[Ohiodig] Digitizing Audiocassettes

[Newman, Linda (newmanld)]

Hi Jane -

If a one-time need for a large collection, I'd consider outsourcing.  We successfully outsourced an audio collection a few years ago with a local vendor.  The collection was magnetic tape on both reel and cassette.     The vendor had experience, knew when 'baking' the tapes might be necessary to get data, understood normalizing sound for volume, understood the history of emulsions and of magnetic tape itself - in sum they understood the issues covered in the 'signal -extraction' document that Tressa alerts us to below (see linked to that document https://www.iasa-web.org/tc04/reproduction-analogue-magnetic-tapes).

In addition to providing uncompressed (wav) audio files, the vendor provided metadata in a spreadsheet, entering the title and any other information printed or written on the label, box or case.   The vendor we worked with was QCA in Cincinnati.   http://go-qca.com/   I assume that they still do this type of work, but haven't worked with them again since that project concluded.

Hope this helps!

-- Linda


From: ohiodig-bounces at lists.library.ohio.gov [mailto:ohiodig-bounces at lists.library.ohio.gov] On Behalf Of Graves, Tressa M.
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2018 3:01 PM
To: Sabharwal, Arjun <Arjun.Sabharwal at utoledo.edu>; Wildermuth, Jane S. <jane.wildermuth at wright.edu>; ohiodig at lists.library.ohio.gov
Subject: Re: [Ohiodig] Digitizing Audiocassettes

Hi Jane,

The ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation and IASA's Guidelines on the Production and Preservation of Digital Audio Objects have guidelines for playback equipment.

https://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub164/

https://www.iasa-web.org/tc04/signal-extraction-original-carriers

Best,
Tressa

[The Ohio State University]
Tressa Graves, MLIS | AV Assessment & Process Assistant
The Ohio State University Libraries | Libraries Tech Center
1165 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212
graves.387 at osu.edu<mailto:graves.387 at osu.edu>

From: ohiodig-bounces at lists.library.ohio.gov<mailto:ohiodig-bounces at lists.library.ohio.gov> [mailto:ohiodig-bounces at lists.library.ohio.gov] On Behalf Of Sabharwal, Arjun
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2018 2:21 PM
To: Wildermuth, Jane S. <jane.wildermuth at wright.edu<mailto:jane.wildermuth at wright.edu>>; ohiodig at lists.library.ohio.gov<mailto:ohiodig at lists.library.ohio.gov>
Subject: Re: [Ohiodig] Digitizing Audiocassettes

Jane,

There are audio components with a cassette deck and CD-recorder in one unit, but you can buy them separately.  The benefit of that is that if the CD recorder or cassette desk dies you can buy the other and connect them with the standard RCA jack or digital audio wire.  I recommend Tascam or TEAC.  Some require CDs formatted for audio use, so a generic disk may not be the best.  Also, there may be temptation to buy a USB-connected cassette players.  Those are horrible, especially for music.

Arjun

From: ohiodig-bounces at lists.library.ohio.gov<mailto:ohiodig-bounces at lists.library.ohio.gov> [mailto:ohiodig-bounces at lists.library.ohio.gov] On Behalf Of Wildermuth, Jane S.
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2018 2:11 PM
To: ohiodig at lists.library.ohio.gov<mailto:ohiodig at lists.library.ohio.gov>
Subject: [Ohiodig] Digitizing Audiocassettes

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend the hardware that they use to convert audiocassettes?

Thanks,

Jane Wildermuth
Head, Digital Initiatives and Repository Services
Wright State University
937-775-3927
CORE Scholar<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcorescholar.libraries.wright.edu%2F&data=02%7C01%7CArjun.Sabharwal%40utoledo.edu%7C521feec1bfc7420721a308d573dedf23%7C1d6b1707baa94a3da8f8deabfb3d467b%7C0%7C0%7C636542323417201231&sdata=jIgw%2BbC%2FFG85VCjUBEDPy0%2BhdnqV4y0bHjCRGrmLwsc%3D&reserved=0>


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