Preserving a sound recording involves far more than simply digitising it. It requires an understanding of the original carrier, its condition, the circumstances in which it was recorded and the technical parameters needed to reproduce it under the best possible conditions.
The United Music Foundation brings together several decades of experience in the preservation, restoration and enhancement of recorded sound, along with specialised equipment capable of handling a wide range of analogue and digital formats.
Every carrier entrusted to the United Music Foundation is carefully examined before playback. This initial assessment allows us to identify any deterioration, evaluate any risks and determine whether treatment is required before the recording can be safely reproduced.
In some cases, attempting playback without prior treatment could cause further damage or even render the carrier permanently unplayable. When necessary, we therefore carry out appropriate preservation measures, which may include:
Our priority is to protect the original carrier while recovering as much of the recorded content as possible under the safest and most appropriate conditions.
The methods developed by the United Music Foundation to preserve a collection of Montreux Jazz Festival recordings on Pyral CJ87 tapes that had become unplayable were published in the ARSC Journal, an international scholarly publication dedicated to research and preservation in recorded sound, whose articles are peer reviewed.
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Unplayable Pyral CJ 87 HR tapes from the Montreux Jazz Festival archives
