[ARSCLIST] Disc playback, precision metrology and digital image processing

[Lawrence A Appelbaum <lapp@xxxxxxx>]

The Preservation Directorate of the Library of Congress invites you to
attend this Friday's Topics in Preservation Science lecture on
"Reconstruction of Mechanically Recorded Sound by Image Processing."

Dr. Carl Haber, Senior Scientist of Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory's Physics Division, will describe how audio information
stored in the undulations of grooves in a medium such as a phonograph
record may be reconstructed, with no or minimal contact, by measuring
the groove shape using precision metrology methods and digital image
processing.  The effects of damage, wear, and contamination may be
compensated, in many cases, through image processing and analysis
methods.  The speed and data handling capacity of available computing
hardware make this approach practical.  Various aspects of this approach
will be discussed.  A feasibility test will be described which used a
general purpose optical metrology system to study a 50 year old 78
r.p.m. phonograph record.  The potential for future development of these
methods will be considered.

Examples of Dr. Haber's work can be found at
http://www-cdf.lbl.gov/~av/

The lecture will be presented July 18, 2003 from 10:00 - 11:30 in the
Mary Pickford Theater, Madison Building, Library of Congress, 101
Independence Avenue, Washington DC.

The Topics in Preservation Science lectures are free and open to the
public.  For more information about this series, which is continually
expanded and updated, see http://www.loc.gov/preserv/tops/schedule.html