In this blog, Heather discusses how voices from the past come alive through reel-to-reel recordings, and the process of carefully digitizing and preserving them to safeguard local history for future generations.
by heather wilson
In the Archives, history comes to us in many different forms. Most people might think of paper and photographs, but as an archivist, I have the opportunity — and the challenge — of working with a wide range of media, from letters and maps to glass plate negatives, film, and audio recordings, and even digital records. Each format presents its own challenges, and part of the work of preserving the past is learning how to care for materials that were never meant to last forever. For me, working with a new type of media is always exciting. Each format comes with its own set of challenges — different tools, different techniques, and a fair bit of problem-solving.
One of those formats is reel-to-reel audio tape, an early form of sound recording widely used from the end of the 1940s into the 1980s. The precursor of later cassette tapes, reel-to-reel recordings use a length of magnetic tape wound between two open reels. As the tape passes through the machine, sound is read from the magnetic surface and played back. The format was used for a wide range of recordings — from music and radio broadcasts to interviews, meetings, and personal recordings made at home.
Magnetic tape is a vulnerable format. Over time, the materials that hold the recording together can dry out, become brittle, or begin to shed. Some tapes may also develop “vinegar syndrome,” a form of chemical deterioration that produces a distinctive smell and can cause the tape to warp or degrade. As this damage progresses, the recorded sound can be permanently lost if it is not preserved in time. Digitizing these tapes is vital to capture the information they contain and ensuring the recordings remain accessible for future research.
Audio recordings capture something that written records cannot. Hearing a person’s voice — their tone, their accent, their pauses, even the background sounds around them — brings the past to life in a very immediate way. Oral histories, interviews, meetings, and personal recordings allow us to experience history not just as words on a page, but as something that was once spoken and heard. Sometimes the recordings preserve more than just voices. They capture the sounds of everyday life — music playing in the distance, conversations in the background, or even the sound of birdsong. Hearing those small, ordinary sounds can make the past feel very present.
With the addition of a new reel-to-reel tape deck, we can now carry out the work of creating high quality digital copies of these tapes in-house, carefully transferring recordings to digital files that can be preserved without risking damage to the original tapes.
The digitization process follows a careful workflow to ensure each recording is handled properly. Before playback, I inspect each tape for its condition. I then thread the tape onto the reel-to-reel deck and played at the appropriate speed while the audio is captured in real time. As it records, I monitor play back quality and make note of any issues. Once the transfer is complete, the file is saved as a high-quality master copy, with additional access copies created for listening and use. This process allows the original tape to be preserved while limiting further handling.
To ensure high-quality digitization, I am using a Tascam 34B reel-to-reel deck connected to a Tascam US-2x2HR audio interface, recording directly into Adobe Audition. The audio interface acts as a bridge between the analog tape deck and the computer, converting the signal from the tape into a digital format that can be accurately recorded and preserved. This setup allows me to monitor the audio in real time. Part of this process involves balancing the audio levels to keep the signal strong without distortion. One of the main things to watch for is “clipping,” which occurs when audio is recorded too loudly and the signal is cut off at its peak, creating a harsh or crackling sound that cannot be repaired afterward. Careful monitoring helps ensure the digital copy reflects the original recording as faithfully as possible.
Working with reel-to-reel tapes has also meant learning to recognize and correct some of the quirks that come with older recordings – such as voices or instruments that are too fast or too high. This is often the result of differences in recording speeds or playback settings. Part of the digitization process involves adjusting the pitch and speed so that the audio reflects how it was originally meant to be heard. At the same time, there is an important balance to strike. The goal is not to “improve” the recording, but to preserve it as faithfully as possible — keeping the character of the original while making it accessible and understandable for listeners today.
Thousand Island Reel by Wilfred Laurier Lessard on fiddle. Lennox and Addington Historical Society Collection Oral History Reels.
Starting this work with the reel-to-reel tapes in our holdings has been especially rewarding. There is always something remarkable about hearing voices from the past come to life. The outside of a box only tells you so much about what you might find when the reel starts playing. There’s a certain magic to the experience.
If you have reel-to-reel recordings at home, we would love to hear from you. These tapes often capture personal moments, local events, and everyday experiences that might not exist anywhere else. Donating recordings to the Archives helps ensure that these unique records are preserved as part of the shared history of Lennox & Addington County, supporting our goal of collecting through to the present day.
