| Q: |
What
type of business is LPtransfers4U? |
 |
We provide services for consumers who wish to
have music or other recordings from one format — such
as cherished vinyl records, cassette, 8-track or reel-to-reel
tapes — professionally transferred / converted to another
format — usually CD, MiniDisc or MP3 — at an AFFORDABLE
price. We also can perform audio restoration during the transfer
process to remove or significantly reduce noise — such
as hiss, clicks or pops — common to vinyl and older tape
formats. Top
of page
|
| Q: |
Do
you perform transfer and restoration services for formats other
than vinyl and cassette tape? |
|
|
Absolutely! In addition to the more common request
of transferring / converting recordings from 33 1/3 LP, 45 RPM,
12-inch single, extended-play 45, 78 RPM, cassette, 8-track
and reel-to-reel tape, we are often asked to perform transfers
from CD, CD-R, MiniDisc or MP3 as well. Audio restoration can
easily be performed at the same time to ensure the highest-quality
sound transfer possible.
Top of page |
| Q: |
Are there types of
records / formats that LPtransfers4U
will not accept for transfer? |
|
Because we want to focus on what we do best, we
do not accept 16 RPM records, 16-inch transcription discs, or
certain kinds of truly vintage recordings that require special
styli and playing apparatus; for example, Edison cylinders.
If in doubt, please feel free to contact us via email
or telephone for further clarification. Note: If your vinyl
LP / record is severely warped / damaged or plays in a non-concentric
rotation because of a spindle hole that is not properly centered,
it is not a candidate for our services. Unfortunately, no existing
technology can overcome those problems.
Top of page |
| Q: |
Why
would I want to transfer my records and tapes to CD or another
format? |
|
There are several compelling reasons, including:
• You no longer have a turntable and can’t play
those great old LPs anymore.
• You do have a turntable but notice that with every
playing, the record seems to get a little more noisy.
• You want to be able to listen to those records in
your car or RV, at the office, on the airplane, while
visiting family / friends who don’t have a turntable;
while walking the dog, etc., etc.
Top of page |
| Q: |
Why would I want
to transfer from CD format to another CD? |
|
For starters, suppose...
• You want to play your tunes at the office but don’t
like the hassle of schlepping them back and forth.
• Your son/daughter is going to college and wants to
have their music in their dorm. “One off’s”
are perfect for situations where security or limited
space is an issue. High school and college students love compilations
as well.
• Your present CD is a collectable and you want to preserve
its integrity while still being able to enjoy the recording.
• You heard that car CD players are notorious for causing
damage to the CD, so you want to preserve the original
for home use and play the copy in your car.
• Other members of your family are not as careful with
your CDs as you are, but you still want to “share”
with them.
Top of page |
| Q: |
What's the difference
between your "premium" packaging and the lower-priced
"Plain-Wrap" packaging you also offer? |
|
"Premium" packaging
consists of jewel case, front insert artwork, rear inlay track
listing and label for the CD — OR — plastic case,
front insert and label for cassette tape. Premium packaging
is comparable to what you get when you purchase a CD or cassette
tape in a retail store.
"Plain-Wrap" packaging is $5.00
less per CD and consists of a labeled CD in a paper sleeve
only — no jewel case, no insert artwork, no rear inlay
track listing. We also offer "plain-wrap" packaging
for $5.00 less for cassette tape, which consists of a labeled
cassette tape in plastic cassette case — no artwork,
no individual song listings. "Plain-Wrap" is recommended
for one-off transfers or similar circumstances where the "presentation"
is not important.
Top of page |
| Q: |
What
is this new “Retro 45” CD you’ve been promoting? |
|
The “Retro 45” CD that
we now offer is no ordinary CD! Its sound quality is just as
high as the premium CDs we always use in our transfer services,
but it sure doesn’t look like a CD. It has a “way
cool” black grooved surface — with tracks! —
and a brightly colored label. Looks just a like a miniature
45 RPM record! It makes an especially unique and fun gift for
a family member, special friend — or yourself! Click here
to get a peek at what we’re talking about.
Top of page |
| Q: |
What
is a “compilation”? |
|
|
You select various recordings from your original
78, 45, 33 1/3 RPM discs, record albums, cassette tapes, CDs
and / or MiniDiscs. We transfer / convert all those selections
to one CD or cassette tape. Now all you favorite recordings
are conveniently located on one ”compilation” CD
or “compilation” cassette.
Top of page |
| Q: |
Is
transferring from CD format to another CD cheaper than just
buying another of the same CD from a store? |
|
If you are just wanting a transfer for the kids
/ car / office / etc., our “plain wrap” CD-to-CD
transfer service is usually less expensive than buying a second
CD from a store. Also, if you have a collectable, even our “premium”
packaged CD-to-CD transfer service will be less expensive. It
all depends upon how much extraneous “packaging”
you desire.
Top of page |
| Q: |
Is
it legal for you to perform CD-to-CD transfer service? |
|
Our music conversion / transfer and restoration
services are performed from recordings that you already own.
Whether you are requesting a conversion from one format to another
(for example, 78 RPM-to-CD) or perhaps you desire a same-to-same
transfer (for example CD-to-CD), it’s for your own personal
use. This type of transfer is referred to in the recording industry
as a “one off.” The Industry allows for this type
of transfer – it is legal.
Top of page |
| Q: |
I
have a vinyl LP that I would like to have transferred to CD.
