Using methods derived from our work on instrumentation for particle physics we have investigated the problem of audio reconstruction from mechanical recordings. The idea was to acquire digital maps of the surface of the media, without contact, and then apply image analysis methods to recover the audio data and reduce noise. This work has been described in two papers which have been published in the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society (J. Audio Eng. Soc., vol. 51, no. 12, pp.1172-1185 (2003 Dec.) (link), and J. Audio Eng. Soc., vol. 53, no.6, pp.485-508 (2005 June)) (link). The most recent status reports on this research, which contain many sound clips, were presented at various meetings and are available at the links indicated below.

Currently the research centers around two efforts. IRENE (top image above) is a scanning machine for disc records which images with microphotography in two dimensions (2D). It is under evaluation at the Library of Congress. For cylinder media, with vertical cut groove, and to obtain more detailed measurements of discs, a three dimensional (3D) scanner is under development (bottom image). I it is planned to begin evaluating this device at the Library of Congress in 2009.

In late 2007 and early 2008 we were involved in a project to restore the earliest sound recording in history. This was a “phonautograph” paper recording due to French inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville. This work is addressed in the most recent presentations below (Fermilab 10-8-2008 and Adobe 3-3-2009). For additional information see these links.

FirstSounds Collaboration

NY Times March 27, 2008

National Public Radio Report

Wikipedia

NEW!! Wall poster describing the IRENE project (48” x 36”) PPT version of poster (22 MB)

NEW!! Wall poster describing the 3D Scanner project (48” x 36”) PPT version of poster (22 MB)

NEW!!

Harvard University April 2, 2012 Harvard-April-2012-public.pdf

IMLS project status March, 2012 IMLS-March-2012-Public.pdf (~50 Mb)

Smithsonian Nat. Museum of American History lecture on Volta Lab Recordings, SI-Dec-2011-public.pdf Dec 14, 2011

Topics in Preservation Science, presentation at the Library of Congress, Oct 4, 2010 PDF version of talk (137 MB)

Less new:

Talk given at Adobe Inc. (aimed at a technical audience) , March 3, 2009 PDF version of talk (166 MB)

Fermilab Symposium on the Nature of Science (aimed at high school students), October 8, 2008 PDF version of talk (77 MB)

Talk given at the Library of Congress Summit of Research Scientists, July 25, 2008, PDF version of talk (72 MB)

Recent TV story on the project: KQED-TV San Francisco “QUEST” July 29, 2008 WATCH IT HERE

National Public Radio Report on the IRENE Project July 16, 2007

June 2007 “Topics in Preservation Science Lecture” given at the Library of Congress, June 18, 2007, PDF version of talk (40 MB)

April 2007 Presentation at Stanford University Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics PDF version of talk (80 MB !!)

February 2007 Most Recent Project Status PDF version of Project Status Presentation February 8, 2007 (12 MB)

Jan 2007 Library of Congress Meeting PDF version of talk presented at the Library of Congress, January 12, 2007 (7 MB)

Dec 2006 PDF version of talk presented at “New Journeys in Collaboration” the California Tribal Museum Partnership Summit, December 13, 2006 (25 MB)

Oct 2006 PDF version of talk presented to the October 2006 Meeting of the Audio Engineering Society San Francisco, talk contains many new results (66 MB)

Oct 2006 PDF version of talk presented to the UC Berkeley CITRIS Seminar, talk contains many new results (46 MB)

E-mail me at chhaber@lbl.gov