Looking to convert old reel to reel tape to cd-phoenix area

[Larry Lenhart]

I've an old reel to reel tape recorded in 1966 of my rock band with a wolensac recorder that i would like professionally converted to a digital format. I am looking for a shop in the Phoenix az area that could do that for me...i did it with my home unit with ok results, but a pro could do it better. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I realize about garbage in, garbage out problems, but would like it done as good as possible. Thanks in advance

[John Macy]

SAE Mastering will have all tape formats and are specialists in restoration, if needed...

[Bob Hoffnar]

Larry,
I would only use a high level pro place to do that.
They will need to bake the tape in order to get just one good run out of it. Make sure you use a specialist or you could destroy your archives.

[John Macy]

And SAE in Phoenix is one of them. Roger Seibel is one of the pioneers in tape restoration. I have know him since the '70's...Roger baked my first set of 2" tapes years ago, and they actually play like new for a few months...

[Charlie McDonald]

A friend in NYC (with the Philip Glass ensemble) told me he was baking a tape we did in the 70's to restore the performance.

Thirty minutes at 350 degrees, I thought he'd confused it with a casserole, but it worked.
I'm not sure about trying it at home.

[Larry Lenhart]

Wow guys, thanks for the information...for some reason I didnt get an email saying that I had responses to my question...I appreciate your knowledge and giving me some advise...thanks ! I will take the take to Phoenix when I go, trying not to leave it in the car or it will have a pre-bake...haha...thanks again.

[John Macy]

And just for the record, 350 degrees is too hot and a half hour is too short...needs to be a convection oven, too. I know people who use food dehydrators with good results...if done properly you can get a lot of plays out of them...