reel to reel recordings -- how to get on CD? treasured heirlooms for family

[Melarina]

My mother has reel to reel recordings of musical performances, including piano concerts by her sister who passed away almost forty years ago. She would love to get these recordings on CD to share with family, including her sister's children, but has been afraid that something would happen to damage the reels.

Do any of you have experience with this or recommendations? We are not technology-savvy people, so friends' suggestions of ways we could rig something have not worked out...

When Mom and I were talking about this today, she said -- hey why don't you put this question on that Baby Bargains board -- they always have good answers there! :jammin:

TIA!

[echoesofspring]

I don't have any suggestions other than there seem to be a number of places online that advertise doing this. If you're nervous about sending the tapes off to some place sight unseen (I might be), I would call around to local recording studios and ask if they do it or can recommend someone. Or call a local university library and see if they can recommend a company.

FWIW, here's a thread from another forum that asks the same question. A couple companies are recommended, but there's also some good information about how the tapes might have to be treated, etc. It seems like there might be more to it than just hooking up a reel to reel machine to a computer....

http://ask.metafilter.com/42172/Reeltoreel-audio-tape-desires-loving-transfer-to-contemporary-format HTH

[amldaley]

I think Costco has a service that can do this sort of transfer for you.

[Melarina]

thanks so much!

[larig]

Advice from an amateur family historian--don't destroy the reels after you've had them transferred--keep them! And keep in mind that no one really knows how long the life-span of cd media is. To be safe you'd want to make sure that you take the audio files and put them on your hard drive (as a back up) and perhaps every couple of years make a new CD copy. For the file on your drive, you should use a lossless format, like .WAV (on windows) or .AIFF (on a mac). Best to have the recordings in several media formats--kind of like diversifying.

My small hometown has a place that can do all of this stuff--a mom and pop shop. I'd feel most comfortable NOT sending it away, but would much prefer to drop it off somewhere that did their work in-house as opposed to sending it out. Be sure to ask if it's something they do on-site.

[niccig]

Be prepared for some of them to not be in a useable condition - it depends on how they've been stored. And even with good storage, film does deteriorate.

Eg. DH has video footage of his sister's wedding he taped 12 years ago. She wants it kept, despite it being professional film footage and need special machine to view it, and she does have an edited version on VHS. It's been in our garage - I doubt it's in decent shape. We don't have storage space inside the house, she won't take it (DH has asked several times), I keep threatening DH to toss it. He feels he should transfer it to DVD, but seeing videos of DS aren't on DVD, her 12 yo wedding is not a top priority...so it sits in a non-climate controlled garage.

[hellokitty]

My DH collects reel to reel machines (I have no clue what they are called, can you tell I don't share the same interest?). I will ask him when he comes home how to do something like this, or if you are better off hiring someone else to do it. Does your mom still have a unit that can play the reels? If not, then I would say you will need to pay someone to do it for you, assuming that the reels are still in good shape. And I agree with the pp who said that even after you transfer the video onto CD, please do not get rid of the reels. Surprisingly, they are VERY hot and collectible right now.

[maestramommy]

This thread is making me nostalgic for all the reel to reel recordings my dad used to play. He had Handel's Messiah, Sound of Music, and My Fair Lady. I listened to My Fair Lady for years before the movie finally came on TV. It would be interesting to know where the unit is, as well as the tapes.

[trentsmom]

My DH collects reel to reel machines (I have no clue what they are called, can you tell I don't share the same interest?). I will ask him when he comes home how to do something like this, or if you are better off hiring someone else to do it. Does your mom still have a unit that can play the reels? If not, then I would say you will need to pay someone to do it for you, assuming that the reels are still in good shape. And I agree with the pp who said that even after you transfer the video onto CD, please do not get rid of the reels. Surprisingly, they are VERY hot and collectible right now.

I had no idea they were collectible! My dad still gets out his reel to reel at this time of year to play all of the Christmas albums he put on there in the 70s. He still has the albums, so I've told him he needs to transfer them to CD to make it easier to listen to. Several of the albums are not available in CD.

[hellokitty]

OP, I just asked my DH about this. He said it might be difficult to find someone who can do this for you. He said to google, "audio tape to CD transfer/conversion," contact whoever comes up and explain to them what you want to do. It will cost a lot of $$$ he said, since they charge by the hour.

He said if you can't find anyone to do it, he can try to do it for you, just PM me if you can't find someone who can do it, or it's just too crazy of a price, my DH will try to help you out.

[hellokitty]

I had no idea they were collectible! My dad still gets out his reel to reel at this time of year to play all of the Christmas albums he put on there in the 70s. He still has the albums, so I've told him he needs to transfer them to CD to make it easier to listen to. Several of the albums are not available in CD.

It depends on the type of unit he has, but it's great to hear that he still uses it!

[Melarina]

Thanks so much everyone -- and hellokitty you are too kind, what a wonderful offer! I will certainly be in touch if we can't work something out...

I do think we found a local place that may be able to do the job. (Mom does have the reel to reel player still and the reels are still playable)

thanks again!!!

[hellokitty]

Thanks so much everyone -- and hellokitty you are too kind, what a wonderful offer! I will certainly be in touch if we can't work something out...

I do think we found a local place that may be able to do the job. (Mom does have the reel to reel player still and the reels are still playable)

thanks again!!!

That's great! LMK if you need any help.

BTW, my DH said to be REALLy careful with the tape. He said that players often don't work right after such a long time of non-use and have a tendency to ruin/eat the tape if you try it out. So, if the player will turn on, you will need to make sure it is working properly before you use those old tapes, so they don't accidentally get damaged.