Audio advice
Audio: Digitising analogue media
This section covers the digitisation of existing audio collections. These technical advisory papers are specifically targeted towards readers who will have hands-on or technical management responsibilities for developing an existing analogue collection.
Acoustic Treatment
An illustrated introductory guide to the various methods of acoustic treatment for improving room acoustics and reducing sound transmission, and some simple methods for identifying acoustic problems.
Read full advice document...An Introduction to Digital Audio
A guide to the theory of digital audio, explaining the process of analogue to digital conversion and how sound is represented and stored in digital form.
Read full advice document...An Introduction to Using Digital Audio Software
This document provides some background information regarding digital audio production software and discusses some important precepts and explains some common terminology unique to digital audio software.
Read full advice document...Audio Digitisation Workflow
This paper discusses the considerations needed when planning a workflow for digitisation. It outlines some of the preparation needed when creating a workflow and precepts that need to be incorporated. The paper then offers an example generic workflow for digitising open-reel audiotapes onto a computer hard drive system.
Read full advice document...Audio Processing - Dynamics and Compression
How compression and other forms of dynamics processing work, and how they can be used to improve the impact, clarity and subjective quality of your recordings.
[Note: In the context of audio signal processing, ‘compression’ has a completely different connotation to ‘compression’ when used to describe file compression in the computer domain. Though they share the same term the two are entirely unrelated, and should not be confused!]
Read full advice document...Audio Troubleshooting Guide
A step-by-step guide to diagnosing and rectifying some common technical problems encountered when preparing a recording system
Read full advice document...Basic Audio Editing
This document addresses some basic techniques used when editing digital audio within a DAE (Digital Audio Editor). It assumes little or no previous knowledge and experience of audio editing and offers advice on how and when to use common tools within the editing environment
Read full advice document...Choosing a Digital Audio File Format
The choice of file formats can often prove overwhelming for someone new to the world of digital audio. The aim of this document is to discuss some of the key factors that should be considered before choosing a format and suggest suitable file formats for specific applications.
Read full advice document...Choosing an Audio Interface - Project Requirements
The implications of different types of audio and video project for your choice of audio computer interface.
Read full advice document...Choosing an Audio Interface - Technical Considerations
Explanation of the various specifications quoted for computer audio interfaces, and their relevance to functionality and sound quality.
Read full advice document...Choosing an Audio Interface - Unit Specifications
A comparison of the features and specifications of some popular and suggested audio interfaces.
Read full advice document...Choosing your Digital Audio Software
It can be a difficult task to choose the right audio software for your specific project, especially if you are new to the world of digital audio. This paper discusses some of the key factors to consider when choosing audio software and provides a comparison guide to some of the most popular packages.
Read full advice document...Digital Equalisation
An introduction to the most common types of equaliser available within software, and equivalent purpose-built hardware units, suitable for live sound reinforcement, recording and mixing.
Read full advice document...Equipping an Audio Digitisation System
This document aims to provide information needed when equipping an audio digitisation project of analogue media to a digital hard drive. This document is written with the digitisation of stereo and mono files in mind. For information regarding digitising multi-track recordings, there is a section at the end of this document with some recommendations and considerations. This document is intended to provide a guide to staff who wish to undertake digitisation projects of any scale, be it small or large.
This document is intended to be read alongside Selecting an Audio Digitisation System, which provides a variety of system specifications for differing budgets.
Read full advice document...Selecting an Audio Digitisation System
This document is a discussion of some of the primary audio digitisation systems available for digitising analogue audio media. This document is intended to be of use to staff engaged in the digitisation of analogue audio, whether dealing with only a few or a few hundred tapes.
Read full advice document...The Digital Audio Software Environment
At first glance the interface of your digital audio software (DAS) can be somewhat intimidating. This document breaks down the main components of the software environment and introduce you to their functions and features.
Read full advice document...The Physical Principles of Sound
An introductory guide to the physical properties of sound and a basic introduction to the acoustics of enclosed spaces.
Read full advice document...Uncompressed Audio File Formats
This document summarises the main features of uncompressed audio file types, including WAV, AIFF and Broadcast WAV (BWF). It gives an overview of these ‘raw’ formats, and a simple explanation of the common options they will offer the user when creating or working with digital audio. It also looks at lossless compression tools for subsequently reducing the size of these files which will allow reconstruction of their original audio data sonically unaltered. Several sections include links to further resources covering specific relevant topics in more detail, so this is a good place to start if you want to learn more about any of these formats.
Read full advice document...User Guide to MP3
A guide to the creation, manipulation and use of audio flies in the popular MP3 format, including a close look at the many audio and metadata options which MP3 offers, and its use within teaching and learning.
Read full advice document...Working with Digital Audio Files
In the physical world we learn how to interpret sounds through hearing and perception. In the digital realm sound waves are traditionally represented in graphical form. This document introduces some of the precepts helpful when beginning to work with digital audio in audio software packages.
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Related cross-media advice:
Analogue Film Types Used for Still and Moving images
This document looks at the history of photographic and movie film and how and why the film type has altered over time. The document also contains some frequently asked questions on film types and handling.
Read full advice document...Audiovisual Signal Types and Interconnects
Over the decades various technical standards have been adopted for analogue and then for digital video and audio. As the popularity of systems declined they were generally replaced by improved technologies, making many system configurations entirely obsolete. Obsolete interconnects can be difficult to use in conjunction with modern equipment.
