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Re: [ARSCLIST] TAPE publishes audio tape digitisation workflow
There are MANY common sense suggestions in this website. I am particularly impressed with the
emphasis on getting it right in the analog domain instead of trying to fix problems with
digi-gadgets. All common sense but always worth repeating -- use high-quality analog equipment, know
how to use it, keep it maintained, keep it clean, keep it aligned, set azimuth to the tape being
transferred, transfer into high-quality digital gear in a proper-resolution file format, etc. And of
course use the proper equipment for the tape format you're transferring (ie use the proper format
head and the proper tape speed).
Only nit-pick comment I have is that some will find controversial the recommendation of isopropynol
for heads and distilled water with a drop of dishwashing liquid for rubber and plastic. Some
pinchrollers (the soft rubber kind) need to be cleaned with whatever that special liquid brew the
manufacturers recommend -- I know they specifically say no to water-only. And some older heads
allegedly will rust if isopropynol is used on them due to slow evaporation under real-world
conditions (ie the isoprop bottled has been open enough to have collected more water content than
when it was new). This has all been discussed in detail on the Ampex List. However, I'd say in most
cases of modern transfer and preservation, these are minor worries (although not the pinchroller
since Athan modern replacements use the soft rubber). For what it's worth, I've used isoprop to
clean heads my entire life of using reel to reel decks ( that would be 30 years this June) and have
yet to ruin a head. Certainly don't use anything remotely like isoprop on those soft-rubber
pinchrollers -- spring for a bottle of the special cleaner.
Overall, very useful information very well presented and worth a look by anyone who deals with
tapes, including hobbyists. The reference links are also fantastic.
-- Tom Fine
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ecpa e-mail" <ecpa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 11:31 AM
Subject: [ARSCLIST] TAPE publishes audio tape digitisation workflow
TAPE has published web-based guidelines for digitisation. They describe
the digitisation workflow for analogue open reel tapes as a step by step
approach for the production of digital copies from analogue tapes from a
technical point of view. Most of the workflow may also be applied to
audio cassettes. The workflow was written by Juha Henriksson (Finnish
Jazz & Pop Archive) & Nadja Wallaszkovits (Phonogrammarchiv, Austrian
Academy of Sciences).
The workflow is mainly aimed at newcomers in the world of audio tape
digitization. It contains references to other literature and many
detailed photographs.
You will find the workflow at http://www.jazzpoparkisto.net/audio/
The TAPE project, Training for Audiovisual Preservation in Europe,
http://www.tape-online.net <http://www.tape-online.net/> , is supported
by the Culture 2000-programme of the EU.
European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA)
c/o Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
P.O. Box 19121, NL-1000 GC Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Visiting address: Trippenhuis, Kloveniersburgwal 29, NL-1011 JV
Amsterdam
T ++31 - 20 - 551 08 39
F ++31 - 20 - 620 49 41
http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/