Re: arsclist reel to reel player/recorder

["Doug Pomeroy" <pomeroyaudio@xxxxxxx>]

Hi Holly, 

I am very confused by what you propose.
You mention sending your orginal tapes out to "a pro in audio
migration/engineering", and also purchasing a reel recorder. Do you mean you
are purchasing the recorder for the pro to whom you send your tapes. If he's
a pro, why would you need to buy him a machine?
Or, do you mean that YOU will record the "ordained preservation copies"
on the reel-to-reel recorder (at 7.5 ips on 7" reels)? If so, do you know
how to align a tape deck for optimal transfer from tapes recorded on many
other machines?

Leaving those questions aside, where did you get the idea that there is no
"uncompressed" digital format? And what do you mean by "non-sampling
format". Do you mean non-digital? Did the people you spoke to about flash
memory have ANY idea what your objectives are?

I believe we have FINALLY reached the time when even the most conservative
forces in the world of audio preservation have recognized the superiority of
digital storage. Are you at all familiar with the issue of analog vs digital
as relates to archiving?

Doug Pomeroy   pomeroyaudio@xxxxxxx
Audio Restoration [CEDAR] & Remastering

----------
>From: Holly Robertson <hollybry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: "'ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: RE: arsclist reel to reel player/recorder
>Date: Tue, Jun 12, 2001, 1:54 PM
>

> Mr. Copeland, you mean there is no panacea?
> Ha ha, just kidding.  In an effort to invite all sorts of experiences with
> audio reel machines, I thought I'd just toss the general question out
> there, but I should've footnoted it for the technically inclined.  I'm
> from a primarily manuscripts archive with rich non-traditional (read:
> non-paper) formats.  We are investigating methods to better handle the
> preservation and accessibility of our audio recordings, going through the
> growing pains of realizing what we can do (i.e., what equipment we can
> purchase, what expertise we have, what sort of committment we can make -
> in terms of time as well as budget) versus sending our materials out to
> have preservation copies made elsewhere.
>
> We have a bevy of reel tapes from a variety of sources -- every size from
> about 3" to 10.5" most of which seem to be 7.5 ips and 15 ips, but so many
> are unlabeled and as of now we have no way to know as we have no reel
> player.  And while I don't have records that our reels are anything but
> full or 2 track, I can't rule out 4 track as once again many are unlabeled
> as to their tecnical specifications.  To boot, most of our reels come from
> the "problem" times: a lot of the cellulose acetate tapes are 30-50 years
> old and fragile and brittle; we also have a fair number of polyester tapes
> from the mid 1970-1980's that we suspect of sticky shed.
>
> Right now, it seems to me most sensible to send out our current holdings
> of original audio reels to a professional in audio migration/engineering
> and purchase a reel recorder (here's where I'll attempt to define formats)
> for the soul purpose of making those ordained preservation copies (from
> original recordings currently on cassette, phonograph, CD, etc.) on to
> 1/4" audio reel, freshly obtained from a recognized manufacturer, at full
> track for the more important items and half track for those of lessor
> judged importance, and at 7.5 ips and reel spool measuring 7" in diameter.
> At least until a uncompressed, non-sampling format appears heaven
> sent, and from all the salesmen I've talk to lately that answer currently
> appears to be flash memory (whole other can of worms).
>
> From all the email today, it seems there are two companies that still make
> these monsters new (Tascam, Otari) and other brands available used
> (Studer, Sony, Tandberg, and others, I'm sure).  And while I've heard
> several recommendations on the Tascam BR-20 and the Otari 50-50BIII,
> does anyone use what looks like the lower end Tascam model, the Tascam 32?
>
> Thanks to everyone for their response and interest, off list and on.
> And if anyone has any horror stories or words of inspiration and survival
> re: making-analog-copies-on-audio-reels-in-the-digital-age-in-a-non-sound
> recordings-focused-archive, I'd love to hear them.
>
> Holly Robertson
> Associate Archivist
> Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
> University of Georgia Libraries
> Athens, GA 30602-1641
> www.libs.uga.edu/russell/russell.html
>
>
> On Tue, 12 Jun 2001, Copeland, Peter wrote:
>
>> Here at the British Library National Sound Archive, we do not know of a
>> machine which will play all track-formats and all spool-sizes and all tape
>> speeds and all equalisation curves, even if we only confine ourselves to
>> *quarter-inch* tape! I'm afraid you must define the formats you're talking
>> about first.
>> Peter Copeland
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Holly Robertson [mailto:hollybry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>> Sent: 12 June 2001 13:54
>> To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: arsclist reel to reel player/recorder
>>
>>
>>
>> Could anyone recommend an audio reel to reel (player/recorder) brand and
>> vendor?
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>>
>>
>> Holly Robertson
>> Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
>> University of Georgia Libraries
>> Athens, GA 30602-1641
>> www.libs.uga.edu/russell/russell.html