Preservation and Restoration of Authenticity in Sound Recordings—To Standards

THISREVIEW of the state of the art of preservation and restoration of authenticity in sound recordings is based on research conducted at the Syracuse University Audio Archives, and Thomas Aha Edison Foundation Re-Recording Laboratory. The archives and the laboratory are part of the resources of Syracuse University Libraries. The laboratory is concerned with historic truth in the representation of audio materials to students and researchers, a function entirely consistent with a university library’s interest in guiding its users to the best sources of information. The laboratory is interested not only in the preservation and restoration of authenticity in historical material, but also in problems concerning the extent to which current sound recordings truthfully represent the world of sound, and the extent to which modern artifacts will survive the vicissitudes of time and use, This article will discuss both historical problems against the background of the development of phonography and certain aspects of the current use of audio technology. The spoken word conveys its own unique version of truth: it expresses emotion, meaning and emphasis which cannot be reproduced with complete accuracy in any graphic medium, Until the invention of the phonograph, speech-the simplest, most efficient, and by far the fastest means of communication ever devised by man-was evanescent, dependent on the memory of the listener. Music without words, except for certain formal features involving the intellect, is almost pure emotion. Therefore, the timbre of the spoken voice, the singing voice, and the subtle intonations of musical instruments are of great importance. Therefore, the authentication of sound depends on its reproduction free of disturbing or diluting effects produced by ambient conditions