Converting Reel-To-Reel Tape To Digital!
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- Опубліковано 22 гру 2017
- As a Christmas Present to my Wife's family, I took all her Grandpa's old Reel-to-Reel tapes and converted them to digital. Technology may change but people stay the same, Merry Christmas from 60 years ago.
Website: www.lukemerwin.com
Twitter: / merwinmusic
Facebook: / lukemerwinmusic
You are so fun and thoughtful. What a gift to all. Your wife, your family and strangers all now benefit from your contributions. Also loved the comic additions. I laughed out loud. 😂 Nice work and thank you.
I digitized a tape from the early 60s my dad made that had recordings of me and my siblings along with other relatives. I was surprised at how good the quality was considering it was a "Scotch" brand tape (which is not known as the highest quality), and yet the recording came out very clear.
@Enigma758 how did you do that? Can you make a video to the process? Thanks in advance.
I remember trading in my Teac A-4300 for a new Pioneer RT-909 in 1982. I still have the 909 and just finished refurbishing it, but I miss the old Teac. Loved that machine.
I would add some advice here, gleaned from personal experience. My father made lots of tapes in the 50's and 60's. Some of me talking when I was a toddler. I'm 70 now. I would strongly recommend being prepared to capture audio on the first pass through the machine, because you may not get a second. Tape has to be properly stored, and even when it has been, it can be very delicate after not being run through a machine for 50 or more years. Or even 20. The oxide can turn to powder and fall off the acetate even as it goes through the machine, which means the sound is gone forever. It will still be playing while this happens, but you will be witnessing the demise of the tape. Also, the accepted practice of storing reel-to-reel tape is to store it tails out. Meaning you play the tape onto the takeup reel and then store the takeup reel. This will necessitate rewinding the tape before playing it, which aids in loosening it up.
That look was priceless when to tape broke apart...
Dude, great video. Informative and you have great comedic timing.
Very cool setup!!
That's a wonderful thing you did for them
Reel to reels were the best music machines for parties. You got good sound quality at 3.75 IPS recording speed, and if you used sensing tape, the tape would automatically reverse & continue playback, so you'd get 3 hours of non-stop music. 7.5 IPS recording speed supposedly gave higher quality sound. The problem came when the tape ended after 3 hours; sometimes we were too stoned and didn't have the dexterity to thread a new reel. 😂😂😂
Great singing voice!!
excellent and beyond thanks
I grew up in the 60's & 70"s with a tube driven reel to reel my mom recorded on almost everyday. She loved to play the piano & sing. As kids we had tapes break on us countless times. That was funny when it happened to you, NOT to me. I still use a TEAC a3440.
awesome video...i am about to do the exact same thing..grandads old reel to reels to digital.... and actually have the exact same tape player.
I have that same model of reel to reel, Teac A-4300, and about 3 dozen tapes of 70s and 80s music I want to convert. That deck must weigh about 40 pounds. When he said his wife's grandfather made the tapes I felt older than dirt. Damn 😂🤣😂🤣
I have wax cylinders, no I did not buy them when they came out new ! ha ha ha, and wire reels - from wire reel to reel spools, reel to reel and good ole 8 track tapes, oh and lots of cassettes........most of the music formats - I do also have lps, and some 78s.
Thanks for this man,
My grandpa gave me two old Pioneer machines and a huge bin full of tapes last week. One of the tapes (going to have to check each one, they’re not marked or sorted at all) has a project my dad recorded for his junior high civics class, I can’t wait to find it and send my grandpa an mp3 or something.
Also wanna just experiment with the tape “sound” and do a full record on reel to reel instead of Ableton
thx for this video man it’s good and wholesome
I can't remember what they used in the 1950s for recording tape (acetate maybe), but the tape was EXTREMELY brittle. The sound quality held up over the years though. It's just one of those things to be mindful of and extremely careful. Very cool memories though. Nice tape machine for sure. If you actually recorded from an audio source at 7.5 ips, it would have extremely good sound quality. Make sure the heads are clean when you play back. Thanks for sharing.
So awesome that you did that for your wife and her family! Are you for hire to transfer 4-Track, 7.5 ips, Stereo Reel-To-Reel Tapes?
I have Sony tc-270 reel to real it still works great
Hi there, Can you share the technical side of transferring from Reel to computer, like the equipment involved, etc.
Its super normal for old tapes to split come apart at splices, the adhesive just doesn't last! But it is still a bit jarring each time it happens:P I recently digitized a tape from 1962 that had well over 30 splices, it was quite an ordeal
I read where they were transcribing - transferring some of the original beatles master tapes, and the tape broke. They guy doing it almost fainted then he realized it was just a splice that gave way because the tape was so old it lost its stickability. He just put on a new piece of tape and all was well.
