Re: [ARSCLIST] Archiving and Reformatting Digital Files

[Mike Richter <mrichter@xxxxxxx>]

McCormick, Kathleen wrote:
> I am looking for information resources and suggestions on handling
> proprietary and/or compressed digital audio files for preservation. 
>
> As an oral history archive, we are about to receive several collections
> from various constituents that will originate in the Windows Media Audio
> (WMA) format and potentially in the Digital Speech Standard (DSS)
> format, both of which are compressed formats (among other potential
> issues). I am trying to find information that relates to the
> issues/problems/hopes for handling these files - issues such as should
> and to what format should these files be converted to (can you convert a
> compressed file to an uncompressed format? [my understanding is no, not
> really.] or if you can, is there any benefit to doing that?).

It is possible, indeed practical, to decompress any such file. Whether 
it is legal to do so is another matter which depends on the conditions 
of the transfer and is far beyond my competence.

The reason for decompressing is simply longevity. It is not that the 
compressed files are more fragile but that their format, particularly a 
proprietary one, may have short life. The information lost in 
compression cannot be regained and further losses may be incurred in 
some methods of decompression, for example in the extreme but not 
uncommon case of protected WMA files.

If there is no program to decompress the format used, then the material 
can be effectively re-recorded in any of several ways. Some sound cards 
support that operation directly; programs such as TotalRecorder will 
capture any audio going to or from your PC sound card; or in the extreme 
a second computer may sit beside the one playing the recording taking 
the player's Line Out as the recorder's Line In.

Mike
--
mrichter@xxxxxxx
http://www.mrichter.com/