Not many have access to valuable master tapes. We build playback machines for those that do.

Why use an ATAE precision reproducer?

1. To prevent the loss of irreplaceable tapes. Practically all audio tapes undergo chemical degradation over time making them fragile and susceptible to damage. Subjecting a master tape to the high frictional stresses seen in a recorder's headblock is plainly irresponsible. Further, a recorder could erase or overwrite the recording. Conservation of important tapes demands that only a dedicated playback platform is used.

2. To reveal how a recording actually sounds. Analog master tapes can sometimes have a sound quality that’s astonishing. Playback on a recorder masks a recording’s true fidelity by adding scrape flutter (a perceptible time base distortion). Heritage master tapes deserve the highest quality playback available only from a dedicated platform.

If you work with high-value tapes and are 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