About Capstan
Capstan is an independent reference journal about vintage hi-fi and the recordings that live on old formats: how to get music safely off tape, DAT and MiniDisc, what goes wrong in old amplifiers and decks, and how to buy and look after classic equipment.
What we publish
Long-form guides, each written to stand on its own: what to check, what to do, what to leave to a specialist, and why. They are organised like the sides of a cassette:
- Side A, Recording & transfer: reel-to-reel and cassette, DAT, MiniDisc, building a home archive, and simple stereo recording.
- Side B, On the bench: common faults in vintage equipment, vacuum tubes, and service manuals.
- Side C, Buying & collecting: buying used equipment and reel-to-reel decks, finding rare parts, a good system on a small budget, and the manufacturers behind the classics.
Quick answers are collected on the questions and answers page.
How the guides are checked
Technical statements are checked against primary or expert sources: preservation guidelines from the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA), the Library of Congress and the U.S. National Archives, manufacturers' documentation and data sheets, safety guidance from public bodies, and established technical references. Sources are listed at the end of every guide, with links, so you can read the original. Where published sources disagree, on a date or a setting, we say so rather than pick one silently. We do not invent figures, and we leave out what we could not confirm.
Guides that involve mains electricity or high voltages carry safety notes. They are not a substitute for training: if a job involves the inside of mains-powered equipment and you are not qualified, the right step is a qualified technician.
What Capstan does not do
- It sells nothing: no equipment, parts, tubes or manuals.
- It offers no services: no repairs, transfers, appraisals or searches on request.
- It carries no advertising, sponsored content or affiliate links, and accepts no payment from manufacturers or sellers.
- It is not affiliated with any manufacturer named in its guides. Brand and model names belong to their owners.
The guides are published under the name of the journal. Photographs are free-licensed images by other photographers, credited under each image and on the photo credits page.
About this domain
For a number of years before it lapsed, this domain was the website of a small U.S. business in the vintage and audiophile hi-fi field, which offered services such as tape-to-digital transfers and equipment repair, and sold used equipment, tubes and manuals. The domain later expired and was registered by the current publisher. Capstan has no connection with that business, does not continue its activities and does not use its name, logo or texts. Some old page addresses are kept so that existing links still lead to a useful page on the same subject; their content is new.
Contact and legal
Publisher and hosting details are on the legal notice page.