Assessment

Knowing what you have is essential when starting a large restoration or preservation project. Masterdisk's engineers can help you determine what formats you have and give you a cost estimate. For large projects, free survey tools such as Columbia's AVDb and Indiana's FACET can be very useful.

Reformatting

Reformatting (also called digitization if it is from analog masters) refers to the re-recording of the original content onto a new, current format. Nowadays that format is generally a 96 kHz, 24-bit broadcast WAV file. The transfers are always done "flat", i.e., with no extra processing, and digital encoding ensures that subsequent generations are immune to so-called "generation loss," the implicit loss of quality in analog copies. Reformatting is an absolutely critical step, as future listeners will listen to this material as it was transferred at this point: it can only sound as good as the engineers and equipment making the transfer. Masterdisk's expertise, as well as its world-class tape decks, converters, and pure signal paths (see equipment list) ensure that your masters will be presented at their best for generations to come.

Restoration

Media degradation or poor original recordings can conspire to damage the sonic integrity of legacy materials. The optional process of restoration can help your materials sound better than they ever did. Masterdisk’s vast experience making all kinds of recordings and reissues sound their best can help you when presenting your materials to potential donors, customers, or patrons –or for your own enjoyment.
File Management

It is important to think of digital file management. For projects larger than a few files, it is generally discouraged to keep your masters on optical discs (CDs and DVDs) due to their long-term upkeep cost and possible degradation. Generally, files are stored on redundant hard drive systems, the complexity of which depends on the amount of material, budget, and available expertise. Masterdisk will be happy to help you plan for the long-term safekeeping of your materials.