MARTLab® | EN
MARTLab®, was born in 2003 from the collaboration between the “Luigi Cherubini” Conservatory of Music of Florence and the ISTI Institute of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche as well as thanks to the decisive contribution of the Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, the RAI Sede Regionale per la Toscana and the Fondazione Rinascimento Digitale.
The vocation of the Centre is that of recovery and restoration of analog audio media and the sound documents recorded on them, a crucial and strategic sector today, given the unstoppable process of chemical-physical deterioration that the supports themselves undergo.
The MARTLab® is active and offers the following services:
- cataloging – metadata extraction
- physical restoration of the media
- audio signal digitization
- audio restoration
- editing audio
- technologies for accessing sound content
The MARTLab® is also active in the music production as regards the creation and finalization of musical products with high technological and IT content as well as for what concerns the creation and production and post-production of audio for video.
The activity also extends to all those research sectors in the musical and audiovisual field, which over the years have led the centre to carry out multiple works related to sound design, art installations and to the development of information technologies for real-time interaction.
Audio Digitization
The MARTLab laboratory has state-of-the-art equipment for the processing of sound documents in various formats. From the initial inspection and cataloging operations to the final archiving of the recovered documents, each operation is carefully evaluated and prepared with high professionalism and in compliance with international guidelines. Below is a brief description of the main operational phases for the recovery of sound documents.
Phase 1: Inspection/Cataloguing
Each support/document that arrives in the laboratory is inspected and catalogued, highlighting its main characteristics for correct conservation and any treatment.
Phase 2: Fact-finding investigation
Knowledge of the works that are part of the collection is essential to planning their recovery and treatment.
Before the recovery phase, the support is air-conditioned and any thermal/mechanical treatment is performed. The objective is twofold: the deterioration of the support is limited and the reproducibility of the signal recorded on it is often improved. For this purpose, the laboratory has an incubator/stabilizer MPM M80-RH.
Phase 4: ReproductionThe recovery begins with the calibration of the reproduction equipment and then listening to the sound document. The laboratory is in the process of expanding its equipment; currently there are:
- Studer A807 tape recorder for 1/4″ tapes – 2-track head – 0.75mm guard (butterfly).
- Studer A812 tape recorder for 1/4″ tapes – 2-track head – 2mm guard.
- Revox PR99 tape recorder for 1/4″ tapes – 2-track head – 0.75mm guard (butterfly).
- Tascam 122mkIII cassette recorder.
- Tascam DA-40 Dat Recorder.
- Alesis XT20 Adat TypeII Recorder.
- EMT 950 turntable.
- Giradischi Thorens TD 124 II.
- Elberg MD12 Mk2 phono preamplifier.
- Keith Monks RCM MkII disc cleaning machine – The Archivist.
Just as delicate as the tuning of the reproduction systems, the configuration of the digitization equipment elevates the process of sound document recovery to the highest quality standards. The quality of any restoration and audio signal processing interventions is guaranteed by the use of the best signal processing algorithms developed today. The laboratory has the following equipment:
- Convertitore A/D Prism Sound Dream AD-2
- Convertitore A/D D/A Prism Sound Dream ADA-8
- Generatore wordclock Lucid SSG192
- Monitors Meyer Sound HD-1
Once digitized, the sound documents are stored in multiple copies on mass storage devices available both for permanent archiving (guaranteed by an adequate periodic verification program) and for direct consultation.
MARTLab®
Administrative Headquarters
Piazza delle Belle Arti, 2 – 50122 Florence
Contacts info@martlab.it