Update on optical signal retrieval.pdf - Fonoteca Nazionale Svizzera

Fonoteca Nazionale Svizzera 

Phonothèque Nationale Suisse 

Schweizer Nationalphonothek 

Fonoteca Naziunala Svizra 

Swiss National Sound Archives 

(<strong>Update</strong> on) Optical Signal Retrieval 

from Mechanical Carriers 

fonoteca.ch 

Author: 

Stefano S. Cavaglieri 

Chief Technology Officer 


Lugano, Switzerland 

AMIA / IASA annual conference 2010, Philadelphia USA, 2-6 November 2010 

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via Soldino 9 · CH-6900 Lugano · tel +41 (0)91 961 64 00 · fax +41 (0)91 961 64 39 · office@fonoteca.ch · www.fonoteca.ch









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Table of contents 

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Thoughts 

Project review 

Running systems 

Audio samples 

Work in progress 

Conclusions 


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Thoughts 

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Traditional mechanical groove tracking methods require a continuous trace to follow, 

thus the tracking equipment (i.e. the stylus) touches the surface, causing friction, 

resulting in wear 

Timing is becoming a crucial factor, a big number of discs and cylinders are already in 

a bad shape and quite often they are not stored in suitable climatic conditions 

The shape of a groove visually represents the acoustic vibrations, which in turn 

correspond to the electric signal of the recorded sound, thus the entire surface of a 

disc, of a cylinder, or whatever mechanical analog sound carrier may be scanned or 

photographed at high resolution, then converted to sound 


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Project review 

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Audio Extraction from Optical Scans of Records, Princeton University, Princeton NJ, 

USA, Mark McCann, Paul Calamia, Nir Ailon - Flatbed scanner, scanning of multiple 

(8) partial images. Tested on 78 and 33 1/3 rpm records 

Digital Music Library Research, McGill University, Montreal, CANADA, Ichiro Fujinaga, 

et al - White-light interferometry profiler microscope. Investigating the conversion of 

scanned 3D images of stereo records 

Digital needle – A virtual gramophone (2002), Hebrew University, Jerusalem, ISRAEL, 

Ofer Springer - Flatbed scanner, scanning of multiple (4) partial images. Tested on a 

33 1/3 rpm record 

Digital needle – Light blue (2003), School of electrical engineering, Stockholm, 

SWEDEN, Patrick Olsson, Göran Klang, et al - Flatbed scanner, scanning of multiple 

(≥ 4) partial images. Tested on 78 rpm records 


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Project review (cont.) 

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Digital needle – Light green (2003), School of electrical engineering, Stockholm, 

SWEDEN, Ulf Kalla, Thomas Anderson, et al - Flatbed scanner, scanning of multiple 

partial images. Tested on 78 and 45 rpm records 

ELP Laser Turntable, ELP Corporation, Saitama, JAPAN - Five laser beams tracing 

the groove in realtime. Reads 78, 45, and 33 1/3 rpm records 

Magneto-optical tape replay, Hi-Stor Technologie SA, Toulouse, FRANCE, Bertrand 

Navarro - A laser line is generated across the tape, then imaged onto a photodiode 

linear array. Tested on ¼ inch tapes 

Noncontact Phonographic Disk Digitization Using Structured Color Illumination, INA, 

Paris, FRANCE, Louis Laborelli - A beam of rays, with its color changing upon the 

direction of incidence, is reflected by the groove walls toward a camera. Tested on 78 

and 33 1/3 rpm records. Patented 


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Project review (cont.) 

● Sound Archive Project, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK, John W. 

McBride - Comparison between a confocal white light probe, a confocal laser, and a 

triangulation laser. Tested on cylinders 

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Sound Reproduction R & D – IRENE + 3D Scanner, Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, USA, 

Carl Haber, Vitaliy Fadeyev, et al - Video zoom microscope for the 2D system (lateral 

cut records), confocal probe for the 3D system (vertical cut records and cylinders). 

The Optical Turntable, EPFL, Lausanne, SWITZERLAND, Juraj Poliak - An optical 

fibre follows the groove, as if it were a stylus. Tested on 78, 45, 33 1/3 rpm records as 

well as on cylinders 

VisualAudio, Ecole d'ingénieurs et d'architectes, Université de Fribourg, Swiss 

National Sound Archives, SWITZERLAND, Ottar Johnsen, Stefano S. Cavaglieri, et al 

- High resolution analog picture, scanning of the film. Tested on 78 and 33 1/3 rpm 

records 


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Running systems 

● ELP Laser Turntable >> 


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Running systems (cont.) 

● IRENE + 3D Scanner >> 


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Running systems (cont.) 

● VisualAudio >> 


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Audio samples 

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ELP Laser Turntable 

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My Old Kentucky Home - The first sample features a standard vinyl playback using a needle. 

On clip #2 note the reduction in surface noise when the same record is played on the Laser 

Turntable. 

IRENE + 3D Scanner 

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IRENE: Goodnight Irene - written by H.Ledbetter and J.Lomax, performed by the Weavers 

(1950),78r.p.m. shellac disc 

3D Scanner: 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. 

VisualAudio 

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Geburtstags-Ständchen - U.O.B Cédric Dumont, 09.03.1950, acetate disc 

Ouverture zu der Schuss von der Kanzel - P. Burkhard, Studio Orchester Beromünster, 

16.01.1947, shellac disc damaged by fungus 

1 >> 2 >> 

1 >> 2 >> 

1 >> 2 >> 

2 >> 

2 >> 


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Work in progress 

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Non-contact surface metrology for preservation and sound recovery from mechanical 

sound recordings (2008) - P. J. Boltryk, J. W. McBride, M. Hill, A.J. Nascè, Z. Zhao, 

and C. Maul*, School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, 

Southampton, UK, *TaiCaan Technologies Ltd, Southampton, UK 

Using Computer Vision Technology to Play Gramophone Records (2010) - Baozhong 

Tian, Department of Computer Science, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA 91702- 

7000, USA, John L. Barron, Department of Computer Science, The University of 

Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5B7 

VisualAudio - is currently being transformed (i.e. remodeled and reengineered) from its 

prototype stage to a full functioning, user friendly system. 


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Conclusions 

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Expected development 

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Multi-functional systems, reading various formats 

Image processing software, capable of solving a puzzle out of a number of surface fragments 

[Non profit] Service providers 

“Certification”, according to audio standards 

Intended target 

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Limits 

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Everyone could make use of this technology, but no one will trust it while it is running as a development lab 

Ethical principles 

... where the mechanical devices fail 

Physical 


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Update on optical signal retrieval.pdf - Fonoteca Nazionale Svizzera

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