Sound archive principles within an interdisciplinary sciences-based initiative

ABSTRACT

Current practices in transferring the audio on grooved media have serious issues and limitations coping with the challenge of preserving the vast numbers of these recordings in archives across the world. I argue for an interdisciplinary scientific approach to the problem, building on advances in non-contact imaging of the groove. I propose a new ‘Type 3 Re-recording’ standard based on a digital image, algorithmic derivation of an audio signal from the image, non-destructive editing audio processing of that signal, and a meta-data trail derived directly from the processing steps for quality control. This would establish a new master preservation file format inclusive of associated printed documents.

KEYWORDS:

• Sound archives
• audio archive standards
• media systems
• optical playback
• audio processes
• equalisation curves
• flat recordings
• styli
• turntables
• grooved sound carriers
• phonograph records
• audio cylinders
• disc recordings
• derivative
• playback curves
• non-destructive editing
• digital signal processing
• signal processing
• record players
• cylinder players

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.