Preservation and recording projects extend the boundaries of the Archives beyond those of a basic research facility. Although users of the Archives study its resources primarily through tape and disc playback, much of what is heard has been derived from rare cylinder, acetate disc, and shellac disc originals. In the Archives' sound studios, staff engineers have pioneered methods of sound preservation and transfer, helping to set standards for the field. With specially designed playback equipment, styluses, and transfer technology, engineers can extract sound from early formats with maximum information content, minimum extraneous noise, and minimal alteration in vocal timbre.
Results frequently match the quality of the original studio recording.
The commercial release of rare materials in the Archives helps to widely disseminate masterworks of musical recording. The recording industry frequently turns to the Archives for studio-quality master tapes when launching historical reissue projects. Lectures By special arrangement, staff conduct talks for professional associations and student groups with an interest in sound recording preservation and archival issues. Cooperative Archival Projects Projects pursued jointly with members of the Associated Audio Archives promote broad and comprehensive access to sound archives nationwide. Efforts include the microfiche indexing of 600,000 78rpm discs held by five of the major American sound archives.