At 04:05 PM 2010-01-21, Corey Bailey wrote:

>There is mention of producing "Preservation Masters". From what fie 
>format? Are we suggesting batch converting to achieve preservation 
>master files? Batch converting can possibly open yet another can of 
>worms and will only produce a 16 bit fie.
>
>If one is to use this medium for preservation master archival, then 
>I would suggest digitizing in real time from the analog output of 
>your best D/A converter capturing a 24/96 Wav file.

Hi, Corey,

if the original DAT is 44.1 or 48 ks/s and 16 bits, why would you 
make a preservation master at anything faster or deeper than this?

I am one of the few voices seriously questioning making 24/96 WAV 
files from analog cassettes of oral history.

If you have a digital file, I think that it should be archived in its 
original sample rate and bit depth. I think the IASA TC-04 book 
concurs, but I didn't look it up.

Making a digital recording of the analog output of a DAT player 
imprints the preservation master with the sonic signature of the 
playback DAT's D-A converter. It is not the same as the original digital file.

There is no reason to store bits that weren't saved in the first place.

As to AIFF and WAV, they are the same PCM data in different wrappers, no?

My software of choice, Samplitude, will read or save in either 
format. I don't think you're interpolating or doing any form of 
conversion to the data (except perhaps re-ordering it), but rather 
just rewriting headers and other metadata during this conversion.

Cheers,

Richard


Richard L. Hess                   email: [log in to unmask]
Aurora, Ontario, Canada       (905) 713 6733     1-877-TAPE-FIX
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