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Preserving Obsolete Media: Managed Digital Storage Solutions

Learn about the urgent need to preserve endangered historical audio formats like wax cylinders, records, and magnetic tapes. Discover effective audio preservation strategies, optimal playback methods, and secure digital storage solutions.

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Preserving Obsolete Media: Managed Digital Storage Solutions

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  1. Preservation of Obsolete Media: The Need for Managed Digital Storage Bruce Whisler Director of Music Technology Clemson University

  2. Issue • Countless historical items in a variety of formats are endangered. • Tape • Film • Wax Cylinders • Records • Printed Materials

  3. Potential Loss • Recorded sound • Is a unique form of historical documentation • Has existed for a little over a century • Can transport us back in time

  4. Endangered Audio Formats • Wax Cylinders • Subject to mold and chemical degradation • Early Records (shellac 78s) • Subject to delamination, warping, cracking • Magnetic Wires • Subject to oxidation • Magnetic Tapes (including digital tapes) • Subject to mold and chemical degradation • CDs • Subject to delamination and physical damage

  5. Endangered Formats, cont. • Greatest threats facing all formats: • Obsolescence of playback equipment • Lack of experienced engineers

  6. Audio Preservation Strategy • Optimal playback of original item • Item prepped, equipment calibrated • Digitally capture analog signal • 96 kHz sampling rate • 24 bit word size • For a stereo audio stream this calculates to slightly over 30 MB per minute

  7. Storage of Digital Audio Files • Unsatisfactory: CD-R/DVD-R • Burned vs. stamped (commercial CDs) • Subject to failure modes • Subject to obsolescence • All CDs have errors • Data format of audio CDs is not a true digital audio format • CDs are multiplexed and interleaved • Broadcast Wave File (.bwf) is the preferred archival format

  8. Digital Storage, cont. • Better: Redundant hard drives in two geographically separate locations • Drives can fail – routine monitoring essential • Wide geographic separation desirable • Cool, dry storage desirable

  9. Digital Storage, cont. • Best: Digital Mass Storage System • Automated/Self-Checking • Redundant • Migrated as necessary

  10. Storage Requirements • 350 PB World Wide • 50 PB for all audio in USA?

  11. Challenge • The NEH is awarding funds for digitization projects • Land-Grant and other major universities need to help provide the storage • Harvard and Indiana - Sound Directions Project

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