Audio Objects Access: Tools for the Preservation of the Cultural Heritage

The digital re-recording of analogue material, in particular phonographic discs, can be carried out using different approaches: mechanical, electro-mechanical, opto-mechanical, and opto-digital. In this paper, we investigate the differences among these approaches, using two novel methods that have been developed on purpose: a system for synthesizing audio signals from still images of phonographic discs and a tool for the automatic alignment of audio signals. The methods have been applied to two case studies, taken from a shellac disc. Results point out that this combined approach can be used as an effective tool for the preservation of and access to the audio documents.