Corey Bailey

           Audio Engineering

   WELCOME!

The purpose of this site is to raise awareness of the need to archive audio and video recordings which contain your family history. Of prime importance is everything on magnetic media. Such as; audio cassettes, reel-to-reel audio tapes, and all video tapes. They are deteriorating over time. Some of it may not be playable now. Not only is the magnetic media degrading, but the equipment and expertise needed to retrieve those aging recordings is becoming increasingly more difficult to find.   Still and moving pictures which exist on photographic film (including negatives) can last considerably longer than your magnetic media when properly stored. However, they should be inspected periodically and eventually migrated to the digital realm as well. Wire recordings have an unknown life expectancy. The recording medium was very fine stainless steel wire. I have played wire recordings made in the 1940’s and they played just fine. I can’t say the same for audio tapes from the mid 1970’s to the mid 1990’s. So, while wire recordings are indeed magnetic recordings, the lifespan appears to differ greatly from those recordings made on audio tape. That said, I would also suggest migrating those wire recordings to the digital realm as soon as possible.   I have been a professional Audio Engineer for 45+ years. I have specialized in the restoration and archival of every aspect of audio recordings for the last 25 years. I felt it was time to share some of my knowledge and experience. I am no longer accepting new customers. However, I will continue to provide services for all of those whom I have worked with over the years.    To all of those that I have done work for over the years…….THANK YOU!  I have retained digital copies (Unless instructed otherwise) of all of the transfer and restoration work that I have done for everyone. So, if you need anything, please contact me. Please check out the links page for links to those who provide transfer and restoration services throughout the US and Canada if you would like to find a vendor that is geographically close to you. About this site This site is mostly informational. Any opinions expressed are strictly mine. You are welcome to any information that is available here and, if you contact me, I can provide the text. The Useful Information pages are where I write more in- depth about what it takes to enjoy and digitally transfer records and tapes in the event you want to get involved at the hobby level. There is information about managing your collection plus other informative stuff about digital file formats. The Links page is designed to help you with disaster recovery, find a vendor, learn more about archival and restoration, or the media you may have. There are also links to products and services at the end of many of the articles. Finally, I have put together some simple Glossaries that are specific to records, tapes, the digital domain and some general audio terminology. It is the Glossaries, Links and Useful Information pages that are ever changing. So stop by once in awhile for a visit. ENJOY! © Corey Bailey Audio Engineering

<<IF>> You are here because of recent water or smoke damage, please visit the SpecsBros website for what to do for damaged media. More links to disaster recovery sites are on my links page