The goal of the transcription process is to produce the most accurate digital representation of the original analog signal. This way, when the file is played out and converted back to analog, the resulting sound waves are as close as possible to the ones resulting from playing the real deal.
We use professional grade equipment through the entire signal path. Since the particular choice of stylus, tonearm, turntable, cables, preamp and A/D can affect the accuracy of the recording, there is no single setup that is optimal for any piece of audio. One stylus/tonearm combo might be better at tracking the bottom end of a certain record, while another combo might be used to better control an emphasised higher frequency range.
It's important to realise that because the setup is chosen to capture the analog signal in the groove as truthfully as possible, any flaws such as scratches and scuffs on worn records potentially also become more audible in the resulting recording compared to recording the same record with a lower grade setup that is unable to pick up those details. Thankfully a lot is possible in the digital clean up phase: we can digitally remove any sonic artifacts with high precision without compromising the quality of the recording. You'll find more details about this process in the next segment.
Besides the playback and studio (in case you wish to digitally process the files yourself afterwards) standard, we also offer the following recording formats:
PCM audio format (BWF - extension .wav or aiff) in
44.1kHz @ 16/24 bit
48kHz @ 16/24 bit
88.2kHz @ 24 bit
96kHz @ 24 bit
176.4 kHz @ 24 bit
192kHz @ 24 bit
2.8MHz @ 1-bit
5.6MHz @ 1-bit
DSDIFF format (extension .dff)
DSF (extension .dsf)
WSD (extension .wsd)