Transfer Audio

Transfer Audio: digitising vinyl, reels and cassettes since 2004

Transfer Audio is a British audio transfer service that has been converting legacy sound carriers to CD and digital files since 2004. The company states that it has served hundreds of customers over that period. Its catalogue covers vinyl records and shellac discs, quarter-inch audio reels, several cassette variants, minidiscs and DAT tapes, and it also handles cine film, video tapes, negatives and slides.

Formats handled

The service list is organised by carrier type rather than by client segment. On the disc side, Transfer Audio transfers 7-inch and 12-inch singles and LP records at 33, 45 and 78 rpm, including shellac 78s played with a stylus reserved for that speed. For tape, it accepts quarter-inch audio reels recorded at 1 7/8, 3 3/4 and 7 1/2 ips, compact audio cassettes, micro cassettes, Philips Mini Cassettes, Grundig Stenorette cassettes and 8-track cartridges. Minidiscs and DAT (Digital Audio Tape) complete the audio range.

Equipment and signal path

The company describes a chain built around analogue playback machines feeding a Sony DAT recorder, which is connected to a computer through a fibre-optic TOSLINK cable. It explicitly avoids USB connections and direct-to-disc recording, arguing that these can produce a poor, non-professional transfer. Specific equipment named on the site includes an Audio Technica LP5x turntable for vinyl, a Philips 4407 open-reel recorder, a Technics RS-BX601 cassette deck, a Sony M-530V micro cassette recorder, a Pocket Memo 390 for Philips Mini Cassettes, a modified Grundig 2050 for Stenorette cassettes, a Sony MDS-JE330 minidisc deck, a Sony DTC-750 DAT deck and a Prinz Sound GRD8 8-track recorder.

Output formats and delivery

Transfers to Compact Disc are captured at 16 bit 44.1 kHz, while digital files can be captured at up to 24 bit 48 kHz. The company converts to WAV, AIFF and MP3 as standard and states that it can encode to almost any audio file format on request. Finished files can be supplied on a USB drive or through a download link.

Noise reduction and reel preparation

Background noise reduction is included at no extra charge for vinyl, reels and cassettes, reducing crackle and hiss without claiming to remove it completely. Reels, which the company identifies as the noisiest format due to the technology of the era, are also fitted with new leader tape when needed, a task included in the transfer cost. Minidiscs and DAT tapes generally require less filtering, although the company offers it if the recording contains hiss, crackles or pops.

Customer feedback

The site reproduces a series of testimonials dated between February and April 2024. They mention quick turnaround, communication with a staff member named George Smith, a repaired cassette returned with its contents on CD, and a volunteered refund when track splitting turned out to be unnecessary. Individual comments describe the service as straightforward and competitively priced; they are customer statements rather than independently verified ratings.