I have had in my possession two reel to reel tapes which dates back to the late 1960s which used to belong to my mum and dad. One of the tapes says 'elocution' which is hand written , so I am hoping that it contains my dad practising elocution. The reason why my dad may have been practising elocution was possibly due to the fact that he wanted a more English sounding accent, rather than Carribean. My dad studied at the prestigious Lincolns Inn (alma mater of Margaret Thatcher, and many of Prime Ministers) this may be the reason why he desired a more 'cultivated' upper crust English accent. Anyway I have just sent one tape off to get digitised.
I like a carribean accent.
You should go into more details.
It was SUCH a pleasure to record onto CD and get rid of all our reel tapes years ago!
IMPRESSIVE... I need to do the same... Just have to buy some equipment (and software)
I have a Fostex reel to reel and a bunch of archive materials from when my late husband was in the radio business in the 1970's. I'm trying to figure out how to interface the tape deck to my computer and convert them to digital files. I'm a video editor and think I can use Adobe Audition to record, but I'm a little baffled as to how to hook the tape deck to my computer up. I've got a USB to XLR Mic adaptor (XU-1648) I use for my AKG mic (I use for my UA-cam channel). I'm wondering if I can use the XLR cable to work for the Fostex? I guessing it won't be compatible (line in vs. mic in)? I think what I need is a mixer of some sort that I can use for both this big project archiving of audio (for historic preservation) and mixing audio channels while editing video. I'm hoping one solution fits both needs. Ideas?
If you only need stereo the best cheapest option I know of is the Behringer U-Control UCA222. Otherwise you can start looking at better interfaces that would give you more resolution and channels.
@@MerwinMusic You're the best. Thanks for responding!
I’m very close to purchasing a Fostex A8 tape machine so I can record onto tape and mix in digital
I like your hair.
A question regarding hook up from a mon reel to recorder to a windows 7 pc. There are no RCA connections on the PC, only USB. Can you clarify the type of cable needed and the setup? I have been using an ION turntable - meant to convert 45s to digital, however the feedback is excessive with the reel to reel conversions. Thank you very much
It's been a long time since I last did this process, but I think I just used an RCA patch cord with an RCA to mini-din adapter and went directly from the R2R into my old Dell desktop computer's audio input. I was hoping I could do the same using the USB input of my HP Omen laptop. Am I going to need hardware between the two machines ? Your tapes from the 50's are in much better condition than mine. Especially the boxes.
Roxio sells software and an rca - red/white to usb dongle you can use to do this very simply.
Rip apart speakers, connect speakers cables ends to new mini jack than plug in mic port on PC. Click ,,Record" on your software and press play on hardware. Signal goes HQ for recording. Good idea?
@Pawel sounds like a great idea, but you'd have to make a video about it, so we know what to do.
It's a shame there isn't a reel to reel tape to digital converter out there, with the analog to digital capability built-in. They've done this with Super 8 film, why not this?
What other equipment / software are you using to digitize them from the line out to dvd?
Yeah, nothing helpful regarding HOW the music made the leap to your laptop...no mention of software..
Looks like he used an aux cable, plugged into the line out on the reel to reel, and the other end plugged into the line in on his computer, I don't recognize the precise software he is using, but audacity or your favorite DAW should work fine.
I used software that removed hissing sounds and it worked great! I digitally remastered the tapes and sent the files to my computer and burnt CDs.
Wondering if you can play at 15 ips into Audacity and then slow it down on digital play back - all this to save time dubbing . Back in the day when satellite time was expensive CBS used to have what they called a “speed feed” at 15 to save time
That is a bad idea. The frequency response has to be double on the higher speed, which is usually not the case. There are also other issues, but this alone would already make it sound much worse.
She sings good
I am about to do the same thing for my grandmothers tapes. Thinking about baking them first. How old were your tapes?
Unless your tapes are sticky you shouldn't need to bake them. I heard that the sticky tape issue is more of a 70's thing. My tapes where all fine right out of the box and where from around the late '50's.
MerwinMusic actually getting started right now. Thanks
Also if you just play them straight through it is easier on the tapes, if you rewind or fast forward them it tends to put more stress on them and they can shed more or break. Just playing them straight through seems to be a little gentler on them. If they squeak when you play them, look around you can buy liquid silicon and put it on a little bit of felt and have your tapes run across this to help lubricate them so they don't squeak. The squeaking is not usually heard on the playback music part of the tape but a physical thing on the reel itself during playback due to lack of lubrication on the tape - the lubrication in the tape formula has dried up. Or the tape is too tight on the reel, etc.
What hardware are you using to perform the conversion.
I suggest ,,master studio" in ,,Izotope O-zone" VST plugin.
How can I plug cable that coming out of the deck to UFX ? Because the out pot of the deck is RCA cable ( yellow red ) and the UFX has no port like this ? Can explain it plz
Can you just take the line out and go straight to the PC or laptop and then use software to edit , or is the line output too strong, I am no clear on this ?
