TABLE OF CONTENTS by Glen Ballou
There are numerous applications for digital audio storage, that for day-to-day use, and that which is preserved for future generations. We will first address the applications and workings of message repeaters as they are used on a daily basis. Secondly, we will discuss the specifics of archival of audio information.
Message repeaters have come a long way in 30 years, almost all use digital audio storage. The original repeater was a person sitting at a microphone making an announcement over a public address system at or about the right time. This system had advantages and disadvantages. The message could be changed at any time, and if area switching was available, different messages could be sent to different areas in real time but not at the same time. Another disadvantage was tying up an announcer as much as 24 hours a day. In an emergency, the announcer was required to stay at the microphone and announce in a calm and persuasive voice - a difficult thing at best.
With the introduction of tape recorders, messages could be prerecorded and played back manually or automatically. Unless a multichannel recorder or multiple recorders were used, only one message could be played at one time. To play different recorded messages required recording them in series and locating the desired message by fast forwarding the tape, time consuming in an emergency situation. With the design of lubricated tape, continuous loop tape recorders were used. This...
