This is where we share tips and tricks from other audio pros. Most of ours are already sprinkled throughout the web site, but here's some more:

Microsoft Vista

Thinking about upgrading?  Not a good idea if you do audio or video editing on that system.  Give things some time to shake out a bit more.  Too many programs will require an updated version - Nero,  almost any spyware and anti-virus program, most programs that use a database of some sort. Some drivers are still not available for hardware. Premiere Pro2 works okay, as does SoundForge 8. If you want to check your installed software - go here for a decent list of what works and what doesn't in Vista.

How to transfer the audio from the 78 RPM record into your computer if you don't have a 78 RPM turntable

Put the 78 rpm record on a turntable that plays at 45 RPM. Open your recording software and select "New" and check the appropriate settings for "Stereo" and "16 bits". Set the sample rate at 25442.

Why 25442 ?  Because : 44100 x 45 / 78 = 25442

Record your 78rpm playing at 45 RPM.  When completed, adjust the sample rate of the captured file to 44100.  Save the file.  It will be at the right speed and tone, or real close to it anyway.  Before your try this - read this important information about NOT playing that 78 RPM record with a LP stylus.

Trash at the beginning of your record

Got a record that's been back cue'd too much or has other trash that your restoration software can't get rid of ?  Pour a little water on the record - while it's playing - right in front of the needle.  The needle will track through and ride on a thin film of this water and it'll sound a lot better. The small amount of water will spread out and follow the needle as it continues to play.  You'll sacrifice some highs because of this but they are easily added back in with a touch of EQ later.  This is an old DJ trick back from the days radio stations played 45's.

Making that warped record play

If your record is severely warped and is having trouble tracking, try the old radio DJ trick of putting a coin at the end of the turntable arm.  A deep scratch, gouge and damaged groove, literally throws the stylus, cartridge and head of the tone arm into the air.  Putting a coin on the turntable arm adds mass to the cartridge and increases inertia.  This allows the tone-arm to better track a warped record without jumping off the record. Basic physics: the greater the mass, the greater reluctance for the stylus to be quickly diverted from its normal path.

Rule of thumb: Pennies are used for mild cases, dimes are used for slightly tougher cases, nickels for more serious cases, and quarters are used when nothing else works.

Be sure to adjust the counter-balance to keep tracking pressures within the maximum cartridge specification to avoid damaging the cantilever.

One of our engineers was fiddling around with some new software that adjusts the time or speed of a recording (without affecting the pitch). His test record was an old 45 of the Chipmunks Christmas song. We thought you'd like to hear what the real voices sound like once they have been slowed down. You'll note the singers will drag out some words so they aren't too short after the vocal tracks have been sped up to make the "Chipmunk" sound".  This is a MP3 file and will take a few moments to download.  Click here to listen.

Finally, visit the Amazing Multimedia Goodie Section to check out our Amazing Multimedia Coffee Cup and Maltese Lovers Calendar for 2007 - featuring Mr. Hogan!  Produced by Amazing Multimedia, go look here.

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We invite you to e-mail us some winner ideas on working with audio or share a story of some off-the-wall success, or whatever.  When we get some good stuff, we'll post it here.

 Meanwhile, we'll show you a picture of one of our older studios. We say older because we moved since this picture was taken and haven't had time to take and post pictures of the new studios.

This is Studio B, where most of our audio restoration work is done.

The main computer is a Pentium Dual Core with 2 gigabytes of memory and close to a terabyte of storage spread over 2 internal and one external drive.  Two terabytes if you include the network storage unit.  The second computer (to the right) is a Pentium Dual Core with 1 gb of memory and 600 GB of hard drive space.  This is used for long term crunching and can be networked with the other computers to share some processor intensive tasks.  It's used mostly when rendering video.  When not tied up with other tasks, we use it for paperwork, e-mail and playing an occasional game while we wait for a project to finish.

The monitors are 2 17" flat screen LCDs and the one to the right is a 20" CRT (This was replaced with a Dell 2405FPW in August. This 23" LCD is awsome.)

Audio is fed through a 18 channel BMX-14 audio console with 34 switchable inputs.

Our most-used audio editing software is Sony's Sound Forge 8.0.  Version 9.0 has just been released (April, 2007) but we have no experience with it. Of about 100 specialized programs and plug-ins (some we wrote), we lean on two dozen for basic pop, click and crackle removal.  What is used depends on the situation.  Several plug-ins are very specialized and may only be used a couple of times a year.  When we need them, they work wonders.  Our main audio restoration program is Tracer Technologies DC Live.  DC Live is specifically designed for audio restoration and is an excellent audio restoration tool in the hands of an experienced user.  Portions of this program are also used in our forensics work.

Multi-track work is done in either Adobe Audition or WaveLab.  We're still looking for a "great" multi-track program.  Most companies are so busy trying to jam bells-and-whistles into their stuff the end result is an overly complicated, unstable mess - in our opinion.  Tracer Technologies n-Track is one program that is close to getting it right.

We have about a dozen specialized programs that are used in specific circumstances.

For forensics work, we have spectrograms and voice print analysis software and specialized software that will log each change to the audio file under investigation.

The rack to the right of the audio console holds several different audio processing units, a cart machine (yes, we restore cart tape), an oscilloscope, various EQ units and a phase correction device.

The Otari 5050 tape decks are the work horse of the broadcast industry.  The playback heads on both are adjustable to correct for out-of-alignment recordings.

The racks below (hidden in the dark) contain two Denon CD playback/record units, two Tascam 122MKIII mastering cassette playback/record units, an audio distribution amplifier, two video distribution amplifiers,  two level shifters, two VCR playback/record units, two DATs (Sony & Panasonic) and a 1000 watt power amp to drive the studio speakers.  Other equipment is stored in a nearby room and is brought out and used as required.

A patch bay allows us to bring the various processing units and other equipment in and out of the audio stream as needed.

At the bottom of the picture is one of three Technics turntables, all with pro-quality Stanton pickups and needles.  Each turntable is optimized for a specific record type: 33, 45 or 78 RPM. Each as a rumble filter in-line to the audio console.

The upper right shows the router and wireless access point that tie into the network storage unit and Studio A, where most of our video sound work is done.  Also on the network is one monochrome laser printer, two color laser printers and two photo quality inkjet printers.  When things get busy we offload some video sound work to Studio B - that's why the various video monitors are there.