A quick peek in the SABC Audio Restoration Section - I am holding...

Bags Farrell works as a sound engineer in the Audio Restoration Section, where they restore and re-master audio.
SABC Audio Restoration is part of the SABC Media Libraries.


At this moment he is working on…

... a collection of LP records, that needs restoring. 
I will clean the LP first, then record it into my computer, restore the audio and then I transfer the audio to a CD.

I follow this process for every LP that will be transferred to CD.


Related post:

Interview with the Audio Restoration Engineer at SABC Audio Restoration department


Blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

A quick peek in the SABC Audio Restoration Section: I am holding...

Maryna Barnard is part of the SABC Audio Restoration Section, where she is the Data Administrator of SABC's restored and re-mastered material. She renders an unique service to clients with regards the re-mastering of CD labels and inlays.

At this moment she is working on a Southern-Sotho-Hymn recording,  called Soldiers of the Cross, conducted by B. Matshobane.

Related posts:

Audio Restoration prepared a recording of Nikola Petrovic, “My heart is a Violin”

Audio Restoration mastered and prepared "East is number one" with Dennis East as lead vocal

“Erogenous Botch Under Cover”

Transcription Record by Jill Richards (Piano) and Diane Coutts/Marietjie Scoonraad (Piano)

Audio Restoration 1

Blog post by Karen du Toit, SABC Radio Archives

The new archivist interview: Sound Restoration

Obakeng Phiri
Archivist: Sound Restoration
SABC Radio Archives

Obakeng Phiri is a new archivist tasked with sound restoration in the SABC Radio Archives.
He has been an intern with us for a couple of months, and he started to work here on the 1st of August 2012.

The previous interview with Obakeng was about his internship at the SABC Radio Archives.

His duties are different now than before when he was an intern here.

Obakeng, please tell us about a normal day in your studio.

I am self motivated because I am very passionate about being an audio restoration archivist. 
Every snippet of audio content I work with contains interesting information. It adds to my anticipation of looking forward doing my job each day!

My job involves the separation of sound from the format it was recorded on. It also involves the “cleaning” of sound, getting rid of clicks, pops, scratches and hiss that often plague the original recordings. 
In some instances, the desired sound is so close in character to the noise, that the noise cannot be cleaned so as not to sacrifice parts of the sound that we want to keep. 

The workflow is not complicated, but it must be performed carefully to achieve the best results. 

Every experience in the studio is a learning curve. I learn different subjects from history, politics as well as listening to radio dramas. 
Depending on the mood I am in, every hour is spent on a different subject.  

Tell us more about your collection and the scope of material you need to preserve.

I work with most of SABC’s radio broadcast material, which includes radio dramas, radio features, actuality and many more. One example is a feature programme on Bertha Solomon, pioneer of women’s rights in South Africa.

Do you have an anecdote about an interesting piece of audio material that you have encountered?

The following is in our collection: ‘’I am an African’’ speech by Thabo Mbeki.
It introduces his vision on the African Renaissance, which is about empowering Africa economically and socially.

Why did you want to work here again after you have completed your internship here?

When I first came here for the first time as an intern, I already knew that I wanted to work at the SABC Radio Archives. It felt like I was home! Due to my passion for the job, I was given the chance to prove myself. It paid off in the end!
I am very grateful for it, praise God!

Related posts:

- Interview with an intern at the SABC Radio Archives: Obakeng Phiri

- The value of internship in the SABC Radio Archives


Questions and blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Wordless Wednesday in the SABC Audio Restoration department

The Weekly Archivist interview: acetate restoration in the SABC Radio Archives

Joseph Lobeko
SABC Radio Archives

Joseph Lobeko looks after the sound restoration of our acetate collection. He has been with the SABC Radio Archives for 13 years. Previously he helped with requests for the Radio Programme Sales department at the SABC, as well as looking after the collection of our daily radio feeds for archival storage.

The SABC Radio Archives has archivists who specialize in specific areas/languages of expertise with regards the audio collections being kept in the Archives. There are also archivists who focus on requests, and we have an archivist who focuses on sound restoration. This is part of the weekly interviews that will try to pose the same questions to each of the archivists.

Joseph, please tell us a little bit about your life and work history.

I grew up in a village called Morokweng, some kilometers from Vryburg (North-West). That is where I started my elementary-education up until my matriculation level. With a matric certificate I became involved with the SABC through a studio-production internship course which, I think, formed an exit level for me to the SABC Sound-Archives. Upon arrival here in the Sound Archives I have acquired a Bursary-funded National-Diploma (in archival studies) in 2006, and from there registered for a BA Communication Science (with more focus in Anthropology). It is still in progress and I am busy with the second level.
 
