From Andy; A word on restoration.

Good morning and a very Happy Mother's Day, from RRtV! Our first big post is headed your way today, but before it drops, I just wanted to share a bit about audio restoration, and explain what we are doing here at Rockin' Central. I will be popping in from time to time with post like this, just trying to share the whats-and-whys and some behind the scenes on a project of this scope.

Getting the best out of an analog medium, be it audio tape, an old reel of film, or in our case (generally) a 45 record, comes with many caveats. Condition, playback equipment, and digital capture all factor into how a recording will eventually sound. That ignores completely the content itself. At no time will we ever attempt to "improve" upon the established work. Every tape error, flubbed note, and missed harmony will remain exactly as committed to the recording.

We here at RRtV feel an obligation to treat these records with absolute respect and a very light touch in regards to restoration. Each discs will undergo an exacting cleaning process, will be play tested for physical damage as well as pressing defects, reproduced on a turntable set up specifically for the medium of 7-inch 45 RPM discs, run through period correct preamps, and captured digitally at 96/24 (well within resolution spec for archival purposes.) From there, we will meticulously and non-destructively remove as much of the sonic debris as possible, leaving us with a clean representation of that recording as it was intended to be heard.

Needless to say, as currently a one person operation, this will take some time. Bearing that in mind, audio shared in blog posts, on Facebook, and via our Soundcloud page will be what call "raw captures." This is audio sourced straight from the original discs, direct to CD, but without any restoration work. This allows us to be able to get this music to you faster, and deliver content that we feel expresses the nostalgia of our intent. This also protects our restoration efforts in the event that we are able to professional reissue any of it in the future.


As this series continues, I will be detailing our equipment, the rationale behind its selection, and the specific steps we are taking to revive many lost gems, and preserve them in the best possible way for future generations to enjoy.