Will it sound better on the CD? |
|
Yes — OR — No. YES
if you opt for a transfer that includes our digital enhancement
services, the final result will be a compact disc with less
noise (hiss / clicks / pops) than the LP had. The answer would
be NO, however, if only our standard transfer
service is requested. The standard service transfers / converts
your record directly to compact disc without the benefit of
any digital enhancements. Simply stated, whatever you may hear
on your vinyl LP when played on a regular turntable will be
heard on the compact disc if only our standard transfer service
is performed.
Top of page |
| Q: |
Will
my CD be divided into tracks like a regular CD? |
|
Yes, your finished CD will have the same number
of tracks as the source material. If the LP we transfer, for
example, has 12 songs, then your CD will have 12 tracks. The
computer software we use during the music conversion / transfer
process detects the silence between the songs as a track change.
The only exception to this is the recording of live LPs that
have no silent segments between songs or LPs with no banding.
Since the computer software cannot make track markings without
these moments of silence, we will use our best judgment to determine
when one track ends and the next begins and will manually make
the track markings.
Top of page |
| Q: |
I
have a vinyl LP that I want to have transferred to CD, but the
LP appears to have a couple of damaged grooves. Can you still
transfer it for me? |
|
Yes. If you have a vinyl LP that has slight damage
to one or two groves, we can almost always perform a transfer.
And by “hand tracking," we can often get our professional
equipment to play through a damaged groove without any noticeable
pop or click being transferred to the CD. HOWEVER, there are
other times when the LP’s damaged section will either
be muted or skipped over on the final recording. We can only
do our best, and there is no guarantee in such instances that
the music conversion / transfer will be 100%. The best way to
avoid disappointment is to contact our highly trained Customer
Service Team to discuss evident groove damage. They can also
give you useful tips on how to identify possible damage.
Top of page |
| Q: |
If
I’m only concerned about quality — and the price
difference is no object — should I automatically order
the transfer WITH the restoration service that you offer? |
| |
We’d love to say YES! However, the answer
is "IT DEPENDS." Assuming that your records are not
overly worn and have no damage that would otherwise require
our restoration services in order to secure a high-quality transfer,
you may want to go with our Standard Transfer. Many collectors
truly cherish vinyl’s unique “sound” (different
than “noise”). That different sound which emanates
only from a vinyl LP may be ever-so-slightly different on the
new format after certain filters that are part of the restoration
service process are employed. Note: The change,
if any, is on the NEW format — the original vinyl is NOT
affected. There are also people who consider the hiss, cracks
and pops a part of a recording’s “charm.”
In those instances, the Standard Transfer is recommended.
Top of page |
| Q: |
Does
the restoration service affect the sound of the original format
from which the recording is being transferred? |
| |
Definitely no! The sound of the original format
— whether vinyl record, cassette tape, 8-track, reel-to-reel,
CD, MP3 or MiniDisc — remains the same. The recording
that is now on the destination format — CD, cassette tape,
MiniDisc or MP3 — is what has been restored. In other
words, the noise (hiss, cracks, pops, etc.) that is on the original
remains on the original. The hiss, cracks, pops, etc. are only
eliminated / reduced on the destination CD, cassette tape, MiniDisc
or MP3.
Top of page |
| Q: |
Will
my vinyl records and other related property be handled with
extreme care? |
|
|
Most definitely! We are professionals —
as well as vinyl collectors ourselves. Our knowledge and experience
enables us to handle your cherished property with the utmost
care. We have performed years of transfer / conversion and restoration
service on our own private collections as well as those of our
family, friends and neighbors. And ALL of our family, friends
and neighbors are still speaking to us and still hold us in
high esteem — a testament in itself to our expertise and
the care we use in handling your property. We can also provide
contact information should you wish to check references with
some of our customers. Feel free to contact our helpful Customer
Service Team via email
or telephone to inquire about customer references.
Top of page |
| Q: |
What
about proper packaging and method of transportation to and from
your facility? |
|
|
One size does NOT fit all. As each new customer
initially has their own level of experience and confidence in
these matters, we work with you individually to identify and
ensure the safest packaging and method of transporting your
cherished property to and from our facility. If shipping your
vinyl records, CDs, reel-to-reels, 8-track tapes, etc. to us
is required, we can often furnish shipping supplies / containers
for a very small service charge. Contact our experienced Customer
Service Team either via email
or telephone for further information and tips on packaging/shipping.
Top of page |
| Q: |
What methods
of payment do you accept for your transfer / restoration services? |
|
We accept cash, personal checks, money orders
and credit cards. Note: Credit card transactions
are handled via PayPal© to ensure complete security and
privacy.
Top of page |
| Q: |
I
see that you provide personalized Gift Certificates —
Can you expedite a Gift Certificate? |
| |
YES, we can! We offer several choices for expediting our personalized
Gift Certificates:
• We can send via overnight mail
to you so that you can hand-deliver it yourself.
•
We can send via overnight mail directly to your specified recipient.
• We can email a Gift Certificate to you as a PDF attachment
that you can print out.
• We can email a Gift
Certificate as a PDF attachment directly to your specified recipient.
Note: There is a small fee we must charge for overnight
mail postage.
Top of page |
| Q: |
How can I contact you directly
if I have any other questions or need special attention/services
from LPtransfers4U? |
| |
Please click
here for a coplete list of all our contact
information. Note:
For those living in the Los Angeles area, we can serve you locally!!! |
