Tom Fine wrote:
Despite optimistic statements and predictions, I think ALL content of importance on analog reel
to reel tape should be transferred to a managed digital archive system in the next couple of
decades.
All well and good - but how? If one's standards are lowered to redbook format, then it can be made
practical. Find volunteers or low-cost employees, provide each with a competent but economical
tape deck and a standalone recorder. (One is tempted to let one person monitor several such
stations, but that fails when the recording is longer than a single CD.)
That will not lead to 96/24 masters with optimized alignment and all the other properties we wish
we could achieve. Undoubtedly, after the transfers have been assessed, it will be clear that some
should have been transferred with the bells and whistles - just as it will be evident that some
were not worth doing in the first place.
It will, however, yield a much higher transfer rate.
Done that way, one might estimate cost at ~$10 per hour. Does anyone have a figure on archival
transfer?
Mike
--
mrichter@xxxxxxx
http://www.mrichter.com/