Is your music collection fading away?

Dave Van Ronk

COLLECTING DUST

New digital recordings of events in U.S. history are at risk of being lost much faster than older ones on tape and many are already gone, according to a study on sound released September 29, 2010. Even recent history, such as recordings from 9/11 or the 2008 election, is at risk because digital sound files can be corrupted, and widely used CD-R discs only last three to five years before files start to fade, said study co-author Sam Brylawski.


The first comprehensive study of the preservation of sound recordings in the U.S., released by the Library of Congress, also found many historical recordings already have been lost or can't be accessed by the public. That includes most of radio's first decade from 1925 to 1935.


Digital files are a blessing and a curse. Sounds can be easily recorded and transferred and the files require less and less space. But the problem, Brylawski said, is they must be constantly maintained and backed up by audio experts as technology changes. That requires active preservation, rather than simply placing files on a shelf, he said.


The study co-authored by Rob Bamberger was mandated by Congress in a 2000 preservation law. Those old analog formats that remain are more physically stable and can survive much longer than contemporary digital recordings, the study warns. Still, the rapid change in technology to play back the recordings can make them obsolete. - Yahoo!


It's not just CDRs that fade. Even mass-produced factory pressed CDs can fail/rot over time. But not vinyl LPs. Not fade away, baby.

smokedeels

"The Future Belongs to the Analog Loyalists"

DublinWriter

Dave Van Ronk wrote: »

But not vinyl LPs. Not fade away, baby.[/COLOR]

Vinyl records lose fidelity every time they are played.

Executive Steve

DublinWriter wrote: »

Vinyl records lose fidelity every time they are played.

Negligibly, especially if you're using decent and correctly set up equipment (and I'm not talking about any of that Hi-Fi enthusiast rubbish either - just decent components, cables, clean and regularly replaced needles, the bare minimum tone arm weight etc etc.

I have records from the 50's that sound a million times better than any MP3 I ever heard.

Crasp

Executive Steve wrote: »

Negligibly, especially if you're using decent and correctly set up equipment (and I'm not talking about any of that Hi-Fi enthusiast rubbish either - just decent components, cables, clean and regularly replaced needles, the bare minimum tone arm weight etc etc.

I have records from the 50's that sound a million times better than any MP3 I ever heard.

I assume that statement is made independent of content

Executive Steve

Crasp wrote: »

I assume that statement is made independent of content

You assume correctly!