Digitizing cassette tapes

[Nick Thieberger]

An issue that hasn't yet been discussed in relation to digitising old
tapes is that it should only be done once. This may sound strange, but
I know of several projects where a 'trial' digitisation occurs, at low
resolution. These files then become the basis for timecoded
transcripts and then, later, the project decided they needed archival
versions of the media and redigitised to international archival
standards (96khz/24 bit. Yes, I know ths is overkill but it is the
standard). Of course, the timecoded transcripts no longer match the
newer, higher resoluion versions.

Another motivation for doing it right the first time is that the tapes
themselves may not survive more than one playback (although this is
rarely the case).

Nick

Project Manager
Pacific and Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered
Cultures (PARADISEC)
http://paradisec.org.au

On 13 February 2010 04:27, Rudy Troike <rtroike at email.arizona.edu> wrote:
> Howdy,
>
>  Thanks to everyone for the valuable suggestions and discussions re
> converting these cassette tapes to CDs. I really appreciate all the input.
> FYI, the tapes in question were made in the late 1960s, as part of the
> East Texas Dialect Project, recording schoolchildren in East Texas schools
> scheduled for integration, to prepare materials for teacher training in
> advance of the integration. They are historically valuable, and I hope
> someday to be able to interview some of those who were recorded to find if
> there have been any changes in their speech during their lifetimes.
>
>  Many thanks again,
>
>  Rudy
>