Please use your favorite search engine an look for the key words on your recording.
Please feel free to use any information gathered on our site for your research project. Listen to the musical examples you will find on our site. Unfortunately, our schedule is so busy that we can not provide academic counseling, guidance or reference services. A better place to ask for guidance will be the reference desk of any library.
Video Transfers Questions
Most people do not know the length of their tapes. This is not a problem. Make your selection based on a reasonable guess. When we get your tape at our studio we will determine the exact length and charge the correct amount based on our current prices. Even if you picked the wrong length, the DVD will be made for the correct length and will be priced correctly. We will transfer (and charge) for the amount of time that the video tape is RECORDED. We do not transfer (and charge) for what is left unrecorded on the video tape (blank tape, static and hiss). If the video tape is longer than you selected, we will transfer (and charge) for the entire recorded tape.
We kindly ask our visitors to use the web site. Simply select the video format (plus DVD length and any other options) and add to the shopping cart. The shopping cart will calculate everything for you (including return shipping by your preferred method). If you do not want to order, simply do not complete the ordering process. Nothing will be charged.
Most orders are completed in about 1 week or less (at our studios). This is an average time, based on an average work-load. "About" gives us some latitude. If the order is very simple, it may take less time to complete. If during a certain week we receive a number of orders that is way above average, it will take longer to complete your order.
- Large orders (such as 20 3-hour transfers to DVD) will take longer.
- Complex orders (multiple video sources, extra menu items, multiple "enhanced graphics" transfers, etc.) will take longer.
- Peak ordering times (October-January), weeks preceding Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and other holidays will lengthen our processing.
- If your order is urgent and/or if this uncertainty is not acceptable, you may use one of our RUSH Services and get your project completed in 4 work days, 72 or 48 hours (time in our studios).
Please only send tapes and wire recordings that are not blank, in formats we support and in working condition. If we set up to transfer a video or audio tape or wire recording and it turns out the tape (or wire) is blank or in the wrong format or damaged or unsuited for processing, we will stop processing and not produce a DVD or CD. Instead, we will charge a "Setup Fee" plus return shipping and return the tape (or wire) unprocessed. For multiple tapes (or wire recordings) that are blank or unsuited for processing, we charge a "Setup Fee" per tape (or wire).
No, we do not sell any kind of equipment or software. We also do not sell movies.
We do not offer a film to DVD transfer service at this time.
We do not offer a reel-to-reel video transfer service at this time.
This depends on the quality of the video tape submitted, how many times it was played and how it was stored. Poor quality tapes, excessively played tapes and poorly stored tapes are certain to have dropouts. If the master tape has drop-outs, the drop-outs will be transferred to DVD. There is nothing we can do to fix this condition.
We set the tracking adjustment in such a way that MOST of the tape will track correctly. It is possible that parts of the transfer will show tracking problems, if the recording deck mistracked parts of the recording. There is nothing we can do to fix this condition.
Determining the suitability of a tape to be transferred to DVD is the responsibility of the client. It is a subjective judgment we are not equipped to make. If we receive a tape for conversion, we will convert it. The only way we will not convert it is for technical reasons (such as wrong format, tape does not play, etc.).
Nothing ("pin stripe" or anything else) is added to the original signal by our equipment or processing. The presence of such lines is due to the fact that in the past NTSC television sets traditionally used to "underscan" (show on the TV screen a smaller portion of the recorded signal, not the entire screen). Thus many imperfections on the edges of the screen were masked. In fact some "scan lines" at the edge of the screen in the old Analog television system had special engineering purposes that indeed caused artifacts. These lines were never meant to be seen on television sets because of "underscanning". Many of today's television sets show every line and pixel of the NTSC recorded signal, all the way to the edges, which in many cases are imperfect (may contain "pin stripes", flickering lines or other artifacts). In fact, such imperfections are often visible in commercially issued DVDs (with budgets thousands of times larger than our transfers). Because of these issues, newer and better TV sets (and DVD and Blu-Ray players) now have many screen settings, including settings that once again allow underscanning (which effectively eliminates this issue).
Unfortunately, we do not offer a tape logging service. In fact, such a service would far exceed the cost of the video transfer to DVD. It is more cost effective for the customer to pay for a DVD transfer and do the logging at home.
