NYTimes discusses three flash memory audio recorders )
{L to R: Edirol R-09, Microtrack 24/96, PMD 660]
The NY Times looks at digital audio recorders, highlighting three flash-memory recorders: the Marantz PMD660. the M-Audio Microtrack 24/96, and the newest of the pack, the Edirol R-09. The article speaks in terms of podcasting, but the same equipment can be used for recording family interviews.
All three use compact flash memory for storage, and all of them can record in both MP3 (compressed audio) and WAV uncompressed audio. For oral history recordings, go with WAV uncompressed audio. (which means you need a good-sized flash memory card, at least 1GB, ideally 2GB or more). The Edirol and the Marantz can record in mono, which’ll stretch out the space you’ve got on the flash memory card. If you must record in MP3, go with the highest quality setting.
If you want to check them out, SoundProfessionals has both the the Edirol and the M-Audio Microtrack 24/96 in stock. And Amazon has the Marantz PMD660
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Audio
• Audio: Hardware
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The end of Super 8
While I’m on this obsolescence jag: The end of the Reel for Super 8 (Guardian, UK): The closure of the last European-based processing plant that develops Kodachrome/Super-8 film. [via dangerousmeta]
What is more surprising is that the Lausanne lab’s closure coincides with the biggest boom in Super 8 usage since its 70s heyday. The Widescreen Centre in London is shifting more than 250 reels a week, and its clients include the BBC, independent production companies, pop-video directors and even a few amateur-movie enthusiasts, who shoot the film and have it transferred to digital format. In California, the Burbank-based Pro8mm company is supplying Hollywood with reconditioned cameras and Super 8 stock, as more and more directors succumb to the film’s grainy allure.
(well, if I shot super-8, that wouldn’t be a problem. Burbank is not far. But still. This marks the end of an era.)
Summer is over, winter is coming, some media formats are dwindling.
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Longevity
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Extinct Media
Dead Media.org is a website devoted to outdated media formats. The Category list is fascinating to browse, containing items such as telegraphy, ancient phonographs, panorama photography, the acoustic telephone, and lots! more!
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Links
• Longevity
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Fission: new Mac app splits audio files
Rogue Amoeba’s new application, Fission is a minimalist audio editor for the MacOS. It cuts portions out of audio files. Most importantly, it splits longer audio files into smaller portions. It’s a compliment to another of Rogue Amoeba’s well-known offering, Audio Hijack. When I reviewed the universe of audio editor appliactions for importing oral history recordings into the computer, Audio Hijack didn’t make the short list. How could you break up long recordings into smaller portions if you wanted to segment Uncle Bob’s stories into separate audio tracks? Fission does that. Audio Hijack and Fission together cost $50—each, separately, cost $32. (Thanks to site member RBrower for bringing it to my attention!)
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Audio
• Audio: Software
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Another Oral History how-to guide
Published online by Indiana University’s Center for the Study of History and Memory. Before the Interview, At the Interview, After the Interview… and references. Nice, brief, and to the point.
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Do it: Learn How
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Back… bad back
A quick personal note. I’ve had a bad back attack. Pain while sitting kept me away from dedicated computer tasks (and dedicated computer tasks are what brought on the pain). If you’re reading this, you’re probably sitting in front of a computer. Stop a moment and stretch!
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Housekeeping
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Carnival of Genealogy: Writing Family History
I am so stoked. I just found the 7th Edition (date: yesterday) of the Carnival of Genealogy. Every coupla weeks, the Carnival of Genealogy leads you to new blogs on various genealogically-themed matters. The theme for yesterday’s carnival: Writing Family History. Next carnival theme: Photographs. I’ve already submitted one entry, and will prolly submit two more. Why am I so stoked, you may wonder? In seeking to build traffic for this site, I’ve been considering Elise Bauer’s advice to Start A Carnival. Yippy Skippy—-Jasia of Creative Gene started it, so that’s one thing I don’t hafta do.
The permalinks s for all the Genealogy Carnival Editionare kept on the BlogCarnival site. But for archives of past edition, the theme for that particular edition isn’t mentioned. Feh. And at Creative Gene, where the carnival is hosted, there are no links from one carnival to the next previous. Double-feh (tho I bet that second “feh” will be easier to rectify, as it involves creating 6 links, one on each of the on 6 entries, rather than re-jiggering the feature set of the BlogCarnival site.)
So, here are the past contenders, with their themes:
Edition 1: Genealogy and Tech
Edition 2: Ethnic Genealogy
Edition 3: Immigration
Edition 4: Family Reunions
Edition 5: Historical Fiction
Edition 6: Genealogical Societies
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Links
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Oral History of Technology
In a twist from this site’s theme, the technology of personal oral history, here are some links to collections of oral histories of technology (thanks to some semi-recent discussion of the Oral History mailing list)
Academic institutions. Caltech is in my regional neighborhood. So’s Harvey Mudd. I’m interested in the other big tech institution across the country, MIT (Massachussetts Institute of Technology), since my Grandmother (and uncle) graduated from there. (If you saw my movie where my Mother talks about her mother, you see old school newspapers from MIT)
Other institutions that might have oral history collections are: RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology), Rensselaer, Georgia Tech, Stanford (see “Silicon Valley” below), Berkeley, Carnegie-Mellon. I’m sure there are others.
Women and technology and oral history brings up some interesting results…
- Women in Science and Engineering: “The Archives of Women in Science and Engineering ongoing Oral History Projects will document the experiences of American women in science and engineering.”
- IBM archives search results for “oral history” IBM archives search results for oral history; results pertain to women and... Read More
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Online Oral History Collections
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