Audio & Video Tape Repair

Audio and video tape repair in Kirkcaldy, Fife

Audio & Video Tape Repair is a British technical service that repairs damaged audio and video tapes. It is part of G.H.S Media and has been operating since 2004, serving Scotland, England and Wales. Its work focuses on recovering recordings that have suffered breaks, jams, moisture or mould damage, among other problems.

Types of tapes and damage it repairs

The company works with a wide variety of formats. In audio, it repairs compact cassettes that have snapped or whose tape has come off the reel, as well as ¼-inch open-reel tapes. In video, it handles Betamax, Betacam, VHS and camcorder formats such as VHS-C, Video 8, Hi8, Digital 8, Mini DV, HDV, DVCAM and DVC Pro. It also repairs DAT tapes.

The most common damage it fixes includes chewed or jammed tapes, snapped tapes, damaged housings and mould problems. For audio and video tapes suffering from "sticky-shed" syndrome (a condition that makes the tape stick and stop playing), it offers rehousing services and, for video tapes, baking to dry them out and allow temporary playback.

Repair process

The repair method varies depending on the type of tape. For audio cassettes, if the housing is screwed together it can be opened and the tape spliced; if not, it is carefully opened and the tape is transferred to a new housing. For reel tapes, the damaged part is removed and spliced back together, and leader tape can be added or the reel replaced if broken. For video tapes, the housing is opened, the damaged part is cut out and spliced; if the housing is deteriorated, it is replaced with a new one. For tapes with mould, the tape and housing are cleaned, although the company warns that mould can cause permanent damage that distorts sound or picture.

The company uses high-quality splicing tape to ensure long-lasting repairs. It also offers transfer services from video tapes to DVD or digital files, and from audio content to CD.

Formats and service limitations

Camcorder tape repair covers the VHS-C, Video 8, Hi8, Digital 8, Mini DV, HDV, DVCAM and DVC Pro formats. Mould removal on camcorder tapes is only available for the VHS-C format, due to the size of other tapes. In all cases, the damaged part of the recording is lost when it is cut and spliced.

Coverage areas

The company serves customers in Scotland, England and Wales. In Scotland, it covers locations such as Fife (Burntisland, Cardenden, Cowdenbeath, Cupar, Dalgety Bay, Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Kincardine, Kirkcaldy, Leven, Lochgelly, Rosyth, St Andrews), Central Scotland (Alloa, Bo'ness, Bonnybridge, Clackmannan, Denny, Falkirk, Grangemouth, Larbert, Linlithgow, Maddison, Polmont, Redding, Stirling), Edinburgh and surrounding areas (Armadale, Bathgate, Bonnyrigg, Broxburn, Dalkeith, Livingston, Haddington, Musselburgh, North Berwick, Penicuik, Queensferry, West Calder, Whitburn), Glasgow and the metropolitan area (Barrhead, Bearsden, Bellshill, Bishopbriggs, Clydebank, Erskine, Johnstone, Kirkintilloch, Newton Mearns, Paisley, Pollokshields, Renfrew, Viewpark), Lanarkshire (Airdrie, Blantyre, Cambuslang, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld, East Kilbride, Hamilton, Kilsyth, Larkhall, Motherwell, Rutherglen, Stepps, Wishaw), East Scotland (Aberdeen, Arbroath, Brechin, Dundee, Elgin, Forfar, Forres, Galashiels, Inverness, Montrose, Perth, Peterhead, Pitlochry) and West Scotland (Ardrossan, Ayr, Dumbarton, Dumfries, Dunoon, Fort William, Greenock, Irvine, Kilmarnock, Kilwinning, Oban, Port Glasgow, Vale of Leven). In England, it covers the north (Bradford, Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Hull, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Sunderland, York), the East Midlands (Buxton, Chesterfield, Cleethorpes, Corby, Derby, Glossop, Leicester, Lincoln, Loughborough, Mansfield, Northampton, Nottingham, Oakham), the West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Halesowen, Oldbury, Sandwell, Solihull, Stafford, Sutton Coldfield, Telford, Walsall, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton) and the south (Brighton, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Kent, London, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Somerset, Southampton, Surrey, Sussex). In Wales, it serves Aberdare, Bangor, Barry, Buckley, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthen, Deeside, Neath, Newport, Prestatyn, Rhyl and Swansea.

Facilities and contact

The workshop is located at 246 Ravenscraig, Studio 5, Kirkcaldy, Fife, KY1 2QA. The company handles enquiries through two landline numbers and two mobile numbers, and has a contact form on its website to request transfer or repair services.

246 Ravenscraig, Studio 5, Kirkcaldy, Fife, KY1 2QA · Phone: 0333 360 7482 · Hours: Monday to Sunday: 09:00 - 17:00