Last Updated: 20050930, mei
W12 - Beyond Clicks, Pops, and Hiss: New Strategies For High Fidelity Restoration
Chair:
Jamie Howarth, Plangent Processes - Nantucket, MA, USA
Panelists:
Mitch Golden, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories - USA
Christoph M. Musialik, Algorithmix, Germany
John Newton, SoundMirror - USA
Gordon Reid, CEDAR - UK
Patrick Wolfe, Harvard University - Cambridge, MA, USA
Abstract:
The workshop will focus on novel methods to retrieve information from vintage sources, and on how to utilize digital signal processing to undo the damage caused by the mechanics of media. For many audio carriers there is a finite window of time to rescue their content before it gets lost or degenerates completely. Antique wax cylinders or old shellac records are often so fragile that a playback with traditional methods is very risky. Special playback technologies have been developed to avoid further mechanical damage: e.g. laser and electron microscope sampling. Recent carriers such as lacquer, vinyl, professional analog tape, and film have their own life-span and quality limitations. New digital processes have been developed to correct distortions and undo inherent artifacts without subtracting information or adding new artifacts. It is also hoped that a discussion can take also take place regarding the value of the recorded performance versus the antique character of the vintage recording itself. Must we listen through a horn, or on an analog tape deck, or can we legitimately attempt to utilize analytical techniques to reclaim fidelity not obviously present in the material? Samples and documentation of recent developments will be heard and displayed.
