Save Our Sounds - Music restoration

Subject: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: Kelly
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 03:28 PM

Hi everyone! (Hi dad!!) I was about to e-mail this to my pops (Allan C.) when it occured to me that all of you might be interested.

While watching the History Channel, I ran across an advertisement for an upcoming show, based on the HIST chan's ongoing fundraising effort to "Save our Sounds." This is a restoration project to digitize broken, decaying and dying soundbytes, cowboy songs, folk music of all sorts and other historical sounds that are going the way of the grave because of time and wear on the medium on which they were originally recorded.

All of this done in hopes of preserving famous speaches, songs of Americana etc for posterity. What would our great-grandchildren's lives be like if they could never hear "I have a dream.." or old Woody Guthrie tunes, or even songs played by Oklahoma cattle-ranglers and recorded with crude methods?

The show will air on Thursday, Dec 26th on the History Channel (check local cable listings) at 8pm Eastern time.

If you don't have cable, or access to this channel, perhaps you can work it out with another 'catter to record it for you. I'm looking forward to this show and hope everyone else who views, enjoys it!

-Kelly

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: Don Firth
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 03:32 PM

Thanks, Kelly. I'll be watching (with VCR going).

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: Cluin
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 04:07 PM

Whereas I'll set the VCR. Doubt I'll be watching TV at that time and date. Thanks, Kelly.

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 06:34 PM

Tbanks for telling us about this show, Kelly.

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: Allan C.
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 06:35 PM

Thanks, hon. This sounds like a great project. I'm looking forward to watching the show.

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: Mark Clark
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 07:54 PM

I plan to watch as well, our cable reminder has been set for a couple of days.

Speaking of music restoration, I can't remember whether a link to the LP2CD.com has been posted before. These guys will restore all your old LPs, tapes, and assorted other media to good sound quality and put the result on CDs for you. You might not want to do that for commercial recordings that have been reissued but a lot of people on this forum probably have old tape and demo recordings that simply can't be replaced or restored any other way.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: Hollowfox
Date: 23 Dec 02 - 10:19 AM

Wow, thanks, Kelly.

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: Allan C.
Date: 26 Dec 02 - 07:59 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: GUEST, Dale
Date: 26 Dec 02 - 08:40 PM

And for those who missed the first go round, it will be repeated later this evening. 11PM Central, check your local listings! Of interest to some is another in the Save Our History series ~~ American Lighthouses at 6AM Central tomorrow.

(I'm taping it in the other room in case you wonder why I am doing this DURING the show.)

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: Cluin
Date: 26 Dec 02 - 08:53 PM

It's not on our History Channel tonight.

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: Allan C.
Date: 26 Dec 02 - 10:43 PM

I found this to be a totally enjoyable program. I came away with a much better sense of the immensity of the collections of recordings that are contained in the Library of Congress and at the Smithsonian Institution. The level of care and detail that is going into the preservation of those recording is quite impressive. It was also a treat to hear the various sound bytes that were interspersed throughout the show. No doubt countless treasures will be rediscovered as a result of this process that is planned to continue for the next hundred years. Some of the results are already available to the public. I can hardly wait to find out what else may be released in the years to come.

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: GUEST, Dale
Date: 26 Dec 02 - 11:51 PM

One thing I found a bit hard to take was the casual way in which they handled some of the recordings.   I had to go back to the tape to verify the fact that the guy was actually touching the surface of the Woody Guthrie recording without gloves.   Also when they went to put a recording on the turntable, the fellow (I could go back and get names, but that isn't the point) gripped the disc by the very edge, again with bare hands, or I should say hand, since that is all he was holding it by. That's hardly the attention to safe handling practices that I would expect at the LOC.

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Dec 02 - 12:13 AM

It will also be rerun Sunday morning. Dale, that bothered us, too.

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: NicoleC
Date: 27 Dec 02 - 12:15 AM

Dale, I don't think those were the real recordings. I hope. Usually shows like that use stand-ins except for close-ups, because of the camera crew... it's a risky venture to have guests. But you're right -- even if they are stand-ins, they should show proper care techniques!

I was a little disappointed in the show. I know it was supposed to be kinda general education, but I wanted to see either more restoration techniques and equipment or hear more recordings -- preferably both. 1 hour wasn't long enough to do the subject justice! What they did show and play was really good, though. Maybe they'll do a follow-up if the ratings are good.

If you like this sort of thing, the American Memory Collection at the Library of Congress is a fascinating web site with some amazing resources online. The size of the collection is daunting -- you almost have to know what you are looking for.

Also, many art images online at the Smithsonian

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: sed
Date: 27 Dec 02 - 07:07 AM

I have some dictaphone belts from the 1950's and early 1960's that I want to transcribe. These are the red, see-through belts which were carved with a tiny styli, not the later magnetic belts.

LBJ Library has an old Dictophone and so does the The British Museum but neither have expressed a desire to help me with this, understandably, however, I being a nobody to them.

Any ideas?

-Nobody but Steve

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: Allan C.
Date: 27 Dec 02 - 08:03 AM

I must agree with the observation about what must certainly be improper handling of the disks. I was also a bit taken aback by that one individual's flat refusal to pass on any information about the techniques he used in preparing the recordings for restoration. How very selfish of him! Undoubtedly in his many years he has made some landmark discoveries in those techniques and yet he is content to let those secrets die with him. I repeat: How very selfish!!

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: pattyClink
Date: 27 Dec 02 - 09:47 AM

sed, I would strike up a conversation with a curator of a local museum or keeper of historical archives. If you can get a professional interested, they may be able to make the links--let THEM find the machine and request use of it. If you find they are not interested, you may be able to get somewhere with a history or music professor--maybe an intern or a student who needs a thesis could be involved in the project.

I share your frustration at being brushed off. I also sympathize with those horrified by the casual treatment of one-of-a-kind recordings. We've had irreplaceable recordings lost to decay when they were 'saved' and 'archived' by 'professionals'. Had copies been left in the community they were collected from, the survival chances would have been far greater.

Remember: the Ark was the work of a lone amateur, the Titanic was built by a large group of professionals.

Subject: RE: Save Our Sounds - Music restoration
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Dec 02 - 10:54 AM

sed, you might find this site of interest and it may be helpful: cutting archives. I noticed some of the people in the program worked for these folks. At least there is some good, basic knowledge at the site.

I have some wax cylinders we need to get transferred and I was wondering the same thing. My sister used to have a player but she sold it. Patty's suggestions are really good. I think I'll talk to the folks at the local museum, first. Thanks, patty!

I wished there'd been more time to hear more recordings, too. Allan, I wondered about that guy not telling his secret. I wondered if he told any of his colleagues or if he expects the knowledge to die with him. That would be a crime if you ask me.

kat