Certainly! Currently we have customers from all continents (except Africa and Antarctica). Our ordering system will accept orders from any country that has a postal service (or is serviced by FedEx or UPS). Select the delivery option you prefer. For payment, use one of the major Credit Cards we accept.
Sorry, but we can not issue refunds if your DVD player does not read our DVD-Rs. Every single DVD we produce is quality tested in our studios before it is shipped. We know with 100% certainty that all DVDs we ship are playable on average (and reasonably maintained) equipment. There are only two reasons for a DVD we produced not to play correctly: 1) DVD playback equipment is not functioning properly, or 2) DVD playback equipment was manufactured prior to year 2001. All 2002 (and after) models are engineered to play DVD-Rs. Please note that playing DVDs on computers (using "software players") can only be as good as the software AND the computer used.
If your video editing package is capable of importing video directly from DVD's, then the answer is YES. Otherwise, extracting video for editing from DVDs is complicated and most casual computer users will fail. We offer a wide range of Data DVD options (high quality MP4 for video editing, Data file for uploading on YouTube, or AVI video made to your specifications). You will get a video DVD (for easy playback in your DVD player and archiving) AND your data DVD (in your preferred format).
If the DVD's have a copyright owner other than yourself, the copying or distribution by any means is strictly prohibited. If you are the copyright owner, or the DVD has no copyright you may be able to make additional copies. This is a complicated technical issue, it depends on your hardware, software and media and most casual computer users fail when trying to make DVD copies. It is best to order a few additional copies from us, at the time you place the order. ATTENTION: we are not able to provide any technical suppoprt, warranties or assistance for further duplicating our DVD's.
In order to keep the cost down, we use automated side changing. The screen goes black for a few seconds while the sides are changed. If this short pause is objectionable, it can be eliminated. Use the Option "Eliminate Pause Between Sides". Select "Eliminate 1 pause" if you are submitting one LaserDisc. Please select "Eliminate 2 pauses" if you are submitting a two-disc set (providing that combined length of both LaserDiscs is less than 180 minutes). Please read our LaserDisc transfers information page.
- Regular LaserDisc transfer prices are for LaserDiscs that play continuously (without operator intervention) from beginning to end. Still Frame and Interactive LaserDiscs require operator intervention for each chapter stop (LaserDisc playback stops) or prompt (LaserDisc playback stops and requires operator intervention). There is no "automated" way of converting this type of LaserDiscs to DVD. Addressing by "frames" (recalling individual frame numbers with frame accuracy), while it was possible in the LaserDisc format, is not possible in the DVD format. There is no direct DVD equivalent for an interactive LaserDisc.
- We can transfer to DVD an interactive LaserDisc, and the still frames will still be viewable on the DVD (by using the "Pause" function, followed by "Next Frame", etc.). The difference is that the automatic stop of the LaserDisc will not be preserved (DVD viewer will have to press "Pause") and the frames can not be accessed by frame number (as DVDs can not go to a specified frame number).
- For this type of transfer, we charge our "Hourly Studio Rate" (currently $115 per hour). On an average, cost is the total length of LaserDisc x 1.5 x Studio Rate. Example: a 1-hour Interactive LaserDisc takes 1.5 hours to produce and costs $172.50. Once we receive your LaserDisc and determine the length of the disc and complexity of the structure we will provide a detailed quote. Please read our LaserDisc transfers information page.
If the LaserDisc has soundtracks with different material (such as: one track full soundtrack, one track no vocals, or one track regular soundtrack, one track commentary) we perform a separate DVD transfer (and produce a separate DVD) for each soundtrack. If you want only ONE audio track, please mention which audio track to use in the Additional Information box at checkout. If you want TWO audio tracks, please select 2 transfers (and mention which audio tracks to use). Please read our LaserDisc transfers information page.
Yes. We can make separate DVD's for each version of the LaserDisc: one DVD with the main soundtrack, another DVD with the alternate soundtrack. If you would like both soundtracks (on two DVDs), please order two transfers (and mention in the Additional Information box the two soundtracks). Some LaserDiscs have the two soundtracks, one on each of the two Stereo channels: one soundtrack on the Left channel, one soundtrack on the Right channel. We are able to convert to DVD exactly in the same configuration. You will be able to separate the channels on your own playback equipment. Please read our LaserDisc transfers information page.