Thanks for posting. I'm about to undertake a similar project with a small closet's worth of ancient reel-to-reel tapes my late father had recorded back in the 70's and 80's. Hopefully no sticky tape!
I understand these old units are not in excellent condition these days, and that finding one that is in good condition can be a crapshoot. Any advice on how to source a well-maintained unit would be appreciated, if you have any thoughts...
Reverb usually has people that care a little more than Ebay but it is still hit or miss.
I think buying old equipment like this is kind of like buying an old car. I would prefer it came from someone who took care of it, but when I get it I am still going to change the oil.
People can still service them but it can be expensive to 'refurbish' them - replace belts, oil them up, replace capacitors etc. But once that's done, they are good for another decade or two.
Thanks for sharing.
How can I record old songs on UA-cam to a Reel to Reel tape? Would you please show me? Thanks
Try 'Amazon Basics 3.5mm to 2-Male RCA Adapter Audio Stereo Cable ' or 'Hosa CPR-202 Dual 1/4" TS to Dual RCA Stereo Interconnect Cable' depending on the type of inputs your reel to reel has if they are 1/4th inch inputs or regular rca or xlr, they make many cables that can simply interface between your speaker / headphones out on your pc/laptop and your reel to reel. You may need some sort of amplification between the two if the input on the reel to reel sounds too thin. Or you could use the mic in, as opposed to the line in on your reel to reel.
great video. do you happen to know what tape recorder they used to record the original stuff?
I believe a Bell & Howell 785-4TS. That's the one I got from them and I doubt they had more then one.
@@MerwinMusic oh wow. looks like a nice vintage unit.
How about analog to digital? to us more about your digital interface?
O have a scotch brand tape that I need converted. It's just voice recording. Be happy to pay !!!
Note to NSA, at least read the comments before you hit the like button. Geez. I'm the government and I'm here to help
Is this sound only? Not movies? I need home made movies converted
I recorded a song in GarageBand and now want to record that song onto a reel to reel to get a mastered tape sound. Then once the song is recorded on the reel-to-reel, send it back into my computer. Hope that makes sense. Is that possible? will the sound quality be good?
It would be possible. Only way to know if you like how it sounds is to try it and see.
@@MerwinMusic Thanks man
Yes, that’s what we do as producers / engineers often to get that warm sound. Make sure to Polish the highs after because the reel will dull it a bit
Can I send you and old tape that I need digitized?
My grandpa just passed away last month and he has some reel to reel tapes that I’m wanting to convert. I know of one specifically that he always talked about that has recordings of he and my mom of when my mom was little, but I’m sure there’s many more and with my mom’s siblings. I have no idea what we need to do or what equipment is needed. Any help/advice is appreciated. Thank you!
There is plenty of cheap software that you can use with your tape player and pc. The rca (red / white) output from your tape player goes into a usb input to your pc. Most of the software you buy will supply you an rca to usb dongle, for sound into your pc. The software lets you do cool things like save it, then take the saved copy and remove scratch, hiss, clicks and other annoying sounds you may not like. You can also digitally slow it down a little or speed it up if the speed is not exactly correct, and you can adjust the treble and bass. It is not hard to do, just kind of time consuming. Once you have it captured the way you like on your pc, you can record it to a dvd, cd, blu-ray, or send it as a file to someone in an email etc.
The tape player certainly was not synced to the Accordion music was it.
Yeah all that footage was kind of spliced together so the audio isn't exactly what is happening in the video.
I need your help😩 Need to transfer an old tape to digital before it fades out please thank you.
Don't know about doing the reversed method!
2:06
Did not show how to set it up
What are you using to convert it to the computer?
line inputs on my audio interface.
thank you for the video, I hope you still reading comments this video. I wanted to do opposite of what you are doing, how can I record from digital to RTR tapes with 2 both Left and Right channel?
You could watch this video: ua-cam.com/video/wRU5PSeSi_A/v-deo.html
That was recorded in the 1950s?
Yeah. Most of it had dates written in the box. Also Jamaica Farewell is from 1957 so it makes sense with when the version in this video was recorded.
1st comment
You don't seem interested in repairing the broken tape! How come ?
There was a lot of down time in the recordings, and where the tape had been spliced there wasn't anything important since it was 2 separate recordings. so it didn't really make sense to tape it back together.
There is a little tape splicing gadget that you might be able to still find. It cuts the meeting ends of the tape at an angle, so it doesn't produce a thump when you play back, holds the tape in place while you patch it, and also trims the sides to make sure it travels properly. I couldn't find a brand name on the one I have. Probably Radio Shack or Akai. That was the brand of recorder I inherited the device with.
OOOOO. Why would you want to do that?
bro you didnt explain anything
Defeats the entire purpose.
When ignorance finds reel to reel.
However, for family stuff is ok.
Why would anyone want to do such a terrible thing?
Totally useless. At no point does he explain how he connects the tape player to his computer.