Reel widths, track layouts and ADAT
Quarter-inch reel-to-reel can contain full-track mono, half-track mono, half-track stereo, quarter-track stereo or four-track material. Half-inch and wider tape is often associated with professional mastering or multitrack recording, but the number and arrangement of tracks varies. ADAT uses a cassette that resembles S-VHS and records eight channels of digital audio per machine pass.
| Format | Possible content | Default delivery approach |
|---|---|---|
| ¼-inch open reel | Mono, stereo, two-track, quarter-track or four-track | High-resolution WAV, with sides/tracks separated sensibly. |
| ½-inch open reel | Stereo master, four-track, eight-track or other layout | Layout confirmed before capture; separated tracks or stereo programme. |
| Wider analogue multitrack | Eight, sixteen, twenty-four or other studio track counts | Individual Broadcast WAV files and alignment notes by agreement. |
| Alesis ADAT | Eight-track digital audio on S-VHS-style cassette | Eight aligned WAV tracks per tape, subject to format and condition. |
Speed, equalisation, alignment and time reference
Common open-reel speeds include 1⅞, 3¾, 7½ and 15 inches per second, with higher professional speeds also encountered. Equalisation standards, noise reduction, reference fluxivity, track orientation and reel direction can affect accurate reproduction. Leader notes, tones and studio boxes should therefore stay with the tape.
For multitrack work, alignment tones can be captured or used to set the playback chain. ADAT projects may depend on sample rate, machine generation, digital sync and whether several tapes were originally locked together. A single ADAT cassette can be transferred independently, but a multi-machine performance may need project-specific synchronisation planning.
Inspection and transfer practice
Open reels are checked for pack condition, splices, leader, oxide shedding, mould and binder symptoms. The appropriate machine, heads, speed and track layout are selected before the main capture. ADAT cassettes are inspected as digital tape media and monitored for transport and data errors.
- Reel width, diameter, speed clues and track layout assessed.
- Old splices and leaders checked before a full pass.
- Playback path cleaned and aligned for the identified recording.
- Noise reduction used only when documented or clearly confirmed.
- Each multitrack channel captured consistently and named clearly.
- Digital and analogue derivatives made after the successful source capture.
Stereo programmes and separated tracks
A family reel is normally delivered as a high-resolution WAV plus an optional MP3 or FLAC copy. Multitrack projects can be delivered as one Broadcast WAV per track, all beginning at a common time reference so they line up in a DAW. A rough stereo reference can also be supplied when agreed, but mixing is separate from basic transfer.
Published guides and project quotes
Quarter-inch reel-to-reel is published from £25. Alesis ADAT is published from £25. Half-inch and wider analogue multitrack work is quoted according to tape width, running time, track count, speed, condition, alignment needs and deliverables.
For a studio archive, send photographs of the reel boxes, machine notes, track sheets and any alignment-tone information. For ADAT, include the number of tapes per song or session and whether multiple machines were synchronised.
Organising audio tape for transfer
- Keep reels on proper hubs or flanges and in their original boxes.
- Retain leader notes, track sheets and calibration information.
- Mark which side or tail should be played first if known.
- Do not rewind a fragile reel merely to make it look tidy.
- For multitrack, provide desired channel names and sample-rate requirements.
- For ADAT, group tapes by session and machine number.
Questions customers commonly ask
Can you transfer each multitrack channel separately?
Yes. Individual aligned WAV or Broadcast WAV files can be supplied when the tape format and track layout are supported.
Can you mix my multitrack recording?
A basic reference mix can be discussed, but creative mixing, editing and restoration are separate services from the tape transfer.
Is an ADAT cassette just an S-VHS video tape?
It uses an S-VHS-style cassette, but the recorded content is eight-track digital audio and requires an ADAT machine rather than a video transfer workflow.
Do you bake reel-to-reel tape?
Conditioning may be appropriate for certain tape stocks showing specific binder symptoms. It is not applied automatically and is quoted after assessment.