Please tell us about a normal day in your studio. What material do you give priority to?


I have just moved into a new field of sound restoration, so at the moment I am still trying to settle and make it my home. I am still working in order and not in priority yet (if, at all, there is a contrast between the two).

Tell us more about your collection and the scope of material you need to preserve.

The audio material comprises of a lot of old days dramas recorded in cassettes (stored in closed-movable-steel shelves) dating back to the 40’s and a lot of old days acetate-records dating back to the 30’s (stored in open-grounded-steel shelves)

Do you struggle with technical difficulties, and if so, what?

As I have said, this is a new field for me, technical difficulties will always emerge, but obviously my basic technical-competency that I have gained previously will mitigate that. There is a helpful hand from Marius (sound engineer), who is quite knowledgeable and has been involved in that field.

If you have an anecdote about a specific piece of interesting audio material, please share it with us.

A drama I listened to caught my attention. The drama epitomizes a man from Namibia called Lubbi, who has footed all the way from his own country to come and look for better life in South-African mines. What catches my attention is Lubbi’s courage and determination to work against all odds to reach his personal goals. I can’t relate the whole story but listening to it you pick up a man’s multiple courageous qualities which elevated him from zero to hero. It is a very emotional piece of work. 

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.

It is educational.


Related posts
The weekly archivist interview: Sound engineer in the Radio Archives
The weekly archivist interview: Ikwekwezi FM
The weekly archivist interview: Music archivist
The weekly archivist interview: News and actuality
The weekly archivist interview: Sport archivist
The weekly archivist interview: Channel Africa collection

Questions and post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Restoration or destruction in the audio archives

Report about a meeting with British Library’s expert on audio and historical recordings, Will Prentice.

Marius Oosthuizen, our recent Sound Engineer in the SABC Radio Archives, had a meeting with Will Prentice, and gives his views on ten years of research and conversations and actual experience working in this field.

“We are not doing sound restoration, we are destroying historical recordings, legacy material and important radio broadcasts!”

Harsh quote! Let me explain: Experience has showed us that in the last ten years software developers around the world have written algorithms for small software programmes that run with software audio packages on windows platforms. These windows audio programmes are aimed at the consumer market, especially the garage band types, and the noise reduction and audio restoration side of it is inferior when it comes to historical recordings. 

Although these audio programmes and various plug-INS that are available as free download or as cheap as $30 a shot, and they are presented as audio restoration software, they are not!
If a person or an organization like archives or libraries is serious about preserving legacy material, they will not do audio processing on material for preservation purposes. Will Prentice, for instance, adhere to the same practice of no sound processing on audio files, and I agree with him. The audio should be recorded as good as possible at the highest bit rates and kept as is with all the good and the bad on the file.

The cleaning part of the audio only comes into play where a specific broadcaster or client wants to use the audio and needs the clicks and crackles to be taken out. Restoration is specifically driven towards a certain goal, but not for archiving purposes. Software and hardware for audio restoration are developing very fast. Algorithms for audio restoration are getting better and it would be advisable to keep a piece of audio as near to its original for later restoration with better equipment and software if the need arrives.

To all audio archivists and -librarians and would-be sound restoration engineers, do NOT do restoration! Do preservation!

What have you encountered in your audio restoration endeavors for heritage preservation?
Do you agree with this principle of keeping sound restoration to the minimum?

Post dictated to Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Related post:
The Weekly Archivist Interview: Sound Engineer in the Radio Archives

The Weekly Archivist interview: Sound Engineer in the Radio Archives

Marius Oosthuizen
Sound Engineer: SABC Radio Archives

The SABC Radio Archives has seven Archivists who specialize in specific areas/languages of expertise with regards the audio collections being kept in the Archives. There are also Archivists who focus on requests, and we have a Sound Engineer as well that assists us with technical issues. This is part of the weekly interviews that will try to pose the same questions to each of the Archivists.

Marius Oosthuizen is the sound engineer, who also looks after our acetate collection for sound restoration. He has been with the SABC Radio Archives for 10 years, and he will be leaving us shortly.

