Before the iPod, cassettes were the go-to for recording favorite tunes and precious memories. Now, with the PARADISEC archive, thousands of hours of audio are being digitized, preserving languages and cultures that may otherwise be lost. Special machines like the LM-3032 Tape Restorator are used to repair tapes that were previously unplayable, allowing for smoother playback and digitization. The impact of this work is profound, with community members expressing deep gratitude for the preservation of their language and heritage. For many, these recordings may be the only known examples of their language, making this work invaluable.
https://theconversation.com/how-were-recovering-priceless-audio-and-lost-languages-from-old-decaying-tapes-248116