Joel,
Yes, 10,000 cassettes is a significantly larger task than 1,000, however, the principles of preservation practice do not differ. I came late to the discussion, but your first stop should be the ARSC website where you can find the ARSC Technical Committee's excellent preservation statement:
http://www.arsc-audio.org/pdf/ARSCTC_preservation.pdf
From there, you can delve deeper into the nuts and bolts--starting from collection assessment, and selection through digitization and documentation to storage, access and migration. For 10,000 cassettes you'll need a plan that provides the resources to keep the content alive and accessible. No sense digitizing something that can't be maintained. In your budget you should include consultation with a preservation planner. While you are on the ARSC website, you might want to consider talking to some of these folks in person. E-mail list consultation though handy can take an eternity, and you might not get all the answers if you don't ask the right questions. Despite the advancement of technology, I find that effective communication of this nature takes a certain amount of eye contact and waving of hands.
http://www.arsc-audio.org/pdf/Directory2013-01.pdf
Best regards,
-Bruce
Bruce J. Gordon
Audio Engineer
Audio Preservation Services
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
U.S.A
tel. +1(617) 495-1241
fax +1(617) 496-4636
On Feb 21, 2013, at 1:59 PM, Joel Alperson <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Hi Tom,
Everyone is off the hook. I can clearly say that I've been fairly warned
about this project. : )
These are spoken word recordings. Radio shows and lectures mostly.
Just to be clear, it's not 1,000+ cassettes but rather 10,000+
cassettes.
I think I can hear the sounds of hands slapping foreheads from here.
Joel
-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]<http://LISTSERV.LOC.GOV>] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2013 12:35 PM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [GRAYMAIL] Re: [ARSCLIST] Digitizing 10,000+ audio cassettes
Hi Joel:
This reminds me of the beginning to my favorite "reality show" on TV,
"Swamp People." In the opening montage, one of the alligator hunters is
voiced-over saying, "if you think you can come out here and do this,
good luck to ya."
1000+ cassettes is a huge undertaking and yes you should expect that it
1000+ will take years. Can you
tell us more about the contents? Is it spoken-word? Music? High-fidelity
recordings? Audio transcriptions (for instance recordings of court
proceding, or conferene presentation recordings)?
Field recordings (ie oral histories, amateur/family recordings)? If we
knew more about the contents, we could probably give better advice.
-- Tom Fine
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel Alperson" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
To: <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2013 1:10 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Digitizing 10,000+ audio cassettes
What tremendous replies both in content and variety.
Thanks to everyone for your comments.
As to labor of love first, this material does not exist anywhere else.
These tapes in most cases are the only recordings which exist.
The reasons for digitizing are, one to preserve them as some are over 30
years old. Two, to more easily listen to search through them. And
finally, to ultimately digitally transcribe to text the recordings at
some time in the future, although that's a far less important goal for
now.
It seems to me that using an outside service would be tremendously
expensive, certainly well into five figures if not more.
And I have the advantage of not having a hard deadline for this work
meaning if the job takes me several years to complete that is far better
than leaving the tapes to deteriorate without preservation.
For now, deleting silence at the beginning or end of the recordings is
not critical. Just getting the material digitized is my priority.
I currently have an M-Audio Ultra Lite Mk3 audio interface.
The big questions for me then (I think) are what software to use and
some step-by-step instructions as to how I connect several audio
cassette recorders to the audio interface and on operating the software
I would use.
I'm sure there are questions I don't even know to ask.
So let me just say one more time, thanks to everyone.
What a great community you have here.
Joel
-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]<http://LISTSERV.LOC.GOV>] On Behalf Of Don Cox
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2013 11:07 AM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [GRAYMAIL] Re: [ARSCLIST] Digitizing 10,000+ audio cassettes
On 21/02/2013, Randy A. Riddle wrote:
I'll ask a very simple question: Why does all of it have to be
digitized?
Especially as the cassettes will probably be easier to preserve than
digital copies.
I'd start with a triage process to prioritize the material.
There's a point when you have to look at something and determine if
the material - or significant parts of the material - are worth
saving. If you're really doing this as a "labor of love", you will
likely find out that the love affair will end when you consider the
time and cost involved.
Archivists and collectors have to make these decisions all of the
time. I would consider getting advice from a professional with some
familiarity with the material to see if making it available for
researchers at some point is going to be really useful or just
marginally "nice to have". It might be that the content is available
in other forms or is similar to something already being archived and
not as useful as something unique.
Regards
--
Don Cox
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
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