Getting Real with Reel-to-Reel
The Revelstoke Museum and Archives has loaned us a Sony Reel-to-Reel Audio Recorder, and Mr. Wilson pulled a cassette player from his basement so we could digitize some of the old audio recordings.
We've been using desktops to record the files using GarageBand or Audacity (an open-source audio program), and the laptops have been used to process the mp3 files that we've generated.
The museum has provided us with several sources for these audio recordings:
We've been using desktops to record the files using GarageBand or Audacity (an open-source audio program), and the laptops have been used to process the mp3 files that we've generated.
The museum has provided us with several sources for these audio recordings:
- CD - A digital format, easy to convert and use
- Cassette Tape - A magnetic tape format that is also fairly easy to digitize because the amplifier on the tape player gives a signal strength that is easily picked up by the software
- Reel-to-Reel - Low signal strength from the audio tapes makes this harder to record. We'll explore amplifiying the signal with a second amp to see if that helps preserve these recordings. It is also possible that the reels have deteriorated over time.