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FAQ
- Frequently Asked Questions Audio
to CD transfer.
Q: Can you remove every single click and pop? A: No, We can usually eliminate a high percentage of surface noise (i.e. clicks and pops), but there are limitations depending on how severe the damage is to the original source LP. Even an LP with no apparent damage will still contain thousands of impulse noise signals (i.e. small clicks and pops), it's just the nature of the beast. We do apply custom settings for each recording we transfer to achieve the highest quality results with the absolute least amount of loss to the original source material. The truth is, mildly to moderately damaged LP's that are restored will have a better chance of good quality results than severely damaged LP's. Please check out the samples page to hear what type of results you can expect. Q: Can you remove skips that make the needle repeat in one spot or jump up or back? A: Chances are that if it skips or jumps on your turntable it will skip or jump on ours, we can apply some gentle persuasion to move a stuck needle along but there will be some lost audio. If the skipping is a result of a warped LP, we can try a limited number of different turntable/tonearm combinations but we cannot guarantee we can make it work. Q: What if my LP is cracked or missing a piece? A: Sorry, at this price point we cannot do restoration of cracked LP's or those with missing pieces or LP's that are severely warped. Q: How long will this process take? A: On average about 5 to 10 business days from the day we receive your LP's, plus the time it takes for your shipment to get back to you. We cannot guarantee a specific time frame as there are many variables to consider. Q: How do I get my albums to you? A: Ship your albums to our mailing address in southern California via a trackable mailing service (Fed Ex, UPS, Overnight Express, etc.) If you live in the area you may drop them off Monday - Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm PST; or on Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. We are closed on Sunday. Q: What kind of guarantee do you provide? A: We guarantee the highest quality possible transferred from your source format. If you are wary about the process just send us one or two LP's and check out the results. We are very confident that you'll be more than satisfied with the results. Q: What about 45's, 78's, cassettes, reel to reel, compilations etc? A: Absolutely yes! We can convert 45, 78 and 33 1/3 rpm recordings (vintage or modern) as well as cassette and 1/4" Reel to Reel tapes, and we can create a custom compilation CD from any and all of these formats. If you have a custom project, please contact us for a custom quote. Q: What about creating separate tracks when transferring "live" albums? A: For our software (as advanced as it is) to recognize the beginning and end of a track it requires a minimum pause of usually 1 to 2 seconds without any recorded signal, i.e. music or vocals. If there are signals such as crowd noises, applause, etc. we have to manually separate tracks. This is a labor intensive task, so there is an additional charge to separate tracks on any "live" albums. This additional charge only applies to a standard transfer where separate tracks are requested. If you don't want separated tracks, save money and order a basic transfer to receive a CD with one continuous track the length of two sides of one LP combined. Q: How is the cost of transfers arrived at? A: The short answer is, that in order to transfer any LP or tape it has to be done in "real time". Meaning, if an album or tape takes 55 minutes to play, it will take 55 minutes to record. Add to that any additional time to process it for noise removal and finally to burn it to CD. This makes for a very "time intensive" or "computer labor intensive" process. SHIPPING FAQ (Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Shipping) Coliday We
are located in southern California, approximately 40 miles south of Disneyland,
and about 10 miles north of the beautiful mission in San Juan Capistrano.
If you happen to live in the Orange County Area and wish to arrange drop-off
or pick-up of your order, please contact us. A: You the customer are responsible for all costs related in shipping your media to and from our location. When using a shipping service such as UPS, FedEx, USPS or other carrier, remember the Golden Rule of Shipping: Pack your shipment just like you would want it packed and shipped to you. In our effort to keep prices low we will, in most cases, use your same packaging to return your order to you. In this circumstance, less is not more, MORE is more, and even more is better. The more material you use to insulate your LPs from getting damaged the better. We recommend a couple different methods.... 2) Cardboard, cut 4 pieces of corrugated cardboard approximately 14 x 14 inches square, place your LPs in the middle and firmly tape the whole thing together, place this into a sturdy corrugated cardboard box and for added protection line the bottom, sides and top of the box with more corrugated cardboard. Peanuts,
we DO NOT recommend the use of styrofoam peanuts unless used in conjunction
with the cardboard method described above and even then only as filler
on the top and bottom. For shipments of larger quantities (25 or more) we recommend the use of a professional shipper (Fed Ex, UPS, etc.) These services are NOT cheap. As an alternative, we suggest dividing your shipment into smaller more manageable sized packages. Q: What if I don't want my Lp's shipped back to me? A:
Any and all original source material that we receive must be returned
to you, as you must possess it to have rightful ownership of a duplication.
If/when you relinquish the ownership of your original you must by law
dispose of any copy that you possess. You want your audio collection to last for years to come but most of yesterday’s recording formats have a tendency to "break down" from multiple playings, neglect, or just the passage of time. When this happens the "noise", such as hisses, pops and cracks, can compete with the music or voice and listening to the recording is no longer enjoyable. That’s when sound restoration plays an important role. By removing as much noise as possible, without taking away from the recording, your enjoyment is restored as well. Another advantage is the technology of the CD itself. Designed to last, CDs will continue to play with the same degree of quality for years and years and won’t break down like other formats. This means your collection will not only be restored, but preserved for generations to come. You send your original recording to us on any of the following formats: 78, LP, 45, cassette tape, reel-to-reel, or DAT. List the service you desire such as transfer or transfer and restoration/filtering. We will carefully clean your recordings and then record them onto the computer hard drive. From this point they are taken through the restoration process which includes filtering and manually editing to ensure the best possible noise reduction. Some noise may be left on the final transfer because it is not always possible to remove noises without affecting the music or voices that you want to keep. The degree of restoration naturally depends on the quality of the original recording. Once the restoration process is complete the recording is then transferred to CD which can be labeled to your specifications. Each order takes approximately one week depending on the size of the order. Once your custom CD is created we send it, along with your original recordings back to you. We welcome your comments once you receive the finished product so that we may continue to provide a useful and successful service to you. |