Do I Still Need To Keep My Analog Masters? (1 Viewer)

[Carabimero]

I am looking for a consensus of opinion.

Through the course of thirty years, I have accumulated quite a lot of analog masters: reel-to-reel, cassette, 3/4 inch, half-inch, even audio carts. All of them have been transferred to digital and backed up numerous times. For example, my 3/4-inch masters, with a resolution of about 350, have all been mastered to 480 DVDs at SP. My point is, my analog masters are not compressed to other media, but transferred at the highest quality I could ever hope to achieve. I haven't touched any of the masters since the day I transcoded them. Some have been untouched for 25 years.

Yet I was taught, ALWAYS keep your masters. But sheesh, they are taking up most of my closet and I NEVER touch.

Is there any possible reason I would still need the analog masters, or can I safely chuck them?

 

[TravisR]

Yet I was taught, ALWAYS keep your masters.

It sounds like you have them backed up so much that you could safely toss them. That being said, I'm a firm believer in keeping the originals.

 

[Paul D G]

What Travis said. Something I was diligent in archiving digitally back in 1998 could be far below today's standards and technology.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I'd also be in favor of keeping the originals.

In the example of the VHS tapes that you had transferred to DVD - technically the DVD may be capable of more resolution than the original VHS tapes, but even at the highest quality, DVDs are still compressed - that's just the nature of the format. It may be possible to get a better capture of that VHS tape today than it was ten or twenty years ago. Not to mention that DVD-R recordings can degrade over time; the dye used in the discs could degrade, and you could end up with unplayable chunks or portions that skip. If you still have the original analog tape, you could always go back to it, but if all you had was a DVD copy that developed a skip, you're stuck.

I work at a news archive, and although we're trying to digitize everything for ease of access, we're holding on to the original tapes too - you just never know.

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

Yes. NEVER throw them away, unless you're sure that they are damaged beyond repair.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

If you need space, and haven't touched some of that stuff in decades, just ask for each one: "would it really bother me if I lost this forever?" If the answer is no, then you can probably chuck it.

 

[Carabimero]

I just needed you guys to tell me, with reasons, what I knew in my heart: keep the masters. Thanks.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

No prob! If there's anything else you want me to talk you into keeping, let me know - packrats gotta stick together

 

[Carabimero]

My wife is a minimalist, and we are doing a clear out, but even she said, "Never throw away your masters."

 

[Josh Steinberg]

If you weren't already married, I'd say, "MARRY THAT WOMAN!" Anyone who encourages you to keep masters when they could tell you to declutter is someone worth keeping around

 

[DaveF]

The masters haven't been touched in 25 years: are they still intact and playable? That is, if you're storing garbage... But if they're still as good as 25 years ago, keep them if you like having them (and have the space)

 

[Carabimero]

The masters haven't been touched in 25 years: are they still intact and playable? That is, if you're storing garbage... But if they're still as good as 25 years ago, keep them if you like having them (and have the space)

I must clarify. Every five or ten years I get out the 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch and run them in fast forward or reverse. I believe this keeps the tape from becoming brittle. As long as they pass this test, I assume they are playable. I have not PLAYED them in 25 years because I don't want to degrade them.