Can you visit the largest multitrack music collection ever assembled? Usually, no. But twice a year (in May and November), the ARSP holds an "Open Reel" day.
Attendees describe it as a religious experience. Shelves stretch 30 feet high, filled with cardboard boxes labeled with white tape and Sharpie ink. The air is cold (55°F) and dry (40% humidity). The only sound is the low hum of HVAC units and the faint click of an Otari MTR-90 rewinding a 1973 session of Stevie Wonder.
It is, by all accounts, the most important physical archive of popular music in human history.
Owning the largest multitrack collection comes with a terrifying responsibility: "Sticky Shed Syndrome." The Largest Multitrack Music Collection Ever- -...
Analog tape from the 1970s and 80s absorbs moisture. If you play a tape that hasn't been "baked," the oxide falls off the backing, destroying the recording forever.
The curators of this collection run a 24/7 operation using food dehydrators (modified for precision heat) to "bake" tapes at 130°F for 8 hours before transfer. They have processed nearly 23,000 reels so far. It is a race against time. Experts estimate that 15% of the collection is already "unplayable" due to decay. They are digitizing at a rate of 50 reels per week, but they are losing 2 reels per week to entropy.
As of 2025, the verified largest single-owner multitrack collection belongs to The Gleason & Jeckell Audio Heritage Trust. This private archive houses: Can you visit the largest multitrack music collection
42,763 discrete multitrack masters (ranging from 4-track to 48-track) spanning 1928–2010.
Included are sessions from:
Perhaps the most fascinating items are not the hits, but the alternate takes: 40 versions of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" where Mick Jagger mumbles placeholder lyrics. Overdubs that were never used. Countdown clicks from studio engineers who died thirty years ago. 42,763 discrete multitrack masters (ranging from 4-track to
When you claim to own the largest multitrack music collection ever assembled, you have to back it up. Here are three "holy grails" inside the vault:
This isn’t just about hoarding tape. Having the largest multitrack collection means: