Few have access to priceless analog master tapes. We build playback machines for those who do.

Why 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 sometimes have astonishing sound quality, but playback on a vintage studio recorder will add time-base and other audible distortions that can mask the recording’s true fidelity. Heritage master tapes deserve the highest quality playback only available 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. Need quality technical support for a Studer A80, A800, A820 or A827 professional tape machine? Ask about our paid tech support program.

We’re in California, USA

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