AES E-Library

Correction of Wow and Flutter Effects in Analog Tape Transfers

Here we describe a system whereby analog hardware is combined with the theory of nonuniform sampling in order to correct for wow and flutter effects in analog tape transfers. We show how in certain instances the medium itself can provide an accurate measurement of a recording's timing irregularities, in which case digital signal processing techniques permit a playback-rate correction of what is essentially an irregularly sampled audio waveform. Results using both real and synthetic data demonstrate the effectiveness of the method, both in cases of severe degradation as well as high-quality analog transfers heretofore considered normal.

Authors: Howarth, Jamie; Wolfe, Patrick J.
Affiliations: Plangent Processes, Nantucket, MA ; Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK(See document for exact affiliation information.)
AES Convention:117 (October 2004) Paper Number:6213 Import into BibTeX
Subject:Audio Archiving, Storage, and Restoration: Content Management

Click to purchase paper or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!

This paper costs $20 for non-members, $5 for AES members and is free for E-Library subscribers.

Learn more about the AES E-Library

E-Library Location: (CD 117Papers)   /117/6213.pdf

Start a discussion about this paper!