Well, I've made a few more transfers recently, and as I bought more disk space, I began keeping the WAV files.
I'm recodring the whole tape and keeping everything, even silence. That may sound stupid or useless, but it's a no brainer for archive purposes.
The only problem is that I don't test the loading on a real machine, and sometimes had to modifiy the signal or combine several transsfers to get a correct TAP file, so the WAV might not be the best source for proper data archive. But I have no time to do this quality check
Thoughts about WAV tapes repository
- coco.oric
- Squad Leader
- Posts: 720
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:50 am
- Location: North of France
- Contact:
Re: Thoughts about WAV tapes repository
It's very good idea to store these wav files.The only problem is that I don't test the loading on a real machine, and sometimes had to modifiy the signal or combine several transsfers to get a correct TAP file, so the WAV might not be the best source for proper data archive. But I have no time to do this quality check
I agree on that i've read as the best solution is to use an oric.org area.
And for the trial topic may be we can use some collaboratory process somewhere to put files, describe process tasks to have them checked, cleared, validated, tagged ... before being stored in the final zone.
coco.oric as DidierV, CEO Member
Historic owner of Oric, Apple II, Atari ST, Amiga
Historic owner of Oric, Apple II, Atari ST, Amiga
Re: Thoughts about WAV tapes repository
Yes, but would an empty side of a tape be of any interest
(it is for "extremist" archival purpose, for instance to be sure that is the side A recording is faulty, there was no recording on side B, but apart from that...)
Yes, the problem being that loading (hence test results) will differ from an Oric to another! But regarding the process, IMO doing at least a loading test with Load Vader, and if possible a "normal" loading test (Load Vader is based on the simple Oric parity error detection, so it can miss things).coco.oric wrote: And for the trial topic may be we can use some collaboratory process somewhere to put files, describe process tasks to have them checked, cleared, validated, tagged ... before being stored in the final zone.
Using Progress might also speed up the process (Progress 1.3 will load the normal program, AND indicate if any loading error was detected).
Oh, and then, there would be the special loading routines...
Ok, headache ahead, I'll stop here for now
Re: Thoughts about WAV tapes repository
I recently uploaded a few tapes recording on Archive.org like so :
- https://archive.org/details/a.r.d-urani ... atmos-tape
- https://archive.org/details/norsoft-mon ... atmos-tape
- https://archive.org/details/norsoft-cry ... atmos-tape
- https://archive.org/details/a.r.g.-info ... atmos-tape
At least in raw WAV form, and even if the tape is degraded, it can always be used to fix another dump.
More than 1 dump of the same software is also good to have in any case as it can also be used to validate a given dump (increase confidence that it's correct / unmodified) and help detecting different software revisions).
Then if people have the motivation and knowledge they could also convert it in a more usable format for emulators.
Maybe some more metadata would be beneficial like which tape drive was used, if a side B is silent or not (in which case no need to include it ?), if the recording do work with a real oric or emulators, and most importantly, scans.
- https://archive.org/details/a.r.d-urani ... atmos-tape
- https://archive.org/details/norsoft-mon ... atmos-tape
- https://archive.org/details/norsoft-cry ... atmos-tape
- https://archive.org/details/a.r.g.-info ... atmos-tape
At least in raw WAV form, and even if the tape is degraded, it can always be used to fix another dump.
More than 1 dump of the same software is also good to have in any case as it can also be used to validate a given dump (increase confidence that it's correct / unmodified) and help detecting different software revisions).
Then if people have the motivation and knowledge they could also convert it in a more usable format for emulators.
Maybe some more metadata would be beneficial like which tape drive was used, if a side B is silent or not (in which case no need to include it ?), if the recording do work with a real oric or emulators, and most importantly, scans.