Re: [ARSCLIST] Archiving to hard drive

[Mwcpc6@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 03/05/2003 3:50:19 PM Eastern Standard Time,
mrichter@xxxxxxx writes:

>
>  A permanent medium and a permanent archive are neither attainable nor
>  desirable. Mapleson's cylinders have been selectively transcribed to 78-rpm
>  discs, selectively and comprehensively to LP and selectively to CD - all in
>  commercial distribution. Of course, privately they have been recorded on
>  all flavors of magnetic tape, MiniDisc, DAT and CD-ROM as well as hard
>  drives. Quite likely, someone has a selection or two on floppy disc while
>  there must be MO archives as well.
>

Migration is certainly possible, and inevitable, with the present CD format
being already challenged by HDCD, DAD, DVDA, and SACD.  When DVD recorders
become as common as VHS now, the consumer will in all likelihood migrate to a
high-resolution audio format making CDs as obsolete as cassettes.

The November 2002 issue of "Pro Audio Review" has a very interesting article
"The ABC's of SACD and PCM" (Vol. 8, Issue 11, Pg. 32) that indicates that
the DSD format is the first digital system to fully capture the qualities of
original analog master tapes. And the conclusion of the article implies that
perhaps even the 2.8224 MHz sample rate of DSD may not be adequate to satisfy
everyone.

The moral is to by all means make digital transfers for access, distribution,
and distributed archiving, but keep the originals as long as possible.  The
end is not yet near.

Mike Csontos