Wax cylinder recordings: Preservation and discovery through digitization

Indiana University’s Archives of Traditional Music is home to nearly 7,000 wax cylinders recorded in the field. At the Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative, a modern playback machine created by Nick Bergh is used to digitize these cylinders.
Interviewees:
Melissa Widzinski & Dan Figurelli
Audio Preservation Engineers
Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative
Indiana University
mdpi.iu.edu/
Wax cylinder digitizer designed by Nicholas Bergh, Owner of Endpoint Audio Labs, Inc.
Burbank, CA
Nicholas Bergh received his B.A. and M.A. in Ethnomusicology from UCLA where he specialized in the history of recording technology and sound preservation. In 2000, he began his career in sound restoration, doing the re-mastering and digital restoration of numerous feature films for DVD distribution. It is here where he was confronted with the limitations of the analog work being done for even high-budget restoration projects. In 2003, he started Endpoint Audio Labs in order to focus on improving the quality of digital restorations from the analog side. Endpoint has become known for both unique transfer technologies as well as using historical research to improve transfer and restoration. Nicholas is a member of the AMPAS Sci-Tech Council Historical Subcommittee and is active in conserving the full range of motion picture and music recording artifacts. He is also a member of the SMPTE, AES, AMIA, and ARSC.
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Indiana University's comprehensive work to preserve historical and cultural time-based media for the research, education and enrichment of future generations
Special thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities for their support. www.neh.gov/
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this video, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.