Not many have access to priceless analog master tapes. We build playback machines for those few who do.

Why do knowledgeable professionals insist on an ATAE precision reproducer?

1. To prevent damage to irreplaceable tapes. Subjecting a valuable tape to the high tensions and frictional stresses from a recorder's headblock is dangerous because tapes often undergo chemical degradation over time making them fragile and highly susceptible to damage. Further, a recorder could erase or overwrite the recording. Responsible conservation practice dictates that only a carefully engineered dedicated playback platform is used.

2. To reveal how good a recording actually sounds. Analog master tapes can have sound quality that’s astonishing, but playback on even the finest studio recorders will add audible distortion masking the recording’s true fidelity. Heritage master tapes deserve only the highest quality playback from a modern optimized platform.

Interested in the science behind our state-of-the-art tape playback machines? Ask for our list of technical briefs.

We’re in California, USA

Learn about the effort to preserve heritage master tapes at: recordedmusicpreservation.org

We buy Studer A80, A800, A820 or A827 tape machines in any condition.