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Tape Rescue & Deep Cleaning

When tapes have been exposed to mold, floodwaters, or extreme storage conditions, normal playback and restoration methods often aren’t enough. Sonicraft A2DX Lab’s Tape Rescue & Deep Cleaning service is designed to revive at-risk recordings, ensuring safe handling and the highest chance of fully recovering your audio.

Challenges with Damaged or Contaminated Tapes

  • Mold & Spores
    Mold thrives in humid, dark environments—like basements, attics, or flooded storage units. It can eat away at the tape binder, spread spores to equipment, and pose a health hazard.
  • Flood & Water Damage
    Prolonged moisture can cause layer adhesion, tape swelling, and further microbial growth. Even short exposure can leave behind mineral deposits or residues that make playback risky.
  • Debris & Contaminants
    Over time, dust, dirt, and other particles can embed into the tape pack. Such debris can scratch or scrape the oxide layer, leading to permanent audio loss if not addressed.

Our Specialized Equipment & Process

Custom Cleaning Transports

We’ve built two specially designed transports dedicated to deep cleaning. These machines allow us to safely pass tapes over precision guides and rollers while removing mold spores, dirt, and debris layer by layer.

Protective Gear & Isolation

  • Full Safety Precautions: Our engineers use masks, gloves, and protective clothing to prevent spore inhalation or cross-contamination.
  • Dedicated Cleaning Room: Tapes that arrive with mold or other contaminants are isolated from the rest of the lab, ensuring no spread to other clients’ materials.

Success Stories

We’ve rescued tapes that have:

  • Been stored in root cellars with extreme humidity
  • Gone through hurricane flooding and required decontamination
  • Survived damaged time capsules where mold and oxidation had set in

Despite these extreme scenarios, our process often restores tapes to playable condition, allowing precious recordings to be saved.

Why Choose Sonicraft A2DX Lab?

  • Proven Expertise: We’ve handled some of the toughest mold and flood cases in the industry.
  • Advanced Gear: Our custom cleaning transports are purpose-built—not off-the-shelf solutions.
  • Safety & Precision: From personal protective equipment to careful handling, we prioritize both your recordings and the health of our engineers.
  • Seamless Follow-Through: Once tapes are cleaned, we can bake (if needed) and transfer them directly to high-resolution digital, minimizing risk.

When to Seek Tape Rescue

  • You notice white, black, or greenish residue on the reels or inside the box.
  • The tape sticks to itself or leaves a powdery film on your hands.
  • An unpleasant moldy odor is present.
  • The tape has been exposed to flood water or stored in damp conditions.

Important: Attempting to play contaminated tapes can ruin the tape path on machines—and worsen damage to the reel. If you suspect mold, stop immediately and let us handle the cleanup.