This manual gives details of some of the techniques to be followed when old sound recordings are transferred to more modern carriers. It is aimed primarily at the professional archivist transferring them to conserve them, and it is generally assumed that the purpose is to preserve the original sound.
With the rapid pace of change in audio technology, analogue formats have all but disappeared as a means for current production and distribution of sound recordings. Nevertheless, many audio archivists are responsible for large numbers of valuable audio recordings in analogue formats. These require dedicated playback machines that have become obsolete, so the only way to ensure lasting access to this legacy is digitisation. To do this properly requires firstly that the optimum signal is extracted during playback from an analogue carrier, and this in turn necessitates extensive knowledge of the engineering processes and standards used at the time of its creation. The passing on of expertise and detailed knowledge gained during a time when analogue technology represented the cutting edge, is therefore of vital importance to subsequent generations, and it is with this in mind that this work was written.
The manual was written by Peter Copeland when he was Conservation Manager at the British Library Sound Archive over a ten-year period up until 2002, as an aid to audio engineers and audio archivists.