Reel-ing in the years
This week’s Deep Dive gets us down and dirty with some old school tape. Thrown around in the 46 boxes of ‘stuff’ in our basement were a collection of old audio tapes – different formats, sizes and stages of decay. In order to make the most out of them we took 33 reels to our friends at Studios 301, who kindly sorted them out and turned their frowns upside down.
An interesting (and unexpected) part of the restoration process for these tapes was baking them. Literally. In a special oven. This process helps undo any damage that may have been done by the conditions the tapes have been ‘left in’ over the years, as well as make them as strong as they can be to then be played again on vintage machines for transfer to digital.
We’re looking forward to bringing you as much content from these old tapes as we can in the coming months, but in the meantime just marvel at the art that goes into getting them back to their best. It’s more than just a pencil in the middle wheel to wind it back to the beginning, like us 80s kids might have done with the tapes under our beds. Only the best for 2SER’s old gold history.