Marius, please tell us a little bit about your life and career. (Where you grew up, where and what you studied and your work experience before you joined the SABC Radio Archives)

I grew up in Vanderbijlpark, not too far from the Vaal River. I still have a very soft spot for rivers and willow trees. I did some studies at The Teaching College in Potchefstroom and did my military service in the SAP where I joined the video unit and I made training videos. I learnt the craft of video making from Will Roberts, the well-known actor. From there I joined the SABC. I worked in Radio Productions for 9 years. I worked on my own as a freelancer for five years, and rejoined the Radio Archives since 2000 as an archivist in restoration. At the end of April I will be leaving the SABC to pursue a career as the Audio and Video Department Manager for the University of Monash.

Please tell us about a normal day in your studio. What material do you give priority to?

I give priority to the legacy collection, the acetates. The careful handling, cleaning process and the dubbing of these discs and CD mastering.
A part of my day also consists of helping with requests, as well as technical assistance with sound related problems.

Tell us more about your collection and the scope of material you need to preserve.

The acetate collection: the recordings go back to the 1920s. Most of these recordings were done on metal disc covered with Schalleck acetate mixtures.

If you have an anecdote about a specific piece of interesting audio material, please share it with us.

I have found that it is an incredible audio history on those shelves that need to be preserved for future generations.

Tell us why you enjoyed doing the work that you did.

Audio was not only a work for me, but an interest and a hobby as well. I enjoyed reading and exploring into audio and audio practices, especially pertaining to audio restoration.

Related posts:
The Weekly Archivist interview: Ikwekwezi FM
The Weekly Archivist interview: Music archivist
The Weekly Archivist interview: News and Actuality
The Weekly Archivist interview: Sport archivist
The Weekly Archivist interview: Channel Africa collection

Questions and blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in SABC Radio Archives.

Report about the British Library Audiovisual Archiving Training Workshop at the SABC

The British Library has received support from the World Collections Programme to run a course on sound and audiovisual archiving in South Africa. Participants for the programme were drawn from the SABC Regional branches and from broadcast archives in other southern African countries.
                    - (Dr Janet Topp Fargion, Lead Curator, World and Traditional Music of the British Library)

Report by Elizabeth Mate, Archivist, SABC Radio Archives, who had the privilege to attend the workshop.

The British Library Audiovisual Archiving Training Workshop started from the 28th 0f March to the 1st of April 2011, in the M5 studio of the SABC. 

The first two days was with Will Prentice (Head of Technical Services, Sound and Vision) where we focused on the brief history of analogue audio and a few processes of digitization. He spoke about the qualities of audio (mav, mp3, vma) whereby he advised us, as archivists to always consider the original. In this case it will be wav, for it is not compressed like mp3 which throws out a lot of data.  We were showed how to clean the tape and cassette machines and how to demagnetize the machines. He said it was a standard thing for every archivist before recording and cataloguing material every day.  We spoke about the actual storage areas of audio. It was agreed that space is a very huge problem for all archives.  We spoke about things which can be of great damage to our work such as air conditioning and water.  We also spoke about LP’s, CD’s reel-to-reel tapes and different types of analogue carriers.  We were shown how to adjust the pitch of sound on the cassette play back.

The last session was with Andrew Pearson (Maintenance Repair & Design Engineer, Sound and Vision), who did the introduction to video archiving. He showed us how many times a film move for us to see one picture. We focused on the qualities of video/film; and how colour was added to the black and white films.  He showed us how to adjust the video recorder to get the right colour of different colours on the bars of the TV monitor. We also spoke about sound adjustment; high light means brightness, and other distorting pitches. We dealt with video cassettes, their durability, and the processes it takes when bringing it to digitization. We were even taught how to open a video tape and fix the tape. We also touched on the use of Wavelab. It is a very important tool when it comes to transferring audio from both analogue audio carriers and digital ones.

During the Workshop, we were also advised that technicians from the Technical departments must not just phase away or throw away broadcasting equipment. They must work together with archivists to know what type of audio carriers still needed to be used.

We were advised that materials or audio which are on analogue carriers must be converted or transferred to digital carriers before equipments using these carriers are phased out.  The equipment is being phased out because it is no longer being manufactured.

I think the SABC is on the right track by introducing digitization in its audio and audiovisual archives.

Related post:
British Library Audiovisual Archiving Training Workshop

Short overview of acetate discs

By Marius Oosthuizen, Sound Engineer, SABC Radio Archives

Marius Oosthuizen is responsible for the sound restoration of these old acetate discs in the Radio Archives.

Since the 1930s, most blank acetate discs have been manufactured with a base, usually aluminum ,glass was used during the war years and cardboard for inexpensive home recordings), that was coated with nitrocellulose lacquer plasticized with castor oil. Because of the lacquer's inherent properties, acetate discs are the least stable type of sound recording.

