[Fwd: Fwd: Digitising cassette tapes]

[Frank Davey (by way of Nicholas Thieberger)]

Hello Anna,

Are you aiming to digitise these cassettes for archiving purposes, as
backups, or as access copies?

There are pros and cons for using DAT.  DAT is a pretty good medium
for long-term storage as long as they can be kept clean, cool and
dry, and their use is kept to a minimum to avoid damage such as
drop-outs.  Their sample rate of 16bits 44.1 or 48kHz is not
considered "archive quality" anymore - we tend digitise at 24bits
48kHz or 24bits 96kHz wherever possible - but DAT's signal-to-noise
ratio and frequency response are still much better than cassette.
 DAT has been an industry standard for recording in film/TV, and for
mastering in music for the last ten years or so.  However, DAT seems
to be becoming obsolescent, so DAT units and maintenance may be
difficult to source in the future.

My advice would be to digitise to hard disk at the highest
bitrate/samplerate you can.  If MRALC is in a position to, buy a Dell
computer, software and a good-quality soundcard / A/D converter.
 Have you approached AIATSIS about archiving your material?
 Alternatively, we have digitised tapes for a number of outside
projects - please feel free to contact Amanda at
<mailto:admin at paradisec.org.au>admin at paradisec.org.au.

Regards,
Frank Davey
PARADISEC


>Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 12:13:44 +1000
>From: Anna Ash <mailto:MRALC at westnet.com.au><MRALC at westnet.com.au>
>Subject: Digitising cassette tapes
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>Just wondering about possible options for digitising cassette tapes.
>We are considering using our DAT recorder but I believe this may
>reduce the quality. Where possible we do request CDs from AIATSIS.
>Any suggestions?
>Anna
>--
>Anna Ash
>Linguist
>Many Rivers Aboriginal Language Centre
>C/- Muurrbay
>465 Bellwood Road
>Nambucca Heads 2448
>Ph. (02) 65685695 Mob: 0404456992
>Fax. (02) 65694295
>


--

ARC Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
University of Melbourne 3010
<http://www.linguistics.unimelb.edu.au/thieberger/>http://www.linguistics.unimelb.edu.au/thieberger/

Phone:	+61 3 8344 5185
Fax:	+61 3 8344 8990
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