Surface noise is int a higher frequency band than the typical lacquer disc, right where it is most annoying. I can reduce it, but removing it substantially may also take out the performer's distinctive sound.

Instructions attached to the discs asked that a cactus needle be used to avoid groove damage. Instead, folks frequently used steel points in the heavy tone arm on their home phonograph which chewed into the surfaces. Repeating and/or skipped grooves are often a problem on uncoated aluminum discs.

BASIC LISTENING. Cleaning and copying to the workstation; setting basic equalization and processing the sound through the digital cleanup program; initial playing speed adjustment, $ 60 per side.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES:

ENHANCED LISTENING includes removing many clicks and other non-program noises by hand editing that the digital program does not. Hiss reduction, equalization and level adjustment add a further $ 25 to $ 75 per side.

More noises, including the moderately low-level crunch inherent in many examples, can be reduced or removed by hand editing, an effective but slow process. If you have many with this problem, I suggest you have me clean up a representative example so you can decide if the improvement is worth the extra. $ 50 to $ 150 per side.

REPAIRS. Making a continuous program of a side interrupted by repeating or skipped grooves, $ 15 to $ 50 per side, more for those with extreme damage. Assembling each completed unit into the final playing sequence is about $ 30.

COPYING. Recording your CD or cassette copy from the restored signal is $ 30 for the first CD or cassette, $ 20 for each thereafter. A CD can hold 14 or so 5 minute sides or 4 15 minute sides.

This site ©2001 Steven Smolian. Rev 1