If you’ve spent any time wandering the brutalist, shifting corridors of the Oldest House, you know that the story isn’t just in the cutscenes. It’s in the paper trails. Honestly, the world-building in Control is some of the best in gaming history, but finding every last piece of the puzzle? That’s a nightmare. Specifically, the FBC recording collectibles—those chunky old reel-to-reel tapes and cassette recorders—are scattered like breadcrumbs in some of the most frustratingly hidden corners of the Bureau.
You’re likely here because your multimedia tab has a few glaring empty slots. Maybe you’re missing the creepy Threshold Logs, or perhaps it's one of those dry Bureau reminders that actually explains why the walls keep moving. Whatever it is, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s track them down.
The Base Game FBC Recording Essentials
The standard version of the Bureau has 15 core recordings. They aren't just fluff; they give you the real dirt on what Salvador was thinking or why everyone is so obsessed with pink documents.
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The Threshold Logs
These are arguably the most atmospheric. You find Threshold Log 1 and Threshold Log 2 deep within The Pit in the Research Sector. You’ll need to help Dr. Underhill with her mold problem first. Threshold Log 1 is basically sitting on the floor after you descend to the lowest level. For Threshold Log 2, you’ve got to be a bit more observant—it’s in the room right before the Mold-1 boss fight. If you’re rushing to kill the giant plant, you’ll walk right over it. Threshold Log 3 is a bit different. It’s in the Maintenance Sector, specifically near the Atlas Chamber. Look for a small office upstairs overlooking the big globe.
Bureau Reminders and Security Orders
Bureau life is weird. FBC Reminder: Pink Documents is tucked away in the Containment Sector, inside a small office near the Logistics control point. It's funny, in a dark way, how much they care about filing systems while the building is eating people. Salvador: Security Order is another big one. You’ll find this in the Maintenance Sector near the NSC Power Plant. It's on a desk in the security office right before you head into the actual reactor area.
Medical Examination is located in the Containment Sector, specifically in the Medical Wing (shocker). It’s on a desk in one of the small exam rooms. If you’re like me, you probably ran past it while being chased by a Hiss Cluster. Go back. It’s worth the listen.
Deep Lore: AI52 and The Mirror
The Mirror mission is a fan favorite for a reason. Inside the Synchronicity Lab (Research Sector), you’ll find Mirror Debrief and its weird, backward twin, feirbeD rorriM. One is in the "real" world, and the other is—you guessed it—inside the mirror dimension. Don’t leave that area until you have both.
Then there’s AI52 Testing. This one is in the Containment Sector, near the entrance to the Panopticon. Look for a side room filled with glass containers and lab equipment. It’s sitting right there on a counter. It’s easy to miss because the Panopticon is so visually overwhelming that you forget to look at the furniture.
Hunting in the DLCs: Foundation and AWE
If you have the Ultimate Edition or the separate expansions, the list grows. Remedy didn’t go easy on us here.
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The Foundation
The subterranean depths of the Bureau hold some of the oldest secrets.
- FBC Reminder: Windows: This is in the Astral Plane portion of the DLC. When you’re platforming through the white void, look for a small "office" platform that seems out of place.
- The Ash Tapes: Technically categorized separately by some, but they function the same way. There are 8 of these logs from Theodore Ash Sr. They are mostly found around the Warehouse and the Research Site Gamma. Log 1: Discovery is right at the start of the cave system. Log 6: Departure is tucked behind some breakable crystals in the deep caverns.
AWE (Altered World Events)
The AWE expansion, which brings back a certain writer from Bright Falls, adds a few more tapes to the "FBC Recording" sub-category.
- Dr. Hartman’s Notes: Next Steps: This is in the Active Investigations area. It’s on a desk in the main hub where you talk to Langston via the intercom.
- FBC Reminder: Law of Three: Found in the AWE Loading Bay. It’s sitting on a crate near the elevators.
- Motel Observation: This is in the Investigations Sector, specifically in the area leading toward the Fra Mauro AWE. It’s on a small table near a shifting wall.
Why Some Recordings Never Show Up
Here is a tip that most guides forget: some recordings are mission-specific. For instance, Astralnaut Liability usually triggers or appears in the Research Sector after you've progressed a certain amount with the Astral Exhibition tasks. If you go looking for it in Chapter 2, it won't be there.
Also, check your "Hotline" tab. People often confuse the Director's Hotline messages (the grainy red videos) with FBC recordings. FBC recordings are always physical objects in the world—usually tape players. If you don't see a physical object, it's not an FBC recording.
Practical Steps for Completionists
If you're sitting at 98% and losing your mind, do this:
- Check the Central Executive Board: After certain main missions, new documents and tapes sometimes spawn on the big table where Emily Pope hangs out.
- Use the "Listen" Test: When you are near an uncollected tape, it actually emits a very faint, mechanical whirring sound. If you turn your music down in the settings, you can "sonar" your way to them in quiet rooms.
- The "Pink Document" Rule: If a room has a lot of "Altered Item" containers, there is a 90% chance an audio log is hidden behind one of them or on a nearby shelf.
Don't forget to check the Furnace Research tape in the Maintenance Sector. It’s in the small control room overlooking the giant furnace (the one that eats the trash). It’s easy to miss because you’re usually too busy throwing radioactive barrels into the fire.
Go back to the Research Sector first. Most missing tapes are hidden in the verticality of the Central Research hall. Levitate to the balconies you couldn't reach in the early game. You'll find at least two or three recordings tucked away in the offices up there.
Once you have everything, read the transcripts in your menu. The connection between the AI52 Testing and the later events in the game is one of those "aha!" moments that makes the hunt totally worth it.