This paper looks at the nature of audio and video signals and then surveys significant historical interconnects (such as RCA) and contemporary, digital equivalents (such as SDI and SPDIF).
Any method of transferring digital data, such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) can potentially be used to transfer digital audiovisual files, but such technologies are not primarily associated with audio video signal data and so are not discussed here.
Read full advice document...Budgeting for a Digitisation Project
It is not possible to provide detailed information on budgeting for a digitisation project; these costs will depend on the nature, condition and amount of analogue materials to be digitised and the extent and accuracy of existing metadata. However, some general advice which assigns comparative values to different activities within a project may help when planning a digitisation project.
Read full advice document...Choosing a File Name
File naming is a vital first step for those beginning to digitise. This document examines planning and using an effective file naming system when managing digital files. This paper highlights the advantages of using the 8.3 convention and looks at some options when naming derivative, surrogate files.
Read full advice document...Deciding to Digitise
This brief document takes an introductory view of pre-digitisation project considerations. It is intended to be of use to resource management staff considering the digitisation of all or part of their collection.
Read full advice document...Digitisation Services
JISC Digital Media contacted a number of digitisation service providers for more information about the services they supply. The following list is not an endorsement of any of the services, but is provided to help you identify services to evaluate in more detail.
Read full advice document...Digitisation Staff Training
This paper takes a general looks at the staffing issues related to a digitisation project from a management perspective. It is intended to be of use to resource management staff considering the digitisation of all or part of their collection.
Read full advice document...File Formats and Compression
This document looks at the theory of file formats and the common methods of data compression.
Read full advice document...Learning Lessons from Other Digitisation Projects
This document proposes a number of potential challenges associated with the digitisation of a collection. It then examines the value of lessons learned from previous projects when attempting to meet those challenges. It is intended to be of use to resource management staff considering the digitisation of all or part of their collection.
Read full advice document...Light Sources for Still and Moving Images
The word photography means drawing with light, without light it is impossible to record a video or still image. So lighting whether in a classroom, office or dedicated photographic studio is an essential component in a photograph or video. The captured image is a record of the light that is emitted, reflected or absorbed by the subject. With a basic understanding of light and how it can be modified the photographer or filmmaker should be able to improve the appearance of their images. This document will look at commonly used light sources and how the user can get the most from them.
Read full advice document...Links to Digital Media and Digital Preservation Organisations
The list below survey a selection of audiovisual and digital preservation related organisations and provides links to their websites.
Read full advice document...Overview of JISC Digital Media Materials for Digitisation Project Staff
This guide provides an overview of the JISC Digital Media website materials we think digitisation project staff will find useful during the lifetime of a digitisation project.
Read full advice document...Potential Sources of Funding for Digitisation Projects
This document presents a selection of potential funding sources, which may be called upon to fund digitisation project work. Both public and private sector funders are included.
Read full advice document...Project Management for a Digitisation Project
This paper takes a look at the role and responsibilities of the digitisation project manager. It addresses common managerial challenges such balancing the expectations of stakeholders and ensuring the of quality of output. It is intended to be of use to the management team of time limited digitisation projects or to resource management staff planning to digitise their collection.
Read full advice document...Quality Assurance and Digitisation Projects
This document examines issues relating to quality assurance from a project management perspective. It proposes a four-layer model for assuring quality and looks at some of the more common reasons for problems with output quality. This document is intended to be used by collection managers intending to digitise their resources or by managers of digitisation projects.
Read full advice document...Risk Assessment for Digitisation Projects
This paper identifies some of the more common risks associated with a digitisation project. It is intended to be of use to the management team of time limited digitisation projects or to permanent collection management staff planning to digitise.
Read full advice document...Selection Procedures for Digitisation
This document looks at points to consider when developing a selection criteria for digitisation. Some of the points made here will not be relevant to all projects and collections, but the document has been designed to serve as a useful overview and to stimulate some further thinking and research. It is intended to be of use to resource managers who intend to digitise all or part of their collection.
Read full advice document...Selection Procedures: Text Version of Decision Tree Diagram
This is a text version of the 'Decision tree (simplified)' diagram in the Selection Procedures for Digitisation document.
Read full advice document...Stands and Supports for Still and Moving Images
One of the easiest ways to improve the quality of still or moving images is by using a support. Supports and stands can reduce or eliminate vibration or movement which otherwise would degrade the quality of the captured media. Supports come in all shapes and sizes: this document looks at a variety of support types including tripods, copy-stands, clamps and brackets as well as improvised solutions.
Read full advice document...Systems for Managing Digital Media Collections
Everyone's collection and context is unique, so your choice of a system (or systems) for managing your digital media will require a careful assessment of your needs and resources and an evaluation of the available options. This paper provides an overview of a number of different approaches to media management: from some very cheap and 'low-tech' approaches to much more complex and specialised solutions.
Read full advice document...To Outsource or to Digitise In-house?
This document is intended to inform the managers of analogue collections which have been identified for digitisation. It looks at the pros and cons of outsourcing digitisation work before contrasting these with carrying out work in-house.
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Training courses
- Advanced Techniques in Digital Image Capture
- Digital Photography - Taking Control of your SLR
- Digitising Analogue Audio
- Digitising Grooved Discs and Open Reel Audio
- Essential Techniques in Digital Image Capture
- Scanning with the CLA Licence
- Essential Photoshop Skills 16 March 2010
- Digitising Analogue Video Recordings 22 March 2010
- Image Optimisation 23 March 2010
- Digital Media Restoration 14 April 2010
