Preservation of Obsolete Media: The Need for Managed Digital Storage Bruce Whisler Director of Music Technology Clemson University

Issue Countless historical items in a variety of formats are endangered. Tape Film Wax Cylinders Records Printed Materials

Potential Loss Recorded sound Is a unique form of historical documentation Has existed for a little over a century Can transport us back in time

Endangered Audio Formats Wax Cylinders Subject to mold and chemical degradation Early Records (shellac 78s) Subject to delamination, warping, cracking Magnetic Wires Subject to oxidation Magnetic Tapes (including digital tapes) Subject to mold and chemical degradation CDs Subject to delamination and physical damage

Endangered Formats, cont. Greatest threats facing all formats: Obsolescence of playback equipment Lack of experienced engineers

Audio Preservation Strategy Optimal playback of original item Item prepped, equipment calibrated Digitally capture analog signal 96 kHz sampling rate 24 bit word size For a stereo audio stream this calculates to slightly over 30 MB per minute

Storage of Digital Audio Files Unsatisfactory: CD-R/DVD-R Burned vs. stamped (commercial CDs) Subject to failure modes Subject to obsolescence All CDs have errors Data format of audio CDs is not a true digital audio format CDs are multiplexed and interleaved Broadcast Wave File (.bwf) is the preferred archival format

Digital Storage, cont. Better: Redundant hard drives in two geographically separate locations Drives can fail – routine monitoring essential Wide geographic separation desirable Cool, dry storage desirable

Digital Storage, cont. Best: Digital Mass Storage System Automated/Self-Checking Redundant Migrated as necessary

Storage Requirements 350 PB World Wide 50 PB for all audio in USA?

Challenge The NEH is awarding funds for digitization projects Land-Grant and other major universities need to help provide the storage Harvard and Indiana - Sound Directions Project