Acetates are records, usually recorded at 78 RPM, usually 10 inches in size recorders, which were on the market during the 1940's. They have an aluminum metal base, coated with black lacquer, which the recording stylus etches (cuts) the groove into while recording. Most recorders had a constant-pitch feed screw which moved the arm containing the recording-stylus across the record at a constant rate.

Acetate records for recording have blank labels, which are there  to mark the title, artist (or "recorder"), date, speed, and whether the disc plays "outside in" or "inside out". "Outside In" means you put the needle on the outside like most records (and the needle works its way to the center while it plays -- the groove moves the needle along). "Inside Out", or "Center-Start", means you must put the needle on the innermost groove, and the groove will push the needle toward the outside while it plays. "Inside Out" records are quite rare.

Transcription discs recorded by radio stations, however, particularly the 16-inch variety, usually have the second side recorded inside out; it is so the equalization changes are less noticeable....equalization (that is, treble and bass) changes, particularly with diminishing treble response, as the needle makes its way toward the center, and was particularly noticeable on these early records (but not noticeable to the human ear on modern stereo LPs).

Interview with an Audio Restoration Engineer at SABC Audio Restoration Department

Bags Farrell

This is part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Audio Restoration, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the SABC Media Libraries. It is a way of generating a better understanding of what we do in the different sections that we belong to.

The interview this week is with Bags Farrell, an Audio Restoration Engineer.

The Audio Restoration Section is responsible for converting the internally recorded collection of records (Transcriptions) to CD and re-distributing the music to all SABC media libraries in the country.  With a constantly changing technology and the switch to digital sound, the Sound Restoration Unit has had to keep up with the changes.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. (Where you grew up, where and what you studied and your work experience before you joined the SABC Audio Restoration Section)

I have always been interested in sound. I used to do my own cassette to cassette editing before I even joined the SABC. I started work at the SABC in Main Control, where we would link up Regions and Studios for recordings or for discussions. One program I recall that we had to link up was “Test the Team”, where the quizmaster was in Cape Town, one team member was in Durban, another in Johannesburg and the third in Pretoria. Things didn’t always run as smoothly as they sounded when the program was broadcast!  From Main Control I moved to what was the called “Productions”, where we recorded programs for later broadcast.
Today, almost everything that is broadcast is “live”. In the past, it was all pre-recorded!! Whilst in Productions, I completed a Drama course and moved into the Drama studios. When Drama closed, I moved into Audio Restoration.

2. Please tell us about a normal day in your Studio. What audio do you give priority to?

My normal day starts with the collecting of a pile of records (Transcriptions) from Maryna’s office and then transferring them into the computer. As they go into the computer, they go through a set of machines that remove most of the surface noise, e.g. crackles, clicks and excessive hiss. Any noises that get through the first set of machines are removed using computer software. The tracks are then numbered, as per the information provided and the Restored Audio is transferred to CD.
No specific priority is given to any audio, but if a request comes in for a record to be transferred to CD for imminent broadcast, it is then given priority!

3. Tell us more about your collection and the scope of material you need to preserve in the Audio Restoration Section.

The Transcription Department was established to give up-and-coming artists a chance to record their music professionally, at no cost to themselves, and have it on a record for their private use. It also became a repository of local artists and local music for the SABC to promote local talent. In later years, it became a means of recording and preserving our local music.

  4. Do you struggle with technical difficulties, and if so, what?  

The biggest technical difficulty I had was switching from PC to Apple Mac computers. Everything I do with audio is done on an Apple and when I first started using the machine, it was very difficult switching to a new computer. My technical training for studio work was very good, so the biggest technical difficulty I have is to get styli for my turntable!

5. If you have an anecdote about a specific piece of interesting audio, please share it with us.

The most interesting piece I did was not necessarily the audio that I restored, but rather the circumstances.
I was approached by a presenter and asked if I could help him. He presented me with four pieces of a Bakelite record, that he had knocked and broken that morning! I started the restoration process by sticking the record together with masking tape. I then had to record the record into the computer. Although the music was only about ten minutes long, it took about five hours to record. The stylus wouldn’t track the grooves properly, so every time the stylus jumped a groove, I would have to go back and re-record! Eventually it was ready for processing. I started by taking out all the thumps, then the crackles and clicks and lastly the hiss. It was then transferred to CD. The original record was recorded in 1933. The CD today sounds as if it was recorded yesterday in the studio!! 

5. Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.

Everyday brings new challenges!

Questions and blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.