Capturing the Past (Digitally)
by Stanley M. Nickerson
For several years, I've been staring at racks of LP's and stacks of tapes, knowing I'd ultimately
find them on a “to do” (or, more likely, a “honey do”) list. Newly retired from a 45-year career in
Information Technology this past year, I resolved to make the time to get those old platters, cassettes,
and some CD's to mp3's. I especially wanted to capture and convert some of the performances of
groups with whom I played my trombone. My grandchildren are already asking about the funny-
looking horn in the corner and how a needle scratching across a big disc can make music.
What to Keep
I began by making an assessment of what I really wanted to capture from original media. As I
picked up each LP jacket, I surfaced memories of hearing, for the first time, a big band choir of
trombones, a cool West Coast quartet, or the sophisticated sound of a Dave Brubeck or Modern Jazz
Quartet. I immediately decided I needed to save everything. More about that later.
I found an LP – not in great shape – of the Maine All-State Festival from 1957, when I
participated as a member of the Band. The record has three selections and I fondly remember
rehearsing the parts with my old music teacher, Angelo Tsika, in Millinocket. Playing them in concert
was one of the great musical thrills of my young life. I decided that this LP (or a fresh copy) was a
keeper. I decided to Google the Maine All-State Music Festival to see if I could find an archive copy.
This led me to the MMEA.
After college I put my horn down and didn't pick it up again for 18 years. When I did, it was
because I was inspired by the sound of a brass choir in church (and my wife's gentle elbow). I have
tapes from some of the concerts we did – they certainly aren't prime-time, but they are a reminder to
me of how much I had missed playing music. I decided to keep a few selections from these tapes.
The church brass group led me to community bands and swing big bands and great times
playing concerts, dances, weddings, and parties with some good friends. I have some tapes from those
years and I decided to keep most of the material.
How to Convert
Doing a quick technology assessment, I found myself with 1) no turntable and 2) an old Sony
Walkman tape player. I knew that the Walkman could be connected directly from the headphone plug
on the Walkman to the microphone input jack on the computer sound card. At that point, however, I
still needed a turntable and some software to capture and record.
Fortunately, the technology to bridge the years from the mid-1950's to the present is readily
available at modest or no cost, assuming one has a computer with a sound card.
Turntable
I searched the Web for reviews of turntables (CNet, PC Magazine, etc.) and decided to purchase
a USB-connected turntable. I selected the Audio-Technica AT-PL2D-USB stereo turntable and found it
on Amazon for approximately $100.
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