Researchers are developing a groundbreaking technique that utilizes synchrotron X-ray light to digitize recordings from historic audio tapes without causing damage. The method aims to preserve high-value recordings, including rare treasures from the Montreux Jazz Festival archive, such as a unique performance by the King of the Blues, B.B. King.

Although magnetic tapes have largely faded from everyday use, they continue to hold significant cultural and historical value, with numerous analog magnetic media still stored in the archives of sound studios, radio and TV stations, museums, and private collections worldwide. The ongoing challenge of digitizing these tapes is compounded by the gradual degradation of the tapes, leading to a race against time before they become unplayable.

Sebastian Gliga, a physicist at PSI and an expert in nanomagnetism, is leading the development of a non-destructive digitization method using X-ray light to achieve the highest quality results. Collaborating with the Swiss National Sound Archives, Gliga’s team has created custom reference recordings and harnessed audio engineering expertise to advance the technique. A partnership with the Montreux Jazz Digital Project will further refine and test the method.

The significance of preserving audio tapes was underscored by the recent efforts of the remaining members of the iconic rock band Queen, who faced the daunting task of salvaging a damaged 1988 tape containing a song featuring the late Freddie Mercury. Despite initial doubts, the dedicated efforts of sound engineers ultimately led to the successful restoration of the song,