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Re: [ARSCLIST] Archiving and Reformatting Digital Files



Boy, some things never change. WMA and DSS sound like the latest version of microcassettes and 1 7/8IPS , 3" reel recorders. Sigh. The human voice CAN sound wonderful. Unfortunately, many field recordings do not bring that quality back to the archive.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard L. Hess" <arclists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Archiving and Reformatting Digital Files



Hello, Kathleen,

You raise some interesting questions.

In fact, so interesting that I decided to answer them here
http://richardhess.com/notes/2006/08/17/dss-and-other-compressed-digital-files-in-an-oral-history-archive/
rather than in the thread.

Cheers,

Richard

Richard L. Hess                   email: richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Aurora, Ontario, Canada       (905) 713 6733     1-877-TAPE-FIX
Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.


At 11:07 AM 8/17/2006, 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?).

These are the first files of this type we will have to deal with and I
am dreading their arrival. Any advice would be welcome.

Despite my strong advice against using consumer grade digital recorders
for collecting oral histories, professors and students are hard pressed
to spend $500+ on professional field recording equipment. Given that
there appears to be no middle ground recording equipment available for
under $300, they are choosing to spend as little as possible to get the
equipment. In which case, we are left to deal with the files in whatever
format they come to us.


Thanks!


Katie McCormick

Reference Archivist and
Coordinator for the Oral History Program
Special Collections - J. Murrey Atkins Library
UNC Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28223-0001

kmccormi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
704-687-6288
http://library.uncc.edu/archives


"Whatever we do we may fail, but if we do nothing, failure is
guaranteed."


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