High-quality transfer to CD
from vinyl, 78 or tape

Frequently-asked questions

Can you get the clicks and pops out of my record?
Can you make my records or tapes into MP3s?
How long does the service take?
How much does it cost?
Wouldn't it be cheaper just buying a new CD?
Could I save money by not having my records cleaned?
Do you offer a discount for quantity?
Do doubles count as one transfer?
How do I pay?
Do you offer a guarantee?
Aren't you contributing to piracy by selling CDs?
Will my records be safe?
Can you make compilation CDs?
Why is "full restoration" so expensive?
My record is badly scratched. Can you still process it?
Can a CD made from an LP ever sound better than a CD made by the recording company from the original master tape?

Q: Can you get the clicks and pops out of my record?
A: Yes. During the transfer process I can apply a wide range of techniques to remove or reduce noise on the finished CD. Details can be found here. I don't set out to remove all the noise from the record itself, but the professional cleaning I carry out on all records submitted for transfer usually improves them noticeably - in some cases dramatically.

Q: Can you make my records or tapes into MP3s?
A: Yes, I can make MP3-CDs as an alternative to conventional audio CDs. Details are on the MP3 page.

Q: How long does the service take?
A: One to three weeks, depending on how much you ask me to do.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: Again, it depends on what you want done. If you want a straightforward transfer for a fixed price, I can do that. If you want a more-expensive detailed restoration to bring your treasured but well-played album up to CD sound standard, I can do that too, as well as anything in between. Details for vinyl are on the the vinyl services page, and details for 78s, tapes and compilations are on other pages.

Q: Wouldn't it be cheaper just buying a new CD?
A: Yes, it probably would, if you can get one. In fact, if a CD is available of the recording you had thought about having transferred, then of course you should buy that. This service is designed to help those whose favourite recordings have never been reissued on CD, and probably never will be.

Q: Could I save money by not having my records cleaned?
A: No, because I won't attempt to play a record that has not been cleaned. In any case, it would be false economy, because there is usually a startling improvement in the sound from cleaned records.

Q: Do you offer a discount for quantity?
A: There is a reduction in price for orders which contain five or more sides of vinyl singles, EPs or 78rpm records. There are currently no standard discounts for quantity in LP or commercial tape transfer, because prices are already kept as low as possible bearing in mind how long the work takes to complete. However, I regularly take the opportunity to reduce the cost of large orders in some way if the work is straightforward. In addition, there are occasional 'specials' which help me to test the popularity of a service - browse the the vinyl services page or the tape services page for any current offers.

Q: Do doubles count as one transfer?
A: Sorry, no. Two records or two commercial tapes are twice as much work to transfer as one. However, if it means only having to make one case insert for two CDs, there may be a small cost reduction, provided no other discounts are already being applied.

Q: How do I pay?
A: I can set up an online link through PayPal so that you can use your credit or debit card. A cheque is also welcome, though it may mean that your order takes longer to get back to you. Details on the ordering page.

Q: Do you offer a guarantee?
A: Yes, a limited one. If you're unhappy with the quality of the work I do for you, you can return CDs, case inserts and slip covers undamaged to me within two weeks and I will refund your transfer costs (not postage) up to a value of Ł20. (I don't really expect that any customer will be unhappy with the quality of my work. This arrangement exists mainly to reassure those who have not ordered from me before.)

Q: Aren't you contributing to piracy by selling CDs?
A: I don't sell CDs. Customers pay for my time, effort and experience in doing something which they cannot do, or choose not to do, for themselves. In fact, I will refuse to proceed with an order which clearly sets out to use my service for any kind of piracy.

Q: Will my records be safe?
A: While I have your media the utmost care is taken with it. In particular, fingers do not touch the playing surfaces of records. The stylus is lowered and lifted only by the use of the damped cueing control. Records are kept upright in their sleeves, away from sunlight, when not being worked on. Normally your records are played once only. Your media’s safety while in transit to Record Restorations is your own responsibility, though; please give appropriate attention to packaging, especially in the case of 78rpm records. I will normally return your media in the same packaging as that in which you sent it.

Q: Can you make compilation CDs?
A: Yes. I can make CDs which contain tracks from various sources. I'm happy to give an estimate for whatever compilation project you have in mind. (Please note: only original tapes accepted for transfer.) More details here.

Q: Why is "full restoration" so expensive?
A: Even if a vinyl transfer contains only a few little extraneous noises after automated noise reduction has been carried out, I still have to listen very carefully to the whole recording in order to find and fix them. If the automated process hasn't fixed them, that may mean that they are not straightforward to fix. There is usually at least an hour's concentrated effort for one pass through an LP recording. Some restorations require several passes. Detailed restoration is usually a huge task by comparison with all the other jobs that go into a quality transfer.

Q: My record is badly scratched. Can you still process it?
A: If the scratch is not deep, I will attempt to work with your record, though significant damage will make a high-quality transfer unlikely. If the record looks likely to damage Record Restorations' expensive record-playing equipment the processing will not be completed. I may still be able to process tracks that are not affected by deep scratches.

Q: Can a CD made from an LP ever sound better than a CD made by the recording company from the original master tape?
A: Yes, it is very possible. Imagine an LP made in, say, 1971 from a fairly new analogue master tape. The LP contains a faithful copy of the original recording. The same recording was digitised by the recording company in, say, 1991. The original master tape will have had twenty years in which to deteriorate, and as magnetic tape is not a permanent audio storage medium for analogue signals, deterioration will definitely have taken place to some degree. The freshness and clarity of the recording will have been affected and print-through (magnetisation of adjacent tape layers) increased. A sympathetic digital restoration of the signal from the 1971 LP, if unworn, could exceed the quality of the commercial CD released by the company. See my article "LP or CD - which is better?".