MANUAL OF ANALOGUE SOUND RESTORATION ... - British Library

2 The overall copying strategy
2.1 The problem to be solved
In this manual I do not propose to discuss the major strategies of running a sound archive;
instead, I shall refer you to a book by my mentor Alan Ward (A Manual of Sound Archive
Administration, pub. Gower, 1990). But this chapter includes wider issues than just
analogue sound reproduction and copying.
Some philosophers have considered the possibility of a replicating machine which
might build an exact replica of an original recording, atom by atom. This is science fiction
at present, so the only other way is to play such a recording back and re-record it.
But even if we could build such a replicating machine, I suspect that the universe
may contain something more fundamental even than sub-atomic particles. Here is a
rhetorical question for you to ponder: What is “Information”?
It may even be what holds the Universe together! When certain sub-atomic
particles separate under the laws of Quantum Physics, they may be connected by
“information” which travels even faster than light, but which does not actually travel until
you make the observation. This is still a novel concept amongst the scientific community
as I write (Ref. 1); but within a few decades I suspect it will be as familiar to
schoolchildren as “Relativity” is now. And, since sound recording is by definition a way of
storing “information,” such philosophical issues aren’t completely irrelevant to us.
2.2 General issues
Most of this manual is designed to facilitate the playback process so as to recover the
information - the sound - without any intentional or unintentional distortions. It is aimed
at the operator whose hands are on the controls, rather than the manager planning the
overall strategy. For the latter, politics, cost, space and time are paramount; he is less
concerned with “mechanics.” But it would be wrong for me to ignore the operational
aspects of overall strategy, if only because in smaller archives the manager and the
operator is the same person; so I shall now say a few words on the subject.
First, the law of copyright. This differs from one country to the next, and may also
have exemptions for archival applications. For many years the British Library Sound
Archive had special permission from The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. to make
copies of records for internal purposes, since published records had no “fair dealing”
exemptions. Under procedures laid down under the 1988 Copyright Act, archival copying
work might always then be possible provided the Secretary for State was persuaded that
the archive was “not conducted principally for profit”; but I must stress that, whatever I
recommend, it does not absolve you from observing the law of copyright in your country.
The manager will certainly be concerned with cost, perhaps thinking of getting the
maximum amount of work done for a particular budget. Frankly, I believe this is
inappropriate for an archive dedicated to conserving sounds for centuries, but I recognise
this will be a consideration in the commercial world. A manager must therefore
understand the principles, so he may see clearly how the work will suffer if the ideal
scenario is not followed. It may not be a catastrophe if it isn’t, but there will be trade-offs.
The procedure actually used should certainly be documented, and then originals should be
kept so that future generations can have another bite at the cherry. So the manager must
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