This course, run in partnership with the School of Music and National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA), utilises both ANU School of Music facilities and specialist locations and equipment at the NFSA, to equip student with the theoretical and practical underpinning of audio preservation. Using the School of Music’s own tape archive of performances, recitals and events as source material, students will prepare these recordings as digital files for an open source, publicly accessible database.
This course will introduce students to sound archiving, and explore the historical, philosophical and ethical implications of audio archiving, as well as preservation needs assessment and planning. Students will tour the NFSA , and the School of Music’s tape collection, and have the opportunity to gain hands-on, practical experience of equipment and processes such as analogue tape recorders and magnetic tape; tape machine technology and operation; the handling of tape, tape deterioration, maintenance and restoration techniques; the practicalities of digitisation: preparation, recording, software, editing, file creation, and metadata management and storage.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- critically engage with historical, philosophical, professional and ethical principles of audio archiving;
- identify technical features of magnetic tape recorders and magnetic tape;
- conduct preservation needs assessments on audio artefacts;
- operate magnetic tape recorders and historical magnetic tape recordings proficiently and professionally; and
- collate audio content descriptions and meta-data information as part of the digitisation process.
Work Integrated Learning
Simulation/Virtual
This course gives students real world experience handling archive material and using industry-standard tools and techniques, preparing them for a career as a sound archivist.
Indicative Assessment
- Sound Archiving Process Practical Examination (50) [LO 2,4,5]
- Log Book (10) [LO 2,3,4]
- Research Essay (2500 words) (40) [LO 1]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: a mixture of lectures, facility tours, workshops, seminars, practical demonstrations, practical tasks and review sessions; and
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the School of Music to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
Provided via Wattle
Preliminary Reading
International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives: Technical Committee. Standards, Recommended Practices and Strategies. IASA-TC 04 Guidelines on the Production and Preservation of Digital Audio Objects. V2. 2009.International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives: Technical Committee. Standards, Recommended Practices and Strategies. IASA-TC 05 Handling and Storage of Audio and Video Carriers. V1. 2014.
National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Collection Policy. May 2011
Preserving the Facts for the Future: Principles and Practices for the Transfer of Analog Audio Documents into the Digital Domain. Dietrich, S. (2001) Journal of the Audio Engineering Society. 49, 7/8, 618-621.
Sound Souvenirs: Audio Technologies, Memory and Cultural Practices. Bijsterveld, K. and van Dijck, J. 2009. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
Assumed Knowledge
Students should have a foundation understanding of sound recording theory and practice demonstrated through the completion of MUSI2209 Music Recording and Production Techniques.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 12
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6123 | 01 Jul 2026 | 24 Jul 2026 | 24 Jul 2026 | 30 Sep 2026 | In Person | N/A |