The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word REEL-TO-REEL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
R
E
E
L
-
T
O
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R
E
E
L
Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does REEL-TO-REEL mean?
REEL-TO-REEL noun- A machine that records sound onto, or plays sound from, tape wound on one reel, by feeding it through to another reel.