Sound Reproduction R & D Home Page
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For a large variety of recent
results posted in 2013 click here For a selection of results posted in 2012
and earlier click here Click here for Optical
Scan Results on the Smithsonian Volta Laboratory Collection |
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Fairly recent
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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.
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)
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
Recent TV story on the project: KQED-TV
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)
Rather old stuff is below:
Below are presented various sound clips from early studies (2002-2004) of these
methods as well as earlier presentations. In 2005 the National Endowement for
the Humanities funded the development of a prototype scanning machine based
upon this research. This machine, called IRENE, is currently under evaluation
at the Library of Congress in
The work described here represents experiments and studies designed to explore
the potential of certain optical methods to reconstruct and preserve mechanical
recordings and aid in the process of mass digitization. The sound clips
presented should not be regarded as a definitive final result, only as a
proof-of-principle demonstrations or test of these optical methods. No attempt
was made to add any digital post processing, such as additional noise
reduction, unless explicitly stated here.
Two related approaches have been
explored to date. In the first, described in detail in the first JAES paper (pdf file),
methods of two dimensional (2D) imaging were used to map a portion of the
surface of 78 r.p.m. disc records. The 2D imaging focused on the groove
bottom and sound was reconstructed from a measurement of its trajectory. A 2D
approach is possible for pre-stereophonic discs because the audio is stored in
lateral or side-to-side modulations of the groove path. The results of this
study can be heard in the first and second sound clips below. In the
second approach, described in the second paper (pdf file), a 3D
surface measuring technique called confocal scanning microscopy, was
used to map a portion of the surface an
Sound clip reconstructed by optical method 1.7 Mbytes, 19.1 seconds
Same sound clip played from record with stylus and turntable
Same sound clip from recent CD version, remastered from original magnetic tapes
Optical version after (commercial) digital noise reduction (here additional digital noise reduction has been applied to the audio waveform)
Sound of optically read groove amplitudes before differentiation into velocites (this refers to a technical issued discussed in the JAES paper)
Second Clip (2D method): "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen", traditional, performed by Marion Anderson (1947),78r.p.m. shellac disc
Sound clip reconstructed by optical method 1.1 Mbytes, 12 seconds
Same sound clip played from record with stylus and turntable
Same sound clip played from recent CD version, remastered from original studio source material
Optical version after (commercial) digital noise reduction (here additional digital noise reduction has been applied to the audio waveform)
Sound of optically read groove amplitudes before differentiation into velocities (this refers to a technical issue discussed in the JAES paper)
Third Clip (3D method): "Just Before the Battle, Mother", written by George F. Root, performed by Will Oakland and Chorus (1912), issued on an Edison Blue Amberol 4 minute celluloid cylinder. More information about this recording can be found here .
Sound clip reconstructed by optical method 29 seconds
Sound clip played from cylinder with modern electrical stylus 29 seconds
Optical version after (commercial) digital noise reduction (here additional digital noise reduction has been applied to the audio waveform)
23-March-2005: Fourth Clip (2D method with dedicated hardware): "The Star Spangled Banner", performed by Kate Smith, issued on a shellac 78 rpm disc Victor 26198-B. This clip is presented also to illustrate the absence of modulation in the background noise as was heard on the earlier "Goodnight Irene" and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" clips, identified as a resolution effect. .
Sound clip reconstructed by optical method 40 seconds
Sound clip played from shellac disc with modern electrical stylus 40 seconds
Optical version after (commercial) digital noise reduction (here additional digital noise reduction has been applied to the audio waveform)
Additional details can be found in the JAES papers and in presentations given at the Library of Congress and other venues.The documents from 2003 pre-date the 3D work of the third sound clip but do discuss the general 3D imaging issues. The documents from 2004 discusses the third sound clip. The documents from 2005 discuss new results on high speed 2D scanning (the IRENE project) and new 3D results including early work on damaged cylinders.
PDF version of original paper describing this work, submitted to JAES and published December 2003
PDF version of
talk presented at the Library of Congress 16-May-2005, (33 MB)
Powerpoint (ppt)
version of Library of Congress presentation 28-May-2004
PDF version
of presentation at LBNL Physics Division Research Progress Meeting September
2003
Powerpoint (ppt)
version of Library of Congress presentation 18-June-2003
Quicktime movie (11 MB) showing scanning system at
Still photographs of the scanning system
Movie explaining sound reconstruction process produced by
This video is from 2005 and predates the construction of the full IRENE
system described in the more recent presentations.
Sponsors of this research are the Library of Congress,
The Institute of Museum and Library Services, The Mellon Foundation, The
National Endowment for the Humanities, The National Archives and Records Administration,
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, The University of California at
Berkeley, and the US Department of Energy.
E-mail me at chhaber